Special Report

The Most Influential Women in Science

The 2016 movie “Hidden Figures,” which was certainly about racism, was also about the treatment of women in fields that men have dominated throughout history, particularly science, math, and engineering. Recently, likely inspired by the movie, there has been an interest in discovering women’s intellectual achievements of the past and giving them their long due credit.

24/7 Tempo has listed 25 women who made significant scientific discoveries. While a few have earned worldwide recognition in their own right, the list is largely composed of women who have been overshadowed or shoved aside by their husbands or male colleagues — and by the scientific community.

In many cases, their place on the list has been facilitated by contemporary research, and in a few cases, by men coming forward and admitting to the female genius behind their work. Some of these inventions are on the list of 50 things you never knew were invented by women.

What all these women have in common is their dedication to their work. Some struggled with physical disabilities, some died young from the dangers of their work, and many struggled with discrimination in their pursuit of education and employment. But even in the absence of appropriate credit for their accomplishment, their love of science made them heroes in their fields of endeavor.

Click here to see the 25 of the most influential women in science. 

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