7 women who deserve the Nobel Prize but whose work has been stolen by men

7 women who deserve the Nobel Prize but whose work has been stolen by men

In the series of injustices, there are those of some women scientists. Having made the world move forward, they have never received a Nobel Prize for their work. Over the years and across the globe, many women scientists have been "forgotten" in order to maintain a "male elite" in science.

Let's be honest, besides Marie Curie decorated twice (1903 and 1911), very clever will be the one who can cite others. And for good reason, since its first award in 1901, only 49 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize, against 833 men. They are mostly recognized in the fields of peace and literature. The historical context explains a lot of this difference. Indeed, women had little access to science in the early twentieth century. Since 1976, the trend has tended to correct this injustice. Nevertheless, many women will remain forever in the shadows.

LISE MEITNER

Died in 1968, Lise Meitner left a trace in history for discovering nuclear fission in 1938. In the middle of World War II, in addition to being a woman, she was Jewish. Thus, although nominated three times, it will finally be one of his relatives: Otto Hahn will be rewarded in his place in the field of chemistry in 1944. Some of his relatives like Dirk Coster have openly offered their full support face to this injustice.

NETTIE MARIA STEVENS

The American geneticist Nettie Maria Stefens, who died in 1912, discovered that the sex of the child was determined by chromosomes. Although she has been recognized many times for her work and honored with many titles, the Nobel Prize for this discovery was awarded to Thomas Hunt Morgan, the Director of the Bryn Mawr College where the scientist was working. The latter would have said: "His determination and dedication, combined with a great sense of observation, his seriousness and patience, coupled with sound judgment, partly explain his remarkable success"

ROSALIND ELSIE FRANKLIN

Still in the field of science, the unfortunate Rosalind Elsie Frankin was stolen two Nobel Prize. The first concerning his work on the DNA structure was attributed to Francis Crick and James Dewey Watson in 1962. The latter having had access to the research of the scientist without his knowledge, did not even bother to pay tribute to the work of Rosalind. As for the second, it is the one on the structure of viruses. A work largely led by Rosalind and will be taken over by Aaron Klug. The latter will receive the prize in its place. She was only 37 years old when she succumbed to ovarian cancer, most likely caused by overexposure to radiation.

CECILIA PAYNE-GAPOSCHKIN

The American astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was no more lucky than her colleagues. Forced to move to the United States to work in science, her studies will lead her to prove in 1924 that stars are composed of helium and hydrogen. A highly innovative discovery for the time. Nevertheless, Professor Henry Russel dissuades her from publishing such a discovery. Five years later, Russel publishes the article of Cecilia, taking care however to mention it ... He will be honored with the Nobel prize.

JOCELYN BELL BURNELL

More recently, British astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered the first pulsar. Being a student at that time, the Nobel Prize jury decided to award him to his research professor: Antony Hewish. This was one of the first strong reactions to such an injustice on the part of his fellow researchers. There was no doubt that Jocelyn did not get this title because she was a woman.

ESTHER LEDERBERG

Esther Lederberg, a microbiologist, worked with her husband in the field of genetics and bacteria. She discovered the replication of bacterial culture in her research center: the Plasmid Reference Center at Stanford University. Nevertheless, it is her husband Joshua Lederberg who received the Nobel Prize in 1958. Esther has forever remained in the shadow of the latter, without ever getting recognition in the world of medicine.

MILEVA MARIC EINSTEIN

To close this meager sample, Mileva Maric Einstein, better known as "the wife of Albert Einstein", is much less so for its involvement in the work carried out by her husband. Indeed, she participated in most of them until their divorce in 1896. Many letters of the "Genie" nevertheless mention "we": our theory, our work, our article, our discovery, our studies…. A letter from 1901 mentions this: "proud and happy when we have both conducted our work together on the movement towards a successful conclusion". In spite of this, she will always remain in the shadow of Albert, without any recognition.

The status of women has long been a handicap in the world of intellectuals. The trend tends to feverishly change, even if, even today, the woman is still not equal to the Man.