The first time a female scientist was given pay for her work was in 1757 to a woman named Caroline Herschel; her annual salary was £50 {which is equivalent to £6400 at present} for working as an assistant of William Herschel.
To reach above the normal and to achieve what is usually considered impossible, we need the motivation to keep punching ahead. This post aims to do so, following are 10 motivational quotes by female scientists:
10. Mary Somerville
Mary Somerville was a scientist who studied math and astronomy. She was the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society with Caroline Herschel. She won the Patron’s Medal in 1869 for her proficiency in branches of Science dealing with Physical Geography.
“ No circumstance in the natural world is more inexplainable than the diversity of form and colour of the human race.”
Mary Somerville
9. Maria Mitchell
Maria Mitchell was a librarian, a naturalist, and an astronomer. In 1847, she discovered a comet now known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet” in her honour. She won a gold medal prize for her discovery.
“ Study as if you were going to live forever; live as if you were going to die tomorrow.”
Maria Mitchell
8. Dr Ajita Chakraborty
Dr Ajita Chakraborty was a pioneer in women’s advancement in the field of psychiatry in India where she was among the first women to practice this profession. Facing difficulties and refusing better opportunities elsewhere she campaigned for a culturally sensitive form of mental health that would benefit Indian patients.
“My professional life has led me along with a lonely path, with little encouragement from other physicians… But my persistence in evolving my understanding and developing culturally appropriate treatments methods for my Indian patients has been infinitely rewarding!”
Dr Ajita Chakraborty
7. Katherine Johnson
A successor of the women who went unseen for their contributions towards America’s study of space, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson had a critical role in the success of crewed spaceflights in the US and also calculated trajectories, launch windows and emergency returns for Project mercury space flights.
“You are no better than anyone else, and no one is better then you.”
Katherine Johnson
6. Frances Arnold
A professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, a chemical engineer and a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Frances Arnold is an inspiration to all. She is currently Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
“Most innovations are not obvious to other people at the time. You have to believe in yourself. If you’ve got a good idea, follow it even when others say it’s not.”
Frances Arnold
5. Maria Goeppert-Mayer
Mentioned fifth on this list is another Nobel Laureate in Physics, second after Marie Curie, for proposing the nuclear shell model on the atomic nucleus. Maria Goeppert-Mayer is a German-born American theoretical physicist.
“Winning the prize isn’t half as exciting as doing the work itself.”
Maria Goeppert-Mayer
4. Marie Curie
The most famous female scientist, known for her discovery of radioactive elements radium and polonium, and contributions towards finding cancer treatments. Marie Curie was the first women to get a Nobel in Physics.
“You cannot hope to build a world without improving the individuals. To the end, each of us must work for our improvement.”
Marie Curie
3. Dorothy Vaughan
A mathematician and human-computer, Dorothy Vaughan, worked for NASA and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. She was one of the people who paved the way for the currently diverse nature of the workplace. She was NASA’s first African-American manager. She was given the Congressional Gold Medal for her contributions.
“ I changed what I could and what I couldn’t I endured.”
Dorothy Vaughan
2. Mary Jackson
Mary Jackson was an aerospace engineer and a mathematician at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. She became NASA’s first black female engineer working at Langley Research Center in Virginia for most of her career.
“What the devil are you doing? Are you taking a break?”
Mary Jackson
1. Caroline Herschel
Lastly, the women who inspired the article, Caroline Herschel. She contributed abundantly to astronomy with discoveries of several comets, including the periodic comet 35P which bears her name. She worked as an assistant to her brother William Herschel. She was given the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
“Still, as I can’t do much at the time, I wish to yet to live a little longer, for it is with me, as I suppose it is with everybody; we always have something yet to do.”
Caroline Mitchel
Through my eyes 