Beyond Curie: A Celebration of Women in Science, Exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences; photo of Marie Curie, Polish/French Scientist, 1903
Chances are that you know about Marie Curie, the scientist who did pioneering work on radioactivity, and Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring alerted the world to the dangers of DDT, but what about Mae Jemison, the first black woman to travel in space or Grace Hopper, the computer scientist whose many accomplishments include coining the word “computer bug” after finding a moth in an early computer machine.
Mae Jemison. On September 12, 1992 she flew into space on the Shuttle Endeavour
These women and 36 more are featured in the exhibit, Beyond Curie at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina, a celebration of women scientists, all of whom surmounted incredible odds in the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and impact.
Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring was published in 1962
On a recent trip to North Carolina, I spent a day at the Museum of Natural Sciences and had a chance to visit the Beyond Curie exhibit. Each of the women scientists is profiled on a large poster, which includes her photograph and highlights of her achievements. If you download an app to your phone, you can also discover 3-D images associated with the displays.Here is a selection of a few of the remarkable women you featured in the exhibit.
Rose Frisch's research led to the discovery of the hormone that regulates hunger, fat and puberty.
Kalpana Chawla, an American astronaut, was the first woman of Indian origin to fly in space
Diane Figueroa, a noted marine biologist, is also an ambassador for science education.
Grace Hopper, a computer scientist, was also a Rear Admiral in the US Navy.
Lisa Ng and her team helped contain and treat the epidemic infections from the SARS and avian "bird" flu viruses.
Mildred Dresselhaus, an outstanding carbon physicist, was the first female president of the American Association of the Advancement of Science
Margaret Ann Bulkley had a brilliant career, posing as a man named James Barry. It was not discovered that she was female until after her death.
