Google celebrates women in Science & Technology

This year has been a good one for celebrating pioneering ladies in various fields, from poets, writers, educators and feminists to scientists. In May, the Google Doodle celebrated four ladies in the field of science and technology. It is fantastic that these women are celebrated on such a global scale and especially as I’m being introduced to many of them for the first time.

May 12 – Dorothy Hodgkin’s 104th birthday

Dorothy Hodgkin was a pioneer of the field of X-ray crystallography. A 100-year old technique in chemistry which has revolutionized the way we understand the structure of the universe on a molecular level. By studying the patterns produced by X-rays, scientists are able to surmise the molecular structure of materials. A technique so important that it has had a direct role in producing multiple Nobel Laureates including Dorothy Hodgkin, who was awarded one in 1964 for her work on uncovering the complex structure of Penicillin G (the model in the doodle).

Scientists Laura Satkamp and Louise Scharf, PhD, were responsible for ensuring that the doodle was scientifically correct.

May 16 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi’s 296th birthday

Maria Gaetana Agnesi, was an Italian mathematician and philosopher. She is credited with writing the first book discussing both differential and integral calculus and was an honorary member of the faculty at the University of Bologna.

May 21 – Mary Anning’s 215th birthday

Mary Anning was a British fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist who became known around the world for important finds she made in the Jurassic marine fossil beds at Lyme Regis in Dorset. Her work contributed to fundamental changes that occurred during her lifetime in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth.

May 27 – Rachel Louise Carson’s 107th birthday

Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement.