Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 8 – Aglaonice

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This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Aglaonice

Astronomer
2nd or 1st Century BCE
Greece

Aglaonice was a famous astronomer who could predict lunar eclipses. Plutarch wrote that, during a total lunar eclipse, she “pretended to bewitch [the moon] and draw it down” from the sky. For these performances to convince, the moon must have become completely invisible, so she may also have understood the 11 year solar cycle which influences how dark the eclipsed moon becomes.

For more on Aglaonice:

 

Day 7 – Hildegard of Bingen Day 9 – Florence Violet McKenzie OBE

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 7 – Hildegard of Bingen

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This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen

Natural historian
circa 1098 – 17 Sep 1179
Germany

Hildegard of Bingen was a Benedictine nun who wrote scientifically about medicine and disease, based on her experience working in her monastery’s herbal garden and infirmary. Her first book, Physica, covered the scientific and medicinal properties of various plants, animals, elements (except fire) and metals. Her second, Causae et Curae, discussed the causes and cures of diseases.

For more on Hildegard of Bingen:

 

Day 6 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi Day 8 – Aglaonice

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 6 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi

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This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Advent 06 - Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Mathematician
16 May 1718 – 9 Jan 1799
Italy

Maria Gaetana Agnesi was the first woman to write a maths textbook. It was considered the best intro to algebra, analysis and the then new field of differential and integral calculus. In it, she discusses a cubic curve, mistranslated as the ‘Witch of Agnesi’. She was elected to the Bologna Academy of Sciences, and appointed professor of maths by Pope Benedict XIV, although she chose not to serve.

For more on Maria Gaetana Agnesi:

This post originally stated that Agnesi was the first woman elected to the Bologna Academy of Sciences. That was actually Laura Bassi. We regret the error. 

Day 5 – Louise Bourgeois Boursier Day 7 – Hildegard of Bingen

 

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 5 – Louise Bourgeois Boursier

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This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois Boursier

Midwife and obstetrician
1563 – 1636
France

Midwife to the French aristocracy, Louise Bourgeois delivered over 2000 babies. She wrote the first treatise on midwifery, which was widely translated and highly influential. She established the basic principles of midwifery, and described how to handle difficult deliveries and treat common gestational ailments. She also called for training to be improved, teaching several students herself.

For more information on Louise Bourgeois Boursier, read the following links:

 

Day 4 – Wang Zhenyi Day 6 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 4 – Wang Zhenyi

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This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Wang Zhenyi

Wang Zhenyi

Astronomer, mathematician
1768 – 1797
China

An acclaimed Qing Dynasty scholar, Wang Zhenyi studied the movements of the sun, moon and planets, describing the relationship between solar and lunar eclipses and devising a demo to explain the latter. She also wrote about gravity and how to calculate equinoxes. She simplified complex mathematical proofs and texts, and developed easier methods for multiplication and division.

For more information on Wang Zhenyi, check out the following links:

 

Day 3 – Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte Day 5 – Louise Bourgeois Boursier