Women's Views on News |
| Some Scottish women scientists remembered Posted: 17 Jun 2015 05:39 AM PDT
The names of Scottish female scientists do not readily spring to mind, but that certainly does not mean they did not exist. The enduring legacy of some remarkable Scottish women of science, most of whom remain largely unknown today, was celebrated at an exhibtion of ‘treasures’ the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. They included a goddaughter of Queen Victoria who served an apprenticeship in a Dundee shipyard; a botanist who produced a celebrated book of plant illustrations to support her family after her husband was imprisoned; a biologist who shared her work with the Emperor of Japan and former house maid who made important astronomical discoveries. They all overcame significant obstacles to pursue their scientific interests at a time when universities had only just started opening their doors to women and 'learned societies' continued to exclude them. Women were only allowed to graduate from Scottish universities after the passing of the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889. The Royal Society did not admit women until 1945, while The Royal Society of Edinburgh only elected their first female Fellows in 1949. The fact that their work is still cited today in scientific journals demonstrates the relevance of their discoveries to the modern world. 'The Treasures' display ran from 1 March until 30 April 2013 at the National Library of Scotland and celebrated the trailblazing achievements of 11 women of science born in the 18th to the 20th centuries. It ran during Women’s History Month and was part of the programme of the Edinburgh Science Festival. It seems appropriate to mention it again now. Hard choices had to be made in selecting the women who were profiled in the display from the many who could have been chosen. It was decided to exclude living scientists and those with a medical background. In the end, 11 were chosen. They were: Elizabeth Blackwell (1700-1758) an amateur botanist and artist. Born in Aberdeen, she moved to London with her husband who was jailed as a debtor after his printing business failed. To support her family and free her husband, she sketched plant specimens at the Chelsea Physic Garden. She published the illustrations and they proved a huge success. Today the botanical accuracy of her depictions is still admired. Mary Somerville (1780-1872) a mathematician and astronomer. She was born in Jedburgh in 1780 and was described on her death as the ‘Queen of Nineteenth Century Science’. She wrote three major scientific works, and was the first woman to be elected to the Royal Astronomical Society. Somerville College in Oxford is named after her. Elizabeth Fulhame The precise dates of her birth and death are unknown, but she is known as a chemist. She published a book in 1794 called ‘An essay on combustion’. It was clearly the work of a skilled chemist, but was criticised by many scientists (all of them men) who thought she was exceeding her bounds as a woman. The book was translated into German and was republished in Philadelphia where she was elected as an honorary member of the Philadelphia Chemical Society Williamina Fleming (1857-1911) An astronomer who emigrated from Dundee to the USA in 1878 with her husband but shortly afterwards was left as a single parent. After a time working as a maid, she found work at the Harvard College Observatory identifying the presence of stars captured on photographic plates. She subsequently discovered hundreds of stars and the Horsehead Nebula — a dark cluster of gas and interstellar dust in the constellation of Orion Maria Gordon (1864-1939) A geologist, born in Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, she became the first woman to gain a PhD from the University of Munich. She published more than 30 papers on the geology of the South Tyrol region of Italy and was one of the first geologists to show that limestone peaks were formed by movements in the Earth's crust. Muriel Robertson (1883-1973) A zoologist born in Glasgow and who studied at Glasgow University, she is known for her work on parasites that causes illnesses such as sleeping sickness. She also played an important role during both world wars in identifying types of the bacteria Clostridium which can infect war wounds. She was one of the first women to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Victoria Drummond (1894-1978) A marine engineer. Born at Megginch Castle, Perthshire, and a goddaughter of Queen Victoria. So intent was she in an engineering career, that she served an apprenticeship in Caledon Ship Works, Dundee. She actually served on a number of ships, but faced opposition from the male establishment when trying to gain a chief engineer’s certificate, but she eventually triumphed. One of the many highlights of her career was being awarded the MBE and Lloyd’s war medal for bravery, for single-handedly keeping the engines of the SS Bonita running while under German bombardment. Charlotte (‘Lotte’) Auerbach (1899-1944) A geneticist who spent much of her working life in Edinburgh after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933. A pioneer in the study of genetic mutations and one of the first scientists to understand the dangers of nuclear radiation, she was one of the first women to be made a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Isabella Gordon (1901-1988) A marine biologist, she became known as the ‘Grand Old Lady of Carcinology’ – the science of crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs – due to her impressive research. Born in Keith to impoverished parents she won a bursary to continue her education. She spent most of her working life at the British Museum but provided expertise and advice both at home and abroad, including to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Marion C Gray (1902-1979) A mathematician born in Ayr, she spent most of her working life in the United States with