Women in Science

Conforming to masculine norms can leave men isolated and unable to cope with the stresses of life.

Sexism Sucks for Everybody, Science Confirms

Adhering to masculine norms can be toxic for men, not to mention everybody else

The Countess of Computing was the daughter of the Princess of Parallelograms.

Five Things to Know About Ada Lovelace

The “Countess of Computing” didn’t just create the world’s first computer program—she foresaw a digital future

Melba Roy led the group of human computers who tracked the Echo satellites in the 1960s.

The True Story of "Hidden Figures," the Forgotten Women Who Helped Win the Space Race

A new book and movie document the accomplishments of NASA’s black “human computers” whose work was at the heart of the country’s greatest battles

Marie Tharp's map helped vindicate plate tectonics, but her work was initially dismissed as "girl talk."

Seeing Is Believing: How Marie Tharp Changed Geology Forever

Marie Tharp's maps helped prove continental drift was real. But her work was initially dismissed as "girl talk"

Scenes from the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The Rise of the Modern Sportswoman

Women have long fought against the assumption that they are weaker than men, and the battle isn’t over yet

Girls get taught simple circuits, but how they decorate their robots is up to them.

Robotics Can Get Girls Into STEM, but Some Still Need Convincing

The lack of women leaders in STEM creates “a catch-22 death spiral.” Robotics teams try to change that

Who will be the next Hamilton?

Which Great American Should Be Immortalized With the Next Big Broadway Musical?

<em>Hamilton</em> has caught the nation's attention. A panel of Smithsonian writers and curators suggest who's next.

Sisters Emilia Ponzoni, Regina Colombo, Concetta Finardi and Luigia Panceri mapped the positions and brightness of 481,215 stars.

These Little-Known Nuns Helped Map the Stars

A century later, the identities of women who mapped over 481,000 stars are finally known

The women "computers" pose for a group photo in 1953.

NASA’s 'Rocket Girls' Are No Longer Forgotten History

Thanks to a new book, these female pioneers who helped the U.S. win the space race are finally getting their due

Maria Goeppert Mayer, co-winner of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physics for her work on nuclear shell structures. She is just one of hundreds of women added to Wikipedia by the Wikiproject Women Scientists

How a College Student Led the WikiProject Women Scientists

Emily Temple-Wood's Women Scientist project is writing female researchers back into the conversation

Half of NASA's astronaut class of 2013 are women.

Half of NASA's Newest Astronaut Class Are Women

38 years after NASA hired its first female astronauts, four women are training to go to Mars

The Young Inventor Who Is a "Minder" of a Business of Her Own

At age 11, Lilianna Zyszkowski designed a new life-saving device to help people track their medication. That was just the beginning

Russian scientists are training rhesus monkeys like these for a mission to Mars in 2017.

Russia Wants to Send Monkeys to Mars and Women to the Moon

The Russian space agency has announced plans for space missions through 2029

A plate from Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium

Meet the 17th Century Female Entomologist Who Illustrated Butterfly Life Cycles

Maria Sibylla Merian’s work fought superstition and societal norms

Almost Half of Black and Latina Scientists Report They’ve Been Mistaken for Administrative Assistants or Janitors

Women of color in science are more likely to experience some forms of bias

Today’s Google Doodle Honors Sally Ride

Five animations show the first American woman astronaut's sense of fun

Cognitive Scientists Question a Journal's Gender Balance

A major journal publishes a special issue with a striking lack of women authors

Doing science in the field wrecks havoc on the nails

Just Another #ManicureMonday for Women Scientists and Their Dirty Nails

For a Smithsonian researcher, Monday is a day to honor the women in science and other uses for nail polish

Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneer of women in medicine.

The First Woman in America to Receive an M.D. Was Admitted to Med School as a Joke

When the students at Geneva Medical College voted in jest to admit a woman, they unwittingly paved the way for Elizabeth Blackwell’s trailblazing career

Emphasizing Natural Brilliance Might Keep Women Away From Certain Fields

Disparities in science prompted researchers to look into other fields — such as philosophy and economics — as well to find a cause

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