New Scientist Magazine

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 12:13am on Saturday, July 4th, 2009

New Scientist announced the results of a poll revealing the most inspirational female scientists of all time. Nuclear physicist and chemist Marie Curie topped the poll which was created to celebrate 10 years of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science programme, with around a quarter (25.1%) of the vote.

Voted for by more than 800 members of the scientific community and visitors to the New Scientist website, the poll highlights the absence of modern role models on the list; Astrophysicist Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell (4.7%), responsible for the discovery of radiopulsars, and Jane Goodall, the primatologist (2.7 per cent) were the only scientists in the top ten to have research published in recent years, polled 4th and 10th, respectively.

The poll comes as data from the UK Resource Centre For Women in Science, Engineering and Technology, confirms that women remain under-represented in UK scientific research. Statistics reveal that women comprise less than 30% of those in SET research positions in UK Universities, with lower proportions at later career stages. While girls make up 42.4 per cent of GCE A level students in science, this drops to 33.5 per cent at higher education level. Furthermore, in the workforce, women make up only 18.5 per cent of those working in science and engineering overall.

Roger Highfield, Editor, New Scientist commented: "The poll indicates the vital need to celebrate and raise awareness of the many female scientists who have shaped modern science since Marie Curie, and who are making a bigger contribution than ever.