10 Famous Female Scientists Who Helped Change the World 

Marie Curie: The first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes in different fields (Physics and Chemistry) for her pioneering research on radioactivity.

Rosalind Franklin: A British biophysicist whose X-ray crystallography work played a critical role in understanding the structure of DNA.

Ada Lovelace:  A mathematician and writer who is considered to be the world's first computer programmer for her work on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in the mid-19th century.

Jane Goodall:  A primatologist who is known for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees, and for her work on conservation and animal welfare.

Rachel Carson:  An American marine biologist who is widely credited with sparking the modern environmental movement with her book "Silent Spring", which exposed the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment.

As India’s first female plant scientist, Ammal developed several hybrid species still grown today. She also advocated for protecting the biodiversity of India. 

Janaki Ammal, Botanist

Chien-Shiung WuWu was the first scientist to confirm — and later refine — Enrico Fermi’s theory of radioactive beta decay. She is also known for her “Wu experiment,” which overturned the theory of parity in physics. Physicist

Chien-Shiung Wu, Physicist

Rubin discovered the existence of dark matter, the strange glue that holds our universe together. Her contribution is regarded as one of the most significant discoveries of the 20th century — work many feel should have been awarded a Nobel Prize.

Vera Rubin, Astronomer

West’s work in developing mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth served as the foundation of GPS technology. In 2018, she was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, one of the Air Force space command’s highest honors. 

Gladys West, Mathematician

Wong-Staal was the first scientist to clone HIV and create a map of its genes, which led to a test for the virus.  

Flossie Wong-Staal

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