Since her death in 1979, the woman who discovered what the universe is made of has not so much as received a memorial plaque. Her newspaper obituaries do not mention her greatest discovery. […] Every high school student knows that Isaac Newton discovered gravity, that Charles Darwin discovered evolution, and that Albert Einstein discovered the relativity of time. But when it comes to the composition of our universe, the textbooks simply say that the most abundant atom in the universe is hydrogen. And no one ever wonders how we know.
Jeremy Knowles, discussing the complete lack of recognition Cecilia Payne gets, even today, for her revolutionary discovery (via hollow-gram)
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I HAVE FUCKING HAD IT. God damnit people. I’m going to launch a “Female Scientist, Mad or Otherwise, Appreciation Series” section on the Evil Supply blog. MAYBE IT WILL TAKE A COMPANY ROOTED IN DARKNESS AND MISCHIEF TO MAKE SCIENCE GET IT’S SHIT TOGETHER.
Stay tuned.
(via evilsupplyco)
You want to know something? I’ve studied physics, astrophysics, and astronomy – at the college level. I’m 44. I’ve NEVER HEARD OF THIS WOMAN.
My head is whirling that the HISTORY OF SCIENCE is actually this…no, I’m not. Now that the initial surge of outrage has dwindled, I’m forced to remember that the only woman’s name I can actually recall from ANY of the science classes I’ve EVER taken is Marie Curie.
Part of that is the fault of my memory. But I honestly think that none of my professors or textbooks NAMED THE WOMEN IN THE FIELDS I WAS STUDYING.
Sir, start your blog, and I’ll follow and REBLOG IT CONSTANTLY.
(via stunthusband)