Women and Innovations in Science

A German physicist who discovered X-rays in 1895. He used electrically charged vacuum tubes to produce X-rays and expose photographic plates, revealing the structure of bones. He also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.

A Russian-born physiologist who studied digestive secretions in dogs. He discovered that dogs could be conditioned to associate food with the sound of a bell, a phenomenon known as classical conditioning.

A Japanese physician and bacteriologist who studied serum therapy for tetanus and diphtheria. He discovered that tetanus serum contained an antitoxin that provided immunity against the tetanus bacteria.

A mathematical physicist who studied the stability of the solar system and noticed that small changes in initial conditions could lead to large and unpredictable changes. This laid early groundwork for chaos theory.

An English physicist who discovered the existence of electrons using cathode-ray tubes. He also proposed the 'plum pudding' model of the atom, where electrons are embedded in a positive charge.

A Swedish physicist who studied ice ages and associated them with volcanic eruptions and gases like carbon dioxide. He was also a professor of physics.

An American astronomer who classified over 350,000 stars using the Harvard Spectral Classification system.

An American astronomer who studied Cepheid variable stars and their relationship to luminosity. Her work was crucial for determining the distances to other galaxies.

A Canadian physicist who became the first female nuclear physicist in Canada. She studied under JJ Thomson in Cambridge and later worked in Marie Curie's lab, making discoveries about nuclear decay.

An Indian mathematician who made significant contributions to mathematical analysis and number theory. Despite limited formal education, he shared his groundbreaking work with mathematician G.H. Hardy, who invited him to Cambridge.

A type of electromagnetic radiation that can penetrate human skin but is blocked by denser materials like bone.

A Russian physiologist who discovered classical conditioning, a form of learning where an organism associates a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring stimulus.

A type of learning where a neutral stimulus (like a bell) is paired with a naturally occurring stimulus (like food) to create a conditioned response (salivation).

A Japanese bacteriologist who developed serum therapy to protect against tetanus and diphtheria.

A treatment that uses antibodies from the blood of an immunized animal to confer immunity on another individual.

A French mathematician and physicist who explored the concept of chaos theory, showing that small changes in a system's initial conditions can lead to unpredictable outcomes.

A theory stating that complex systems can exhibit unpredictable behavior due to the amplification of small initial differences.

An English physicist who made significant contributions to our understanding of the atom, including identifying the electron and proposing the 'plum pudding' model.

A model of the atom proposed by J.J. Thomson, suggesting that electrons are embedded in a positively charged sphere, like plums in a pudding.

An American astronomer who classified over 350,000 stars, creating the foundation for the Harvard Spectral Classification system.

An American astronomer who discovered a crucial pattern in the brightness of Cepheid variable stars, leading to accurate distance measurements to other galaxies.

A Canadian physicist who was the first female nuclear physicist in Canada. She discovered that one element can transform into another through nuclear decay.

An Indian mathematician, despite limited formal education, made significant contributions to mathematical analysis and number theory, earning recognition from leading mathematicians.

An Austrian physicist who revolutionized quantum mechanics with his wave equation, which explained atomic behaviour differently, using probability clouds.

A British statistician and geneticist who applied statistical methods to scientific experimentation, bridging the gap between Darwin's natural selection and Mendel's experiments.

Two American chemists who conducted a groundbreaking experiment, demonstrating that simple organic compounds could form from inorganic ones in early Earth conditions.

A groundbreaking experiment by Urey and Miller simulated early Earth conditions, using electrical sparks to show the formation of simple organic compounds from inorganic ones, providing insights into the origin of life.