For the sake of Curie-osity
Here’s a set of 10 questions that I contributed for a Women in STEM quiz to A HERd of Quizzers. Do check out this amazing page on Instagram for some interesting quiz questions.
1 Vision and Dr. Hank Pym created a computer program named X, the Cat to combat Dimitrios. The X Army is the rebellion of artificial intelligence opposing Dimitrios from within The Diamond and aided the Avengers A.I. during their battle with Dimitrios’ Enforcers and in deactivating Gascheck. Interestingly the army is named after a computer scientist who is considered the mother of Computer Programming. Id X
Ans. Lovelace Army named after Lady Ada Lovelace
2 Daughter of the mathematician Theon of Alexandria, she is recognized to be the first known woman mathematician who is credited with writing 3 major treatises on geometry, algebra, astronomy and invention of a hydrometer, an astrolabe, and an instrument for distilling water. The 2009 movie Agora is based on her life. Identify her.
Ans. Hypatia
3 She is the only British woman ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry(1944) and the only woman to receive the Copley medal. Her ground-breaking work led to the development of protein crystallography: one of the most powerful techniques in modern science. Her other achievements include the discovery of the atomic structures for cholesteryl iodide, vitamin B12, insulin and penicillin. Who is she?
Ans. Dorothy Hodgkin
4 Gracie, the main character of the comic “The Secret Coders” by Gene Luen Yang is inspired by a famous computer scientist who is famously known as Grandma COBOL, The Coding Queen and the Admiral of the cyber sea. Identify her.
Ans. Grace Murray Hopper
5 Known as the queen of Vinca Alkaloids she was the second Indian woman to receive a Doctorate of Science in India. She is credited for devising Ayurveda drugs Ayush-56 (Epilepsy) and Ayush-64 (malaria) and founding the department of chemistry at Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata. Who is she?
Ans. Asima Chatterjee
6 In 1903 Mary Anderson was visiting New York City when she noticed that her driver was forced to open his window again and again to do something. She started drawing her solution of something that could be moved from inside the car, and was awarded a patent for her device in the same year. But her invention was not appreciated by car companies, who believed it to be a distraction for the drivers. Though she never profited from her invention, it later became a standard in the cars. In 1922, Cadillac became the first car to adopt this as standard equipment. What did she invent?
Ans. Windshield Wipers
7 During the early 20th century due to wars women had to move out of their traditional roles and go for jobs usually reserved for men. This job was considered ideal for women as it required mental concentration instead of physical and also because women were considered more careful, precise and detail oriented with such works. By the time World War II broke out, many scientists and industrialists in the U.S. were measuring power not in megahertz or teraflops, but in “Kilo Girls” And time was measured in “Girl hours”. There have been many instances of women performing this role. One such example was the group called Pickering’s Harem. What work were these women doing?
Ans. They were working as human supercomputers
8 The X Effect is the term coined by science historian Martha Rossiter to describe the common situation of a man getting credit for groundbreaking work done by a woman scientist. It was named after the 19th century author and activist X, who observed and experienced the phenomenon herself and described this in in her essay, “Woman as Inventor”. Other examples include Rosalind Franklin whose role in discovering the structure of DNA was overlooked. Id X.
Ans. Matilda Effect
9 X with her nephew Otto Hahn worked together to develop the theory of nuclear fission. Otto Hahn won the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the same work that he and X had worked on, but X was slighted by the Nobel committee. X received many posthumous honors, including the naming of a chemical element which makes her the first and so far the only non-mythological woman to have an element named after her. (Curium was named after Marie and Pierre Curie) Identify her.
Ans. Lise Meitner
10 A memorial installed at Vienna central cemetery has a series of 88 balls on stainless steel rods (which mimics the 88 frequencies in patent for frequency hopping). Installation when viewed head-on, resolves into a pixelated version of this inventor’s visage which is also mirrored on a steel plaque that serves as a headstone. Which inventor better known for her work in entertainment industry am I talking about?
Ans. Hedy Lamarr
Hope you liked this set of questions. Do give your feedback in comments.
