Glossary

Lise Meitner

Austrian physicist pioneer of nuclear fission, unfairly ignored by the Nobel committee despite its major contributions.

Nuclear fission

Physical process by which the nucleus of a heavy atom divides into two lighter nuclei, releasing one great amount of energy.

Otto Hahn

German chemist who collaborated with Meitner on radioactivity. He alone received the Nobel Prize for the discovery of nuclear fission.

Otto Frisch

Nephew of Lise Meitner, physicist who co-interpreted with her the results of the experiment leading to the discovery of the fission.

Matilda effect

Historical bias that consists of minimizing or denying the contributions of women scientists, often to profit from their male colleagues.

Margaret W. Rossiter

Historian of science who theorized the Matilda effect in 1993, in tribute to Matilda Joslyn Gage.

Matilda Joslyn Gage

Feminist activist of the 19th century, who already denounced the appropriation of female ideas in the spheres intellectuals.

Manhattan Project

US military program to develop the atomic bomb during World War II, to which Meitner refused to participate.