#MondayMotivation — Reach for the stars like Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Need some #MondayMotivation? Well, here it is! Our #MondayMotivation series will feature some of our most incredible speakers from Inspirefest 2015.
We could think of no better woman to start our #MondayMotivation series than the ground-breaking icon for women in science, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell. Jocelyn is responsible for what is widely considered one of the most important astronomical discoveries of the 20th century, the discovery of radio pulsars, made when she was studying for a PhD at Cambridge, which famously earned her supervisor, but not her, a Nobel Prize. She delivered a stirring keynote at Inspirefest, talking about her experiences as a young postgraduate scientist in the 1960s.
Determined to be a radio astronomer, Jocelyn was breaking the mould of what was traditionally expected of women in the 1960s.
But her experience was not without its challenges: “It was tradition in the university that when a woman entered the lecture theatre, all the guys would whistle, stamp and cat-call and make as much noise as they could. I had to face that on my own for two years,” she revealed.
Jocelyn also said that she suffered from ‘imposter syndrome’ — believing that she wasn’t bright enough to study in Cambridge and that sooner or later her academic colleagues would figure it out and throw her out. This feeling made her determined to work her hardest and her persistence and perceptiveness would prove to be fortuitous for her ultimate discovery.
Now more than 70 years of age, Dame Bell Burnell says her career is peaking nicely and we couldn’t agree more. Since her address at Inspirefest she was awarded the 2015 Royal Medal by The Royal Society for her pivotal contribution in observing, analysing and understanding pulsars, which was one of the most important astronomical discoveries of the 20th century. And just last week Dublin City University (DCU) awarded Jocelyn with an honorary degree, for her outstanding achievements in the field of astrophysics.
Thanks to Think Visual for the wonderful graphics harvested from Jocelyn’s keynote. You can follow their work on Twitter, @wethinkvisual.
Inspirefest returns to Dublin from 30 June to 2 July 2016. Keep an eye on this page for some behind-the-scenes insights into Inspirefest and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram & Google
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