Born in 1902, botanist & cytogeneticist Barbara McClintock became a pioneer in modern genetics by changing our understanding of inheritance.

She proposed that genomic replication does not always follow a consistent pattern, which wasn’t widely accepted at the time. She also contributed new cytogenetic research techniques & was the first scientist to correctly speculate about epigenetics.

In 1983, McClintock was awarded a Nobel Prize. nobelprize.org/womenwhochanged… #HistoryRemix #science #history

Beatrix Potter is best remembered for her charming tales of Peter Rabbit, but did you know she also studied #science?

Potter collected & examined beetles, butterflies, plants, bird eggs, shells, rocks, fossils & especially fungi. She conducted experiments & wrote a scientific paper with her own illustrations, presented at the Linnean Society of London. However, as a woman in the Victorian era, she couldn’t even attend the meeting. nytimes.com/2023/04/26/arts/de… #HistoryRemix #history #art #books

Rosalind Franklin update!

“A new paper based on long-lost documents confirms that DNA discoverer Rosalind Franklin should be credited for discovering the double helix.”

livescience.com/health/genetic… #HistoryRemix #history #science /2

Rosalind Franklin knew DNA was a helix before Watson and Crick, unpublished material reveals

^{Jennifer Nalewicki (Live Science)}

Born in 1917, Egyptian physicist Sameera Moussa studied radioactive isotopes used to create medical images. Her research “laid the groundwork for a revolution in the affordability & safety of nuclear medicine.”

Concerned about the potential use of nuclear weapons during WWII, Moussa organized the Atomic Energy for Peace conference.

She was likely assassinated at age 35 in a case that remains unsolved. More by Kenna Hughes-Castleberry arstechnica-com.cdn.ampproject… #HistoryRemix #science #history

As someone from #Egypt (poor at #history) I did not realized this…

Thanks, for sharing & here’s something in return:

#culture #travel @histodons

Born in 1831, Rebecca Lee Crumpler
became the first Black woman to graduate from medical school in the U.S.

Despite facing extreme racism & sexism, she practiced medicine with a focus on women & children. She also provided medical care to freed slaves.

In 1883, Dr. Crumpler published her Book of Medical Discourses, which was one of the first medical publications written by a Black author. There are no existing photos of her. cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physici… #HistoryRemix #history #science

After witnessing a white doctor refuse to treat a sick, elderly Native American woman who later died, Susan La Flesche Picotte decided to become a physician to help her people. Born in 1865, she grew up on Nebraska’s Omaha reservation.

In 1889, Picotte became the first female Native American to earn a medical degree in the U.S. She raised funding & opened Wathill Hospital in 1913 - the first private hospital on a reservation. drsusancenter.org/dr-susan #HistoryRemix #history #science

Traditional #African tales of monsters, genies & malevolent spirits have been reworked in a new #Netflix series.
....retelling these folktales is an important part of cultural preservation & evolution, as .. oral traditions face extinction. Many #stories disappeared during the colonial period, when written western #literature was privileged & bans on vernacular languages, containing communities’ #cultures & #history were enforced"
#BlackMastodon #BlackTwitter #Blackfedi

theguardian.com/global-develop…

Beatrice ‘Tilly’ Shilling was born in 1909 in Hampshire. She became an aeronautical engineer & daredevil motorcycle racer.

In 1936, Shilling joined The Royal Aircraft Establishment. 5 yrs later, she led a team that designed a device to prevent Merlin plane engines from stalling during flight, which helped the Allies win WWII.

Shilling was also the 2nd woman to earn a Brooklands Gold Star for lapping the track at >100mph. wes.org.uk/sites/default/files… #HistoryRemix #science #history #women

Ben Barres was a trailblazing transgender neurobiologist who promoted equity & diversity.

His pioneering research on glial cells changed science & he became the 1st #trans person admitted into the National Academies of Science.

Barres was also a strong advocate for women, early career scientists & the #LGBTQ+ community at a time when few people openly discussed gender identity.

forbes.com/sites/matthewherper…

Excerpt from his autobiography: stanmed.stanford.edu/ben-barre… #history #HistoryRemix

Once upon a time, ~36,000 years ago, unicorns were real.

The “Siberian unicorn” (scientific name: Elasmotherium sibericum) weighed >4 tons, had a long horn ~3 feet on its nose & roamed Eurasia’s grasslands at the same time as modern humans.

More at theconversation.com/amp/how-a-… #history #science #SharedPlanet

Kristina, Queen of Sweden, was born in 1626. She is remembered as the most educated woman of the 17th century & ruled on her own terms.

Preferring the company of men, Kristina had no interest in traditionally feminine roles. She sometimes wore masculine clothing & focused on science, math & philosophy. She refused to marry (scandalous!) & became a patron of the arts.

Kristina decided to abdicate the throne in 1654. cambridge.org/core/books/abs/c… #history #HistoryRemix

Rachel Carson was born in 1907. She became a marine biologist & prolific writer.

Carson questioned the assumption that humans should dominate #nature. She recognized the dangers to natural systems from the misuse of pesticides like DDT. She also accused the chemical industry of spreading lies & politicians of accepting industry claims uncritically.

