Beauty and Brains–Women in the Sciences

The male scientist I chose to be a foil for my female scientist, Ada Byron Lovelace was indeed the man who started her career, Charles Babbage. I chose Babbage because I thought it would be interesting to compare both of their work ethics in the computer science and mathematics field and who got farther with their research.

They both lived in the same time period, so that did not create any mishap. They came from elite households in which they began their education with very qualified private tutors. In a sense they both have qualities in them that make them a “successful scientist”, according to Anne Roe, even though Byron is a woman and Roe specified her findings toward males. Byron did not have a father or father figure in her life, and Babbage was born with an illness that required him to be isolated for most of his childhood.

While comparing both of these scientists, I realized many things. Charles Babbage was a very successful innovator, known to have invented a handful of things that are important in our lives today, yet Ada Byron’s only accomplishment was her suggestion to use the Bernoulli numbers. Although this had been a very crucial suggestion that changed the the computer world today, she seemed to be more well-known than did Babbage.

With my research, I did not find that gender influenced their career much. Inversely, I saw that being a woman for Ada Byron actually helped her in a sense because she was a woman, and she was able to do something before a man, which was widely controversial.  While other female scientists that we have learned in our course have not been able to be credited for their findings. Anything I found related to the Analytical Engine credited both Babbage and Byron Lovelace, and surprisingly this machine was associated more with Byron even though this was originally Babbage’s idea.

http://thebloghorn.org/babbage.jpg

Ernest Everett Just was born was born August 14, 1883 in Charleston, South Carolina and died October 27, 1941 in Washington D.C.  Just specialized in zoology, biology, and physiology, but had special honors in botany and history, and honors in sociology.  He prepared for college at Kimball Hall Academy, in New Hampshire, where he completed the four-year course of study in only three years.  He graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1907. In 1916, Dr. Just graduated magna cum laude from University of Chicago receiving his doctorate in experimental embryology, with a thesis on the mechanics of fertilization.

I chose Ernest Everett Just to compare to Roger Arliner Young because of his influence on her life, his success, and study of science.  If you recall from the previous information, Just was Young’s first science professor and mentor and they worked closely together at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.  They both received up to a PhD attended Howard University.  Just’s influence and close working environments were two contributing factors my choice in male scientists.

Gender

I believe gender ender did not influence Roger Arliner Young’s career nor Ernest Everett Just’s.  Both were successful because of their hard work and discoveries.  Just published over 60 articles and wrote two books.  His colleges also trusted his opinion and had him edit many of their works.  In the long run, Dr. Just was more successful in his findings, and published more works, however this was purely based off of individual motivation.  If anything, Young was influenced most by her family.  If she was not caring for her mother, she may have been able to commit more time to the sciences.

Rene Laennec and Elizabeth Blackwell in the 1800’s Medical Field

In the 1800’s, the male counterpart to Elizabeth Blackwell was a French physician named Rene Laennec.  I selected this man to study because he displayed many similar characteristics to Elizabeth Blackwell and because they were born in roughly the same time period.  Rene Laennec, like Blackwell, was European and similarly like Blackwell, Laennec’s career boasted being a professor, doctor, and running a health clinic.  Despite their difference in gender, Laennec and Blackwell were both exceptional doctors who made impacts on society and the health profession.

Gender did influence the careers of these two physicians.  Had they had careers today, gender would not have affected their success or acceptance in to the medical community however because of the bias towards male professionals in the 1800’s, Elizabeth Blackwell received less opportunity and recognition for her work.  Laennec was accepted in the medical community and didn’t have to fight for a place at a medical college like Blackwell did because she was a female.  Gender affected the success of both physicians because Blackwell, unlike Laennec, was much more hard pressed to find clients, which is what prevented her medical practice and college from succeeding in the long term.