How the ingenuity and mind of some women is proven through things we use every day. From our car thermostat, to the bulletproof vest, computer software and beer
Technology and science are considered untouchable for women, even today. Prejudices persist, and male scientists look down on their colleagues.
Taboos remain alive despite efforts to eradicate them, and it is clear, both in the workplace and in science and research, who has the upper hand and who continues to be the stronger sex.
To this day, women scientists and inventors can, with great difficulty, “stand on their own two feet. The barriers, the exclusions and many times the "looting" of their work by male "collaborators" are not missing.
However, there are women who defied the beliefs of their time and put above all their passion and dream to create a better tomorrow, as a result of which they gave us inventions that evolved the human way of life.
Meet eight women who have inspired and influenced the world with their work, just like the women who will speak at the second conference on the Roof of the Onassis Foundation. The leading conference returns and aspires to contribute to the change of mentality, which prevents the access of professionally successful women to positions of high influence and prestige.
Car Thermostat - Margaret A. Wilcox
There may be a belief that men know everything about the car, claiming that it is a natural course of events, but the next time they turn on the heating it is good to say, even a silent thank you to the woman who invented it.
The car thermostat was invented by Margaret A. Wilcox. Born in 1838 in Chicago, USA, Margaret was one of the few mechanical engineers of her time and enjoyed experimenting with various appliances, such as water heaters, toasters, etc., until she was able to carry out her own invention.
And he did it in 1893, when he invented the car thermostat. Its purpose was to warm the cold fingers of the aristocratic motorists of the 19th century. She did not stop there, as she also invented a washing machine and a dishwasher.
Wipers - Mary Anderson
Those who have driven even once in their lives in rain or snow can understand very well the importance of the discovery of wipers. But what their minds cannot comprehend is that this invention was made by a woman.
In particular, the inventor who had the saving idea for the creation of wipers was Mary Anderson, who patented it in 1903.
Anderson made the discovery during a trip to New York when she saw drivers with their windows open and raining so they could see the road. So he thought that the solution would be a device, made of a thin rubber blade, that would be driven by the driver with the help of a lever inside the car.
Her invention was not immediately accepted by drivers, who considered the wiper system to be a distraction, causing many accidents. However, the view of the invention changed in 1916, when windshield wipers began to be an integral part of every vehicle on the road.
Computer software - Dr Grace Murray Hopper
Dr Grace Murray Hopper showed from a very early age her curiosity and love for technology, as at the age of 7 she disassembled her alarm clock in order to find out how it worked. By the time her mother realized what was bothering her, the future inventor had dismantled all 8 clocks in their home.
Her parents were the ones who supported her and gave her the impetus, not only to continue her studies, but also to focus on what she has always loved, technology.
She studied at Yale and did her postgraduate studies in Mathematics and Physics, during World War II she enlisted in the US Navy, taking the rank of lieutenant. It was in 1943 that she was appointed to lead a research project at Harvard University, becoming the third person in the Harvard Mark I computer software program.
Thus, as with its watches, Hopper continued to disassemble and observe the operation of the technologies of the time.
When her military service ended, she became the first senior programmer alongside Remington Rand, while working for the first large-scale computer trading company, UNIVAC.
In 1952 she became director of automated programming and then began her efforts to invent a common language in computer use. From 1959 to 1961, he led the team that invented COBOL, the first business-friendly business software. He was also the first person to use the term "error" to describe a problem in a computer system, after finding a real moth that caused problems in the computer.
Closed surveillance system - Marie Van Brittan Brown
Born in 1922 in Queens, New York, Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the closed home security system back in 1966, when it was patented, along with her husband Albert Brown.
It was not actually the first security system, however it was the first to be established. Brown's system had 4 small holes and a camera that moved on each one and recorded what was seen. So everything the camera recorded was displayed on a screen.
Her goal was to help people ensure their own safety, as police were slow to respond to calls for help in New York's neighborhood. To this day, her invention forms the basis of modern CCTV systems used for home security.
Bulletproof vest - Stephanie Kwolek
Polish-born Stephanie Kwolek is the woman who has saved millions of people on the battlefield, and not just with her major invention, the 1964 Kevlar bulletproof vest.
The American chemist who, while working for Dupont, invented Kevlar, a light but hard material used to make bulletproof vests. This material is elastic like cotton and 5 times stronger and more durable than steel. Its durability is due to its "cross" braid, which allows the kinetic energy of the projectile to be absorbed and dispersed over as large a surface as possible.
Kwolek's scientific research and work has continued, earning her many accolades for her work in polymer chemistry.
Wireless Transmission Technology - Hedy Lamarr
And yet Agent 007 should be jealous of Hedy Lamarr, who, in addition to her achievements in the field of cinema, managed to leave her mark in that of technology, with a very masculine invention.
The Austrian actress and inventor became a pioneer in the field of wireless communications after immigrating to the USA. Together with inventor George Anthiel, they created a "Secret Communication System" to spy on and combat the Nazis during World War II. Lamarr and Anthiel received the patent in 1941, but their invention gained prominence a few decades later as the basis for modern wi-fi and GPS. Thanks Hedy Lamarr!
Solar water heater - Maria Telkes
Born in 1900, Maria Telkes made one of the discoveries that could save our planet in the future, that of solar energy technologies, specifically the solar water heater.
Telkes worked as a biophysicist in the United States, and from 1939 to 1953, he conducted research on solar energy utilization at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1947 he designed the first solar heating system for the Dover Sun House, and in 1953 the first thermoelectric refrigerator, using the principles of thermoelectricity.
Beer- Women in ancient Mesopotamia
Beer may be the favorite drink of the male population, but even in this case the "strong" sex must thank the woman for the gift. This is because the first female brewers, according to historian and researcher Jane Peyton, were women.
It is known that the preparation of beer has its roots in the peoples of the Near East. The first clear evidence comes from the Sumerians and it is a relief representation dating back to 3000-2800 BC, after all it is no coincidence that the goddess of beer is Ninkasi.
At the same time, it is not excluded that beer was known to earlier peoples of Mesopotamia. Rumors about who first discovered the drink may increase, but what is certain is that it is impossible for women of that time to stand idly by.
Somehow, the above examples prove that gender is not related to a good business idea, a technological invention or a successful career. The distinction between the sexes is considered anachronistic and unjustified, as women have shown that they can contribute not only to the societies in which they live, but also to the areas traditionally characterized as male-dominated.
On the occasion of the second conference , which will take place on Monday 5 February at the Onassis Foundation, is the time to raise the important issue of gender discrimination and equal opportunities.
With a view to the achievements of women, who have been very influential in the world, his goal is to empower women from different professions to claim the recognition they deserve and to overcome the obstacles they encounter on their way.
* The conference is held under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Hellenic Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
Communication sponsors of the conference are the Direction Business Network with Business Today, AdBusiness, advertising.gr, businessnews.gr, Huffpost Greece and Ladylike.gr.
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Source: News247