

Lise Meitner
26 snips Jun 5, 2025
In this discussion, Frank Close, a theoretical physicist, Steven Bramwell, a condensed matter physics expert, and Jess Wade, a materials science researcher, dive into the life of Lise Meitner, a groundbreaking female physicist. They explore her pivotal role in discovering nuclear fission while facing significant societal challenges. The conversation highlights her collaborations with Otto Hahn and her moral stance against the military use of her discoveries. They also examine the impacts of political persecution on her career and her eventual, albeit delayed, recognition in the scientific community.
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Early Life and Education
- Lise Meitner grew up in a liberal Jewish family encouraging her and siblings into academia.
- She kept a science logbook at age 10 and overcame barriers to enter university for physics.
Radioactivity Challenged Atomic Theory
- At the start of the 20th century, atoms were thought indivisible and permanent.
- Radioactivity challenged this view by showing atoms change spontaneously and emit energy.
Chemistry and Physics Collaboration
- Chemistry isolated radioactive elements but physics sought to understand emitted radiation.
- The two fields had to combine to track how elements transform through radioactivity.