Her 1962 book, Silent Spring, is widely credited as being the catalyst for the modern environmental movement. #history #science #HistoryRemix

The Skeletons of the Red Line

Meanwhile... Beneath Harvard Square....

#History #HarvardSquare #MBTA #Cambridge #MA #SubwaySecrets #TransportationHistory #Technology #HArvardCrimson

The Skeletons of the Red Line | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

The six-minute subway ride between Harvard and Central Square isn’t the most entertaining journey. But if passengers were to squint out the window as the Red Line rounded the curve out of Harvard Station, they could see the abandoned shell of another…

^{www.thecrimson.com}

Mileva Marić Einstein was a physicist born in Serbia in 1875.

We remember her husband, Albert Einstein, as one of the most celebrated physicists of the 20th century, but I suspect most folks haven’t heard of her.

However, Albert & Mileva’s letters & other accounts suggest they worked together on his groundbreaking scientific contributions. They collaborated from the time they met in 1896 until their separation in 1914.

This is her story: blogs.scientificamerican.com/g… #science #history #HistoryRemix

As of March 2023, 72 #women have flown in #space.

Of these, 44 have worked on the International Space Station as long-duration expedition crewmembers, as visitors on space shuttle assembly flights, or as space flight participants on short-duration missions.

Learn more about these inspiring pioneers from around the world: nasa.gov/feature/womens-histor… #science #history #HistoryRemix

“In the new Code of Laws…I desire you would remember the ladies & be more generous & favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.

…If particular care & attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion & will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

- Abigail Adams' to John Adams while he argued for American independence, 1776 pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperienc… #history #HistoryRemix

Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Great Britain. Her family lived in poverty, selling fossils to make ends meet.

Scientists of Anning’s day could not believe that a poor young woman could posses her knowledge & talent. She has been described as 'the greatest fossilist the world ever knew' yet many are still unaware of her incredible contributions.

The majority of her discoveries ended up in museums & collections without credit. ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/anni… #history #science #HistoryRemix

L7 at CBGB, March 25, 1990.

Photo by Chris Boarts Larson

#punk #punks #punkrock #womenofpunk #L7 #cbgb #history #punkrockhistory

Born in 1821, Elizabeth Blackwell was determined to become a physician. But she was rejected from every med school she applied to bc she was a woman. She was finally admitted to Geneva College, but her acceptance letter was intended as a joke.

Dr. Blackwell was the first woman to receive an M.D. from a U.S. med school & championed women in medicine. Eventually, she opened a clinic, started a medical college for women & became a professor. cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physici… #science #history #HistoryRemix

Born in 1914, Hedy Lamarr was a famous American actress who pioneered the technology that would lead to WiFi, GPS, cell phones & Bluetooth communication.

Lamarr was brilliant. Among many fascinating inventions, she developed a new communication system with composer George Antheil that used “frequency hopping” among radio waves.

Once called the “most beautiful woman in the world," Lamarr is now remembered as "the mother of Wi-Fi."

smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian… #science #history #HistoryRemix

Born in 1750, Caroline Herschel worked as assistant to her astronomer brother William. But she also made her own discoveries of nebulae, stars & 8(!) comets.

In 1787, King George III employed Caroline as her brother's assistant, including a small salary that made her one of the first women paid for their contributions to #science.

Caroline submitted over 550 stars to the existing star catalog & received honorary membership in the Royal Society. space.com/17439-caroline-hersc… #history #HistoryRemix

Fission is in the news, but few recognize that a woman physicist was behind the discovery.

Lise Meitner’s brilliance led to the discovery of nuclear fission. But her long time collaborator Otto Hahn, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry w/o her in 1944, even though she had given the first theoretical explanation.

Albert Einstein called Meitner “our Marie Curie." She also adamantly refused to work on the atomic bomb during WWII. aps.org/publications/apsnews/2… #women #history #science #HistoryRemix

Henrietta Lacks was a poor, Black, young mother diagnosed cervical cancer in 1951. When her cells were collected w/o consent, scientists saw they multiplied fast.

“HeLa” cells changed #science. They’re used globally to study viruses, drugs, hormones, genes, diseases & develop vaccines. Lacks passed away at 31 w no recognition.

Rebecca Skloot’s beautiful book about her life & legacy is changing that. Now her statue will replace Robert E. Lee in VA. nytimes.com/2022/12/20/us/henr… #history #HistoryRemix

Rosalind Franklin’s research was crucial to discovering DNA’s double helix structure 🧬 but it was James Watson & Francis Crick who received the credit & Nobel Prize.

Unknown to Franklin, the pair saw her unpublished data & X-ray diffraction images, inspiring their model. They never acknowledged her contribution until after her death.

How many discoveries & innovations of #women do we attribute to the men who took credit for their ideas?

theconversation.com/sexism-pus… #history #science #HistoryRemix

There are so many women in #STEAM & #history who weren't widely acknowledged or remembered for their contributions.

