ThinkHer

The modern world celebrates innovation as a universal triumph, yet it is often designed with an unspoken assumption: that its users are able-bodied, sighted, mobile, and neurologically typical. People with disabilities frequently encounter environments, technologies, and institutions that do not account for their needs. As a result, they are not only forced to adapt to systems never built for them, but are often compelled to invent solutions to survive, study, work, and live independently. When Louis Braille lost his sight as a child in 19th-century France, existing reading systems for blind people were slow, impractical, and designed without true user insight. Rather than accept intellectual dependence, Braille developed a tactile writing system that allowed blind readers to access language quickly, independently, and efficiently. His invention did more than improve literacy—it reshaped education, autonomy, and cultural participation for blind communities worldwide. Many breakthroughs...

In the crowded pantheon of science, Ada Lovelace stands out as a rare woman whose name has survived the fog of time. Unlike many of her contemporaries, whose accomplishments were buried under the anonymity of their male peers, Lovelace has remained visible, appearing in graphic novels and reimagined period dramas as both scientist and legend. She is often celebrated as the world’s first computer programmer while others have dismissed her as an overhyped amateur, known more for being the daughter of the poet Lord Byron than for her scientific contributions.  Ada Lovelace daguerreotype by Antoine Claudet Born Augusta Ada Byron in London on December 10, 1815, she entered the world in the shadow of her father’s tumultuous fame. Her parents’ marriage dissolved just weeks after her birth, and Byron left England, never to see his daughter again. Her mother, Anne Isabella Milbanke, whom Byron teasingly called the "Princess of Parallelograms,” was determined that Ada would not inherit her ...

We have written a few articles already about the personal beliefs and political convictions of scientists—how these elements shaped not only their worldviews but also their contributions within and beyond their disciplines. Yet, for those of us within the scientific community, it is evident that much of the work, particularly in the physical sciences, is rarely undertaken with the explicit aim of societal benefit. Rather, it is often driven by something more elusive: the raw human desire to understand the world.   I am not trying to claim objectivity or detachment of science from the world’s politics, but to recognize that more often than not, the primary aspiration of science is knowledge for its own sake, and not for immediate technological gain or social application. And yet, this pursuit—so seemingly removed from politics and policy—can ripple outward, shaping our understanding of the universe and, at times, changing the course of history. Chien-Shiung Wu’s career sta...

The Nobel Prizes hold the status of being one of the most prestigious awards in the world. However, they have their share of controversies. There have been instances of personal negative opinions, political motives, Eurocentrism, and subjective selections, systematically leading to the exclusion of deserving scientists. Lise Meitner is one such scientist.  Born in 1878 (11  years before Adolf Hitler was born) to a Jewish lawyer, Philipp Meitner, and his wife Hedwig, Lise Meitner was a curious young kid. It is said that she always had a notebook under her pillow to note down her scientific research. Her passion for science was understood and supported by her parents. She privately studied physics, since during that time women were not admitted to public institutions. In 1905 she became the second woman to earn a doctoral degree from the university of Vienna.  After a doctoral degree her best local job prospect was to work in a gas lamp factory, which didn't appeal to her. ...

When we think of inventors, names like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, or Nikola Tesla often come to mind. But what about Maria Beasley, Anna Connelly, Margaret Wilcox, or Stephanie Kwolek? Why do we know so little about the women inventors? For centuries, women were systematically excluded from innovation and recognition.  Patents were out of the question when they couldn’t even own property or hold bank accounts . This erasure led to the creation of a male-dominated historical narrative, leaving the contributions of women largely unrecognized. Sybilla Righton Masters, for instance, circumvented legal restrictions by having her husband receive a 1715 patent for her corn-curing invention, a common reality for women inventors who had to rely on male relatives for recognition. Yet, despite these barriers, women have persisted, creating groundbreaking inventions that have shaped the modern world.  Interestingly, a significant proportion of famous inventions by women fa...