Recently, thanks to an Indian Academy of Sciences Initiative, a book "Lilavati's Daughters: The Women Scientists of India" has been brought out. The online version can be seen here.
It is a very interesting collection of essays on and by Women scientists working in India. There are close to one hundred articles, and all autobiographical except for nine. The oldest scientist mentioned is Anandibai Joshi (1865 - 1887). It is a heart rending story of determination, struggle, spirit of inquiry and of a brilliant career cut short by untimely death. The article on her can be seen here.
This reminds me of another great woman scientist who died 118 years ago today on 10th February 1891. She also worked and pursued her interest in Mathematics against tremendous odds. She was a Russian mathematician - in fact the first woman in modern Europe to gain a doctorate in mathematics, the first to join the editorial board of a scientific journal, and the first to be appointed professor of mathematics. You can read about Sofia Kovalevskaya here and here. The stories of Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850 - 1891) and Anandibai Joshi are not only set in the same timeframe but have such similarities in the nature of their struggles as to make you wonder what it is in human nature and human societies that has systematically made it so hard across societies and time frames for women to do the simple task of pursuing an interest in science.
At the end of the day, it is the urge to do science that could not be suppressed. "Say what you know, do what you must, come what may." - was the motto Sofia Kovalesvakay's mentioned on one of her mathematics papers. and it is the same spirit that comes through in most of the articles in Leelavati's daughters working in another part of the globe.
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2 comments:
Do post more often. The cat post was good.
Thanks L. I am surprised how u meandered into this post. Anyway, thanks again. Will try to post once a month at least.
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