Lost Women of Science

Psychologist Elizabeth Bates challenged prevailing theories on human language acquisition, sparking intense debates with linguists like Steven Pinker and Noam Chomsky. Bates believed language emerges from brain-environment interactions, not an innate capacity, reshaping perspectives on cognition and language. The podcast explores the clash between established theories and innovative ideas in linguistics, shedding light on the legacy of Bates' groundbreaking work in language studies.

Meet Melba Phillips, a pioneering theoretical physicist who worked with J. Robert Oppenheimer. They discovered the Oppenheimer-Phillips Process, a key nuclear reaction explanation. Although Phillips opposed nuclear weapons, she faced adversity during the McCarthy era. Her resilient journey and impact in theoretical physics inspire.

Astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, known for her groundbreaking discovery of what stars are made of, paved the way for female astronomers. The podcast explores her journey of discovery, the challenges she faced, and her collaboration with astronomer Sergei Koposkin at the Harvard Observatory. It highlights the importance of women astronomers in reshaping scientific knowledge and their invaluable contributions to astrophysics.

Annie Maunder, a Victorian woman astronomer, embarked on a journey to photograph a total solar eclipse in 1897, shedding light on her fascinating passion for the sun. The podcast delves into her inspiring adventures and the challenges faced by early female scientists in a male-dominated field. It highlights her groundbreaking research and the significance of studying solar phenomena and eclipses to connect astronomical events with Earth.

In this episode of Lost Women of Science Conversations, Michelle Nijhuis talks to historian Catherine McNeur about how she rediscovered the lives and work of Elizabeth and Margaretta Morris, two natural scientists who made significant contributions to botany and entomology in the mid-19th Century. Elizabeth collected rare plant species and sent them to institutions around the world, and Margaretta not only discovered new insects but also helped farmers combat the pests that were devastating their fields. Nevertheless, by both design and accident, these women were lost to history. McNeur tells us how that happened and how, piece by piece, she recovered their stories. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

While working at the Salk Institute in California, Ursula Bellugi discovered that sign language was made up of specific building blocks that were assembled following strict rules, much like in spoken language. Her subsequent discoveries about the complexities of sign language led both to linguistic breakthroughs and to changes in the way deaf people felt about signing. Bellugi demonstrated that sign language is as rich and complex as any spoken language. Her work deepened our understanding of what it means to communicate as humans. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Katharine “Kay” Way was a nuclear physicist who worked at multiple Manhattan Project sites. She was an expert in radioactive decay. But after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, she became increasingly concerned about the ethics of nuclear weapons. Dr. Way signed the Szilard Petition and worked to spread awareness of the moral responsibility surrounding atomic weaponry, including co-editing the influential One World or None: a Report to the Public on the Full Meaning of the Atomic Bomb, remaining an outspoken advocate for fairness and justice. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

“Hoots and derision, which did not worry me at all,” Lilian Bland wrote, describing her visit to an airshow in Blackpool, England in 1909. She’d been telling everyone there that she intended to build and fly her own airplane. They were unimpressed. Lilian was undeterred. She built a DIY plane of bamboo, wood, and fabric, with a bicycle handlebar for steering and an engine she carried from England back to her home in Ireland. But would the Mayfly, as she called it, fly? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the first of a new series we’re calling Lost Women of Science Conversations—and a fitting choice for Black History Month—we talk to Maria Smilios, author of a new book that tells the story of Black nurses who were lured from the Jim Crow South to work at a tuberculosis (TB) hospital called Sea View on Staten Island, N.Y. Facing unsanitary conditions and racial prejudice, these “Black Angels” cared for TB patients for decades before a cure that they helped develop was found. It’s a story of bravery and dedication that Smilios pieced together from oral histories and medical records because there were no archives that described these nurses’ work. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sara Little Turnbull, an industrial designer known for her work in material science, discusses her role in designing the moldable bra cup that inspired the N95 mask, as well as her disputed contributions to its development. She also talks about her other innovative projects, such as clear glass cooktop development and storage systems.