Poll: Inspirational Women's History Scientist Biopics
Each March in the USA, we recognize female achievements during Women's History Month. The highlight of the month-long celebration is International Women's Day on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political, socioeconomic and other achievements of women. Movie biopics are a great way to honor, educate and celebrate the contributions of great women with the star power they deserve. In honor of the women who blazed the trail for others to follow: Which of these select pioneering scientific females inspires you the most, or alternatively, which biopic or biographical documentary does? Women's History Month Companion Polls Leader Biopics : Trailblazer Biopics : Humanitarian Biopics : Sports Biopics : Writer Biopics : Singer/Musician Biopics : Visual Artist Biopics : Performance Artist Biopics Discuss the topic here.
Vote:
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Radioactive (2019)
Dr. Marie Curie: Chemist & Physicist, who received Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, remains the only person to ever be honored in different disciplines. She and her husband were the first-ever married couple to win the Nobel Prize, while the Curie family would go onto cement their legacy with five Nobel Prizes. Alternate Biopic: Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge (2016) and Madame Curie (1943) w/Greer Garson -
Agora (2009)
Hypatia: Professor Mathematician & Astronomer, who made notable scientific contributions, championed human rights for all and paid the ultimate price for her beliefs. -
Queen of the Desert (2015)
Gertrude Bell: Archeologist & Cartographer, whose influence and respect among all the world players in the Middle East shaped the region's future course. She spent much of her life exploring and mapping the Middle East, as well as, writing about her travels there inspiring others to holiday there. -
Hidden Figures (2016)
Katherine G. Johnson (Mathematician), Dorothy Vaughan (IT Administrator / Mathematician) and Mary Jackson (Aerospace Engineer / Mathematician) : NASA Pioneers, who helped get the space program off the ground and into space along with other women at NASA. -
Sister Kenny (1946)
Elizabeth Kenny: Medical Pioneer, who developed a polio treatment that ran counter to conventional medical wisdom of the day. Kenny showed the need to exercise muscles affected by polio instead of immobilizing them. Her principles of muscle rehabilitation became the foundation of physical therapy, or physiotherapy that we know today. -
Florence Nightingale (1985)
Florence Nightingale: Nursing Pioneer, who forever bettered society in a number of ways. She professionalized nursing through the establishment of the first nursing school. She improved health care for all classes, elevated the treatment of war wounded and established a new, acceptable female profession when there were few. Alternate Biopic: Florence Nightingale (2008) and Upcoming Biopic w/Elisabeth Moss -
Kinsey (2004)
Clara McMillen Kinsey: Human Sexuality Researcher, who collaborated on some of the earliest academic work on human sexuality and was one of the first females in the field. -
A Dangerous Method (2011)
Sabina Spielrein: Psychoanalyst, who collaborated on some of its earliest work in the psychology field and was one of its first female practioners. -
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
Dian Fossey: Naturalist, who was a pioneer in the fields of zoology, primatology, anthropology and a fervent conservationist. She gave her life for her beliefs and her mountain gorilla family, likely at the hands of poachers. -
Temple Grandin (2010)
Temple Grandin: Animal Behavioralist & Autism Pioneer, whose advanced work in the autism field led to the invention of the "hug box". Her shared personal autism experiences led to a better understanding and acceptance of autism. -
Ammonite (2020)
Mary Anning: a Paleontologist & Fossil Collector who became world famous for her discoveries in Lyme Regis, England. Her findings made important contributions and changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth. -
October Sky (1999)
Freida J. Riley: Chemistry & Physics teacher who inspired her students, in particular a foursome known as the "Rocket Boys" at Big Creek High School in Coalwood, West Virginia. -
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017)
Hedy Lamarr: Actress, Mathematical Prodigy & Inventor, who co-developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes. It pioneered spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to defeat the threat of jamming by the Axis powers. The principles of their work are the foundations upon which Bluetooth, CDMA (wireless phones) and Wi-Fi are built. This work led to their induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. -
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)
Lillian Gilbreth: Psychologist & Industrial Engineer, who was considered the first industrial organizational psychologist. The noteworthy efficiency expert, applied psychology to better understand human motion and its factors. Gilbreth was one of the first female engineers to earn a Ph.D., and was described as "a genius in the art of living." -
The Imitation Game (2014)
Joan Clarke: Cryptanalyst, who collaborated with the Benchley Park team, credited for shortening WW2 by 2-4 years by code-breaking Axis ciphers. She was one of the first females to rise to be among the leaders in the cryptology field. -
The Path to Nuclear Fission: The Story of Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn (2006)
Lise Meitner: Physicist, who was responsible for the discovery of the element protactinium, specifically the isotope protactinium-231. In 1938, Meitner and her nephew, the physicist Otto Hahn, discovered nuclear fission. She was the first woman to become a full professor of physics in Germany and praised by Albert Einstein as the "German Marie Curie". Hahn would win the Nobel prize for their work. *biographical documentary -
Rosalind Franklin: DNA's Dark Lady (2003)
Rosalind Franklin: Chemist, whose pioneering work on the molecular structure of DNA and viruses garnered two Nobel prizes for others. Her own work's omission was only due to the Nobel Committee's policy against posthumous nominations and an early death at 37 years old. *biographical documentary -
Out from the Shadows: The Story of Irene Joliot-Curie and Frederic Joliot Curie (2009)
Irene Joliot-Curie: Chemist & Physicist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 with her husband, Joliot-Curie for their discovery of induced radioactivity. The award made them the second-ever married couple (after her parents) to win the Nobel Prize, while adding to the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes. *biographical documentary -
Jane (2017)
Jane Goodhall: Primatologist & Anthropologist, widely considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, after 60 years studying the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees. She brought a greater understanding of chimpanzees to the world with her extensive writings and participation in over 40 films on the topic. *biographical documentary -
Calculating Ada: The Countess of Computing (2015)
Augusta Ada King: Mathematician & Computer Programmer, who is often regarded as the world's first computer programmer for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. *biographical documentary -
Fire of Love (2022)
Katia Krafft: Volcanologist & Filmmaker, whose pioneering documentary filmmaking, as well as, her work on early volcanic eruption detection signs likely will help millions of people. She and her husband worked tirelessly to educate the public by promoting the need for volcano evacuation preparedness, execution and urgency. *biographical documentary -
The Queen of Code (2015)
Grace Hopper: Computer Pioneer, who greatly shaped the direction of computer science, as one of the first computer programmers, and became known as the mother of COBOL. She was one of the first women to achieve the rank of admiral in the US Navy and finally retired at eighty years of age. *biographical documentary -
Rachel Carson (2017)
Rachel Carson: Marine Biologist & Environmentalist, whose writings and conservationist rallying call sparked the global environmental movement and changed the planet for the better. *biographical documentary -
Radio Wars (2012)
Martine Rothblatt: Satellite Radio Creator & Polymath, who Forbes named as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds of the past century in 2017. Rothblatt is also recognized for her groundbreaking and noteable accomplishments in satellite communications and biotechnology. * not a biographical documentary per se