Melitta Bentz

Have you ever wondered whom to thank in the morning when you get your coffeemaker ready for the
first cup of the day? Coffee beans have been used to make beverages since the eleventh century, but a
German housewife named Melitta Bentz updated brewing for the modern world. Initially, the method of
tying up the coffee grounds in a small cloth bag and placing the bag into a pot of boiling water was
followed. But Bentz came up with a new method. What did she do? She kept a piece of thick, absorbent
paper into a brass pot with a few holes punched in it and poured the coffee through this two-part
contraption. This technique managed to trap the grounds and allowed the filtered liquid to seep through
and drip into a waiting cup. She received a patent for her coffee filter system in 1908 and started a
business that still exists today.

Ada-Lovelace-1815-1852

Ada Lovelace

The first computer programmer in the world, Ada Lovelace penned her research on the analytical
engine, the mechanical general purpose computer of Charles Babbage. Her observations on this engine
was acknowledged as the first algorithm. The programming language developed by US Department of
Defence is named after her. She has also been portrayed in a movie – Conceiving Ada.

Gertrude-Elion

Gertrude Elion

Gertrude Belle Elion got the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for discoveries regarding drug treatment.
This American pharmacologist developed AZT, an antiretroviral drug used for the treatment of AIDS,
with Dr. George H Hitchings. She had a four decade-long partnership with Hitchings. This female
scientist also developed drugs for the treatment of malaria, leukemia and herpes. Even after she retired
in 1983, she continued supervising the lab, overseeing the development of AZT, the first drug for
treating AIDS.
by Elliott & Fry, half-plate glass negative, 11 June 1946

Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Franklin lived for just 38 years and was neglected by her colleagues. However, she is an
unforgettable name in the history of science. This biophysicist played a seminal role in the discovery of
the structure of DNA, though she didn’t get the credit she deserved. She also produced X-ray diffraction
images of DNA, which later helped Watson and Crick to find the double helix model of DNA.

Barbara-McClintock-1902-1992

Barbara McClintock

Known for discovering certain sequences of DNA that can change locations within the gene, Barbara
McClintock is regarded as one of the most influential scientists in genetics. McClintock contributed
immensely in the field of cytogenetics and was the first to produce a genetic map for maize. Although
she did extensive studies, the scientific world was skeptical about her findings. But recognition and
honors came to her quite late. She eventually won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1983.

Irene-Joliot-Curie

Five famous female Mathematicians

Five famous female Mathematicians

You may not have heard about many famous female mathematicians. This is because until relatively
recently it wasn’t easy for women to go to university, let alone have a career in science or mathematics.

Despite this, there have been women throughout history who have made great discoveries and many
more making great discoveries today.

Hypatia

Hypatia
Hypatia

c.370 – 415

Hypatia is probably the first female mathematician who we know about. Hypatia lived in Ancient Greece
– in Alexandria, which is now in modern day Egypt. She was the daughter of Theon who was a
philosopher and mathematician. Hypatia assisted her father with his mathematical works, and wrote
many other works of her own.

Unfortunately all of Hypatia’s work is lost and we only know the titles and other people’s references to
it. Despite this, she is still considered to be a great mathematician of the ancient world.

Read a full biography of Hypatia

Mary Somerville

five female mathematicians Mary Somerville

Mary Somerville

1780 – 1872

Mary Somerville was born at a time when it wasn’t seen as necessary to give girls a good education.
Mary was very interested in mathematics however, and tried to study whenever she could. She taught
herself at home and spent time learning with friends and family members.

Marys second husband William was also interested in science and encouraged her to pursue her studies.
In 1827 Mary was asked to translate a book by the French mathematician Laplace and her work was an
immediate success. After this, Mary continued to do lots of important research for the rest of her life.
Mary was given lots of honours for her work. Somerville College at Oxford University is named after her.

Read a biography of Mary Somerville

Ada Lovelace

1815-1852
Ada Lovelace was fortunate that her mother Anne was passionate about mathematics and made sure
her daughter received an excellent education, which was unusual for girls at the time. By the age of 17
Ada had met Charles Babbage, a famous mathematician and engineer. Babbage was busy working on
developing his ‘analytical engine’ – which was essentially a programmable computer.

5 female mathematicians ada lovelace

Ada Lovelace

We may not be conscious of it but before paying tribute to legendary doctors, engineers and
businessmen, we have the mathematicians to thank for laying down the taken-for-granted concepts
given by influential mathematicians over the course of centuries. Mathematics has played a crucial role
in developing the world as we know it today and these efforts must not go unrecognized. Here are 10
famous French mathematicians along with their accomplishments in this colossal field.

René Descartes (1596-1650 AD)

René Descartes

Father of Modern Philosophy, René Descartes has been accredited for his many mathematical
contributions too.

His most known contribution to math is in the field of analytical geometry. In his publication, Discourse
on Method (Discours de la methode), specifically its appendices on La Geometrie achieved a milestone
in compiling the history of mathematics. Moreover, the book also introduced standard algebraic
notation, use of lowercase a, b and c for known quantities and x, y and z for unknown quantities.

Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665 AD)

Pierre de Fermat

Although a lawyer by profession, Pierre de Fermat was a mathematician at heart which led him, along
with René Descartes, to become one of the two leading mathematicians of the seventeenth century. He
is famous for the factorization method named Fermat’s factorization method and discovering a unique
method for finding the greatest and smallest ordinates in curved lines.