Lise Meitner
Why people don’t know her:
- Gender bias meant women’s work often got credited to men
- She fled Nazi Germany in 1938, wasn’t present when fission was confirmed
- Left off the 1944 Nobel Prize despite coining “fission” and interpreting the discovery
Should be in Ontario Science Curriculum? Yes. Her work is core to nuclear physics. Her story shows how politics affects science and the barriers women faced. Great role model.
Chien-Shiung Wu
Why people don’t know her:
- Particle physics is highly specialized
- Gender bias - excluded from 1957 Nobel despite her experiment proving the theory
- Her work, though brilliant, didn’t capture public imagination
Should be in Ontario Science Curriculum? Yes, for advanced physics. The Wu experiment is fundamental to particle physics. Shows the link between theory and experimentation. Important representation for women in science.
Juliet Lee-Franzini
Why people don’t know her:
- Worked in specialized particle physics (meson spectroscopy)
- Large collaborations make individual contributions less visible
- Her advances were incremental rather than single breakthroughs
Should be in Ontario Science Curriculum? Maybe in Grade 12 particle physics units. Shows modern “big science” and international collaboration. Example of women succeeding in experimental physics.
Ida Noddack
Why people don’t know her:
- Suggested nuclear fission in 1934 but lacked experimental proof
- Ideas dismissed due to gender bias
- Rhenium (her discovered element) is rare and not well-known
Should be in Ontario Science Curriculum? Yes. Shows scientific foresight and challenging paradigms. Relevant to periodic table studies. Example of correct ideas initially overlooked.
Fred Begay
Why people don’t know him:
- Plasma physics and fusion research are highly specialized
- Early Indigenous physicist often overlooked in historical accounts
- Much impact was in Navajo Nation education, less internationally visible
Should be in Ontario Science Curriculum? Yes. Connects to energy topics. Inspiring story of overcoming adversity. Integrates Indigenous perspectives with Western science. Important role model.
James A. Harris
Why people don’t know him:
- Superheavy element discovery involves large teams
- African American chemist during Civil Rights era faced systemic barriers
- Elements he discovered (rutherfordium, dubnium) have short half-lives
Should be in Ontario Science Curriculum? Yes. Direct relevance to periodic table and nuclear chemistry. Shows African American contributions to science. Breaking barriers in STEM fields.