large companies, including the phone company AT&T and Bell Laboratories. She made an important discovery in graph theory which is still cited by scientists today. Marion A S Ross (1903-1994) A physicist who was born in Edinburgh and graduated from Edinburgh University, carried out pioneering work into the structure of crystals in the 1930s with Arnold Beevers which is exciting interest today. She was the first director of Edinburgh University’s Fluid Dynamics Unit, and a physics prize commemorates her name. But it is King Richard II, who reigned from 1377 to 1399, who is 'widely believed' to have invented the cloth handkerchief, as 'surviving documents written by his courtiers' describe his use of square pieces of cloth to wipe his nose. Disposable paper handkerchiefs also have a long history; in Japan, for example, as early as the 17th-century it was reported that “They blow their noses in soft silky papers the size of a hand, which they never use twice…” Parties who probably also cried when criticised. Yay for women in science! Down with sexist misogyny.  |
| Posted: 17 Jun 2015 03:23 AM PDT
Sir Tim Hunt is a very clever man. He is a Nobel Prize winning scientist, a fellow of the Royal Society and until recently a member of the science committee of the European Research Council (ERC). He is also a ‘self-confessed chauvinist‘, who last week at a prestigious scientific event – the World Conference of Scientific Journalism, in South Korea – addressed a room full of top scientists and science journalists, most of whom were women, and told them that girls in the laboratory are troublesome because "they fall in love with you" and "cry when you criticise them." Connie St Louis, a lecturer in science journalism at City University, who was in the audience at the time, said the experience was “awful”, and the scientist’s comments had been greeted with silence. “A lot of my colleagues sat down and were taking notes because they couldn’t believe in this day and age that somebody would be prepared to stand up and be so crass, so rude in a different culture and actually to be so openly sexist as well.” And one has to ask: by 'gender segregated labs' did he mean 'kitchens'? Or am I being unkind? The thing is, as a former pharmacology student I don't ever recall seeing my female colleagues gently weeping into their Bunsen burners every time they got negative feedback. Although I do recall being turned down for a PhD for 'being too outgoing’, whatever that means. It certainly wasn't about my qualifications. Nonetheless, Hunt's ‘joke’ bombed. His comments were universally panned and he has had to resign as honorary professor with the faculty of life sciences at University College London (UCL). Ouch. A statement from UCL said: “UCL was the first university in England to admit women students on equal terms to men, and the university believes that this outcome is compatible with our commitment to gender equality.” Imran Khan, chief executive of the British Science Association told the BBC News that "[…] dealing with sexism and other forms of discrimination are a daily reality for many people, and I imagine it’s hard to find Sir Tim’s comments funny if you’ve been held back by systemic bias for years – whether those remarks were intended as a joke or not." And this is the whole point. Because despite decades of progress, women are still woefully under-represented in science, technology and engineering. According to Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), which campaigns for more women to enter the science industry, the percentage of women working in science, technology and engineering is less than 10 per cent, excluding health-related occupations. And in response to Hunt's comments, The Guardian published 'Stories of sexism in science', an interesting read that provides a depressing snapshot into some women's experiences in the sector. "Women are edged out of science because of the way the science career structure works, because of the short-term contracts, because few ever get a permanent position before they take on caring responsibilities (be that kids, or ageing parents)," says one anonymous contributor. "A PI [Principle Investigator] rejected a manuscript coming from a female postdoc as 'unpublishable' while that same manuscript is judged to be 'a great piece of work and ready for submission' when coming from the male co-first author instead," says another. And this isn't just in the laboratory. The gaming and technology industry can be outright misogynistic, as was hideously demonstrated last year by the GamerGate controversy, when a number of female game developers were bombarded with rape and death threats on an enormous scale by an online group of angry men known as GamerGate. The reason? For having the audacity to address equality for women across the industry. To date there have been no prosecutions. Meanwhile, Hunt has lost his job at UCL and his position with the European Research Council. As a prominent scientist he made some very inappropriate comments and now has his tail between his legs. But the real issue remains, and we have a long way to go before women are adequately represented in science and technology. It's not as if 'women scientists' is a new concept. Let's not forget Nobel prize-winning physicist Marie Curie, primate expert Jane Goodall, or physicist and Nobel Prize winner Maria Mayer who discovered the shape of the outer shell of the atomic nucleus, Rita Levi-Montalcini who won the Nobel prize for discovering Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), and the many, many other top scientists who happen to be women. I really hope that young women who want to pursue a career in science are inspired by the achievements of these successful women, not put off by the ridiculous comments of an insensitive 72 year-old man. Ironically, Hunt’s comments may fuel the debate needed to change long-entrenched attitudes and redress the balance.  |
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