Sunday, November 21, 2010

Lost Women of Science

From the Guardian:
A study of the Royal Society's archives reveals that women played a far more important role in the development and dissemination of science than had previously been thought, says Richard Holmes.

All this year, and all round the globe, the Royal Society of London has been celebrating its 350th birthday. In a sense, it has been a celebration of science itself and the social importance of its history. The senior scientific establishment in Britain, and arguably in the world, the Royal Society dates to the time of Charles II. Its early members included Isaac Newton, Edmond Halley, Robert Hooke, Thomas Hobbes, Christopher Wren and even – rather intriguingly – Samuel Pepys. But amid this year's seminars, exhibitions and publications, there has been one ghost at the feast: the historic absence of women scientists from its ranks.


See my post on Caroline Herschel

No comments: