Lise Meitner

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I think that Lise Meitner is such an interesting woman. She was born in Austria and became the second woman ever to graduate from the college of Austria in physics, but because she was a woman she wasn’t allowed to work in labs there. She moved then to Berlin and she worked in a lab, except it wasn’t even a real lab it was a wood shop. During World War I she became not just a scientist but also an x-ray technician. While in Berlin she and Otto Hahn and Otto Frisch discovered nuclear fission and that's a big deal! She was nominated 49 times for a Nobel prize but never won (Otto Hahn won though…). Because she was a Jew she lost all her titles and positions but then after the war, she was still recognized as a great scientist and traveled all over the world giving presentations and speeches. 


Her contributions are so important not only for the world of science but for women in the work place and for new discoveries. The discovery of nuclear fission is so important because it has helped us understand and learn so many things and also is used for nuclear power plants! Because she is a woman it is so inspiring that she was able to push through the setbacks people threw at her because of her gender. Not being able to work in a real lab but discovering something so important anyway is an amazing way to prove them all wrong and show that women can do anything men can do! 


From the statue I saw today, I would say that she has not been commemorated well. It was a tiny little statue that I didn’t even notice at first and then even when it was pointed out to me I still had a really hard time even seeing it through the bars. Compared to the statues around hers it is extremely small and sad-looking. I’m sure though that she has other ways of being commemorated that we didn’t see, or at least I hope. I would love it if there was a movie made about her life because I feel like it is such an interesting story and would be cool to see played out. She also is one of two women scientists with an element named after her so that is pretty awesome!








Comments

  1. Laynee JohnsonJune 12, 2024 at 3:14 PM

    Nice post betsy:) Lise Meitner's struggles with anti-Semitism, gender discrimination, and professional isolation serve as a reminder of the root causes that have traditionally impeded women's scientific advancement. Learning about Meitner's hardships and accomplishments emphasizes the significance of continuing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the scientific community. Her story serves as a reminder of the perseverance necessary to overcome such obstacles, as well as the crucial importance of creating supportive cultures in which all scientists may thrive.

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  2. Meg KiehlJune 14, 2024 at 7:44 AM

    Betsy, I like how you talked about how Lise Meitner wasn’t commemorated very well. Her small statue was kind of sad. I feel like my understanding of her kind of complicated my understanding of Berlin as a cultural capital in a couple different ways. First, learning that because she was Jewish, she had to flee the country even though she was a successful physicist, this doesn’t help me see Berlin in a good light, at least during the 1930s. And second, even though she had an element named after her, she was never recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize and Berlin just has a small statue for her.

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  3. Sayler SchlosserJune 18, 2024 at 8:49 PM

    Hey Betsy! Lise Meitner's journey in science, from overcoming lab restrictions to discovering nuclear fission, is truly inspiring. It's disappointing that her statue doesn't seem to do justice to her legacy, but her impact, like having an element named after her, shows her lasting influence in science. A movie about her life would be a great way to highlight her achievements and inspire more people about her story!

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