I've enjoyed the opportunity to highlight several & plan to continue. Here are a few favorites:

Henrietta Swan Leavitt mastodon.social/@Sheril/109379…

Cecilia Payne mastodon.social/@Sheril/109457…

Elizabeth Magie mastodon.social/@Sheril/109466…

Rosalind Franklin mastodon.social/@Sheril/109528…

Lise Meitner mastodon.social/@Sheril/109579…

Marianne North mastodon.social/@Sheril/109721…

Marie Tharp mastodon.social/@Sheril/109771…

Sheril Kirshenbaum (@Sheril@mastodon.social)

Attached: 1 image I bet you’ve heard of Galileo & Hubble, but what about Henrietta Swan Leavitt? Leavitt changed astronomy. She figured out new ways to measure a star’s distance from Earth & her work helped determine the universe is expanding.

^Mastodon

Physicist John Tyndall is often credited w discovering the greenhouse effect, which he wrote about in 1859.

But female scientist Eunice Foote published a paper - 3yrs earlier - demonstrating how atmospheric water vapor & CO2 affected solar heating. She theorized that heat trapping gases in Earth’s atmosphere warm its #climate.

Tyndall was widely read. And Foote, being a woman, wasn't even permitted to present her own work.
climate.gov/news-features/feat… #history #science #ClimateChange #HistoryRemix

"How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but we can start right now to gradually change the world!

How wonderful it is that everyone, great and small, can immediately help bring about justice by giving of themselves!”

- Anne Frank, March 26, 1944
annefrank.org/en/ #history

Born in 1852, Mary Titcomb had a strong desire for an education & career.

Mary became a librarian & making #books accessible to everyone was a priority. She came up with a children’s room & set up “book stations” in shops & post offices in town.

But Mary noticed people from rural areas weren’t visiting the #library. So, she secured funding to build & begin the nation’s first bookmobile. 📚

amazon.com.au/Library-Wheels-T… #history #HistoryRemix

Born in 1883, Elmer Samuel Imes was the 2nd Black American to receive a physics PhD in the U.S.

His pioneering experimental work measured of the rotational–vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules.

Imes faced many obstacles bc of his race & blazed trails in science for many who followed. He was also interested in how science & culture intersect & married Nella Larsen, a great writer of the Harlem Renaissance. He passed away in 1941. physicstoday.scitation.org/doi… #history #science #HistoryRemix

Pauli Murray was a lawyer, scholar, activist, poet & priest. A civil rights leader, their activism set the stage for the desegregation of US schools.

Murray co-founded the National Organization for Women. Ruth Bader Ginsburg credited them for the idea that the 14th amendment could win equality for women.

Murray changed #history & led battles for racial & gender equality. With too many accomplishments to list, we should celebrate their contributions. paulimurraycenter.com/who-is-p… #HistoryRemix

Pioneering geologist & oceanographer Marie Tharp changed our understanding of the ocean.

When Tharp sought a geology job at Columbia in 1948, women couldn’t go on research ships. So, she was hired to assist male grad students.

Back then, many scientists still assumed the bottom of the ocean was featureless. Tharp figured out how to use data to create sketches of the ocean floor. Her hand-drawn maps helped develop plate tectonic theory. theconversation.com/marie-thar… #science #history #HistoryRemix

Synth genius Wendy Carlos studied physics & #music at Brown & Columbia. She helped develop the 1st Moog synthesizer & her 1968 classical album Switched-On Bach went platinum. She brought music & tech together & composed soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Tron & more.

Carlos was assigned male at birth & transitioned to female. Unfortunately, many journalists focus more on her gender than her accomplishments that changed music forever. wendycarlos.com #history #HistoryRemix

For those who want to learn more check out this 2-part Shortwave podcast:

Part 1: npr.org/2022/03/09/1085428338/…

Part 2: npr.org/2022/03/09/1085434443/…

#Science #History #Women #NPR

One more story about botanical artist Marianne North with a modern twist...

A couple of years ago, Tianyi Yu recognized 14 new-to-science species of bright-blue fruited rainforest shrubs.

One specimen was first collected in 1973, but it turns out, North painted it ~100 years earlier in 1876.

Here’s her painting beside “Chassalia northiana T.Y. Yu” - which became the 5th plant species named in Marianne North’s honor. kew.org/read-and-watch/mariann… #art #history #nature #science #HistoryRemix /2

Marianne North traveled to 6 continents & 17 countries, painting exotic plants in remote & hazardous jungles… all while traveling alone in Victorian dress in the 1800s.

North depicted over 1,000 scientifically accurate pitcher plants, orchids, ferns & more. Her oil paintings introduced botanists to multiple previously unidentified species & several are named after her.

Her art has its own gallery at Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. artsandculture.google.com/stor… #HistoryRemix #history #art #science

Maryam Mirzakhani was the first woman & Iranian to earn the Fields Medal in math for her brilliant work in hyperbolic geometry.

Her achievements influenced quantum field theory, engineering & material science & may have applications related to how the universe began.

Mirzakhani was an immigrant & became a Stanford professor. She passed away at just 40 in 2017. In her words:

“The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers.”

theconversation.com/maryam-mir… #history #HistoryRemix