If you close your eyes and picture a scientist, chances are you're seeing a man. We can't blame you, though. The assumption that science and innovation is a "men-only club" is still going strong. And women's contributions to science? Often treated like mere extras in a testosterone-filled blockbuster. This unfortunate perception has persisted, even after Charles M. Vest, MIT's former president, publicly acknowledged the rampant gender discrimination within his own institution. At MIT, women had fewer resources, earned lower salaries, and their influence... Let's just say they didn't have a front-row seat at the scientific symposium.
But there's a whole universe of things invented by women that changed the world in profound ways. Women have not just been a part of the STEM narrative but are often the authors of some of its most transformative chapters. Still scratching your head and wondering, "What have women invented?" Here's a sneak peek.
Got lost in the middle of nowhere during a road trip? We have Dr. Gladys West to thank for her work on the development of GPS. How about the wonder-material Kevlar, five times stronger than steel, used in everything from bike tires to bulletproof vests? That's Stephanie Kwolek's brainchild. Not forgetting the ever-practical dishwasher, brought to you by Josephine Cochrane. Next time you feel grateful for everyday conveniences that make your life so much easier, don't just assume there's a "he" behind these famous inventions. There's a good chance it may be a woman who used her brains, creativity, and tenacity to find a concrete solution to a shared problem.
Here's to celebrating the work of these unsung (s)heroes: the innovative women who've propelled humanity forward, one patent at a time! Our list features some of the most famous women inventors of our past who contributed greatly to science and technology. Plus, we'll highlight today's most noteworthy women in STEM who, standing on the shoulders of their brilliant predecessors, are actively shaping the world of tomorrow.
#41 Jeanne Villepreux-Power – Aquarium
French marine biologist Jeanne Villepreux-Power came up with an invention that significantly simplified the study of marine life: the aquarium. Her creation offered a controlled environment for observing marine species. Villepreux-Power improved her design by introducing two additional models. One featured a glass compartment within a cage for watching shallow-water dwellers, and the other consisted of a caged aquarium adjustable to different depths. Her work led her to become the first female member of the Catania Accademia in Sicily and numerous other scientific academies.
76points
#42 Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic – Regenerative Medicine
Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, a Serbian engineer and academic, has broadened the horizons of regenerative medicine. She has developed a method to grow new tissue outside the body using the patient's own cells. This innovative approach presents a safer, more precise, and less invasive procedure for tissue reconstruction and holds promise for replacing damaged lung and heart tissue.
76points
#43 Evelyn Berezin – Computerized Typewriters
Evelyn Berezin paved the way for word processing software like Microsoft Word and Google Docs. In 1969, she founded the Redactron Corporation, the first enterprise to manufacture and sell her computerized typewriters. Though her Data Secretary machine — about the size of a small refrigerator and without a screen — differed drastically from contemporary computers, it revolutionized secretarial work by enabling workers to edit, delete, cut, and paste text.
72points
#44 Jocelyn Bell Burnell – Radio Pulsars
In 1967, while analyzing quasar data from a radio telescope in Cambridge, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell noticed fast, regular signals emanating from rapidly rotating stars. As she termed them, these pulsars earned her team the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics — though the award was controversially bestowed only upon her male colleagues. Despite this, she brushed it off, saying that it was standard for the directors of studies, and not all the team members, to receive the accolade.
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71points
#45 Beulah Louise Henry – Vacuum Ice Cream Freezer
Celebrated for her 110 inventions and 49 patents, Beulah Louise Henry was a prolific American inventor. As a college student in 1912, she filed her first patent for a vacuum ice cream freezer. In 1924, she relocated to New York City to establish companies to market her numerous creations. During the 1930s and 1940s, she pivoted towards enhancing existing machinery, including typewriters.
65points
