Scientists knew by the early 1900s that radioactive substances emit some sort of particles. But it was unclear exactly what kind—does uranium produce a vapor of uranium or a totally different gas?
The dilemma was solved by Harriet Brooks, a talented physicist in her mid-20s. In 1901, in a set of experiments in McGill University’s newly established physics laboratory, Brooks showed that radioactivity actually involves the creation of entirely new atomic elements, a kind of alchemy that previously eluded physicists. Along with her mentor, Ernest Rutherford, she identified the element that was later called radon.
Today, for this contribution and others, Rutherford is rightly considered the “father of nuclear physics.” Brooks’ career in physics was, however, cut short, and her contributions to science were mostly forgotten.
Many modern women have similarly been put in peril of disappearing from the science world by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, analyses of the preprint service arXiv, where physicists share research papers before submitting them to journals, showed that women have authored fewer studies during the pandemic. Research in Nature Human Behaviour found that female physicists faced a reduction in research time that was nearly 50 percent bigger than their male counterparts’. Women in the workforce who managed to keep employment through the most turbulent period of the pandemic reported more stress and burnout than their male colleagues.
As the crisis went on, follow-up studies showed similar trends: Female researchers consistently reported a greater inability to concentrate on research and more unanticipated child care responsibilities than their male colleagues. These gendered effects are likely to have a long-term impact on female physicists’ career arcs, as consistent publication is a big factor for future employment and earning tenure, awards, and promotions.
It is all too easy even for women who have made meaningful contributions to science to be sidelined. It’s been happening for a very long time. Brooks’ stymied career and forgotten legacy serves as a good example.
