Women in the History of Quantum Physics

‘This volume firmly establishes that women have for a long time made substantial contributions to quantum physics … Something this book does especially well is combine the sometimes conflicting aims of history of science and biography. We learn not only about the trajectories of these women’s careers, but also about the scientific developments they were a part of ... the book treats each of these women as not only whole human beings, but also integral players in a complex history of one of the most successful and debated physical theories in history … Placing these stories side by side yields something greater than the sum of its parts. It challenges the idea that physics is the work of lone geniuses by revealing the collective infrastructures of knowledge-making, much of which has historically relied not only on women’s labour - and did they labour - but on their intellectual rigour and originality.’ Jennifer Carter, Physics World

‘The stories are interesting and diverse, with many insights into the various fields of physics and historical insights into the social context of the time. Highly recommended for anyone interested in physics, history, social developments, or women's studies.’ Willemijn Reinsma, translated from The Dutch Physics Magazine

‘Women in the History of Quantum Physics is an important book not only because it tells the stories of some relatively unknown female physicists. What makes it a valuable contribution to quantum historiography is not, in my view, so much that they were women, but that their science and life stories add new knowledge to how quantum physics was cultivated by marginal figures sometimes under difficult circumstances. The volume is of great interest to specialists in the modern history of physics, not only to those who share the underlying assumption that women have been unduly and perhaps deliberately neglected.’ Helge Kragh, Metascience

‘… an insightful, meticulously researched collection of essays edited by physicists Patrick Charbonneau and Margriet van der Heijden, science writer Michelle Frank and historian of science Daniela Monaldi. In highlighting the contributions of women from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, this bold anthology rewrites the history of quantum physics and challenges its image of Knabenphysik - or boys’ physics, as it became known as in the 1920s … The 16 quantum women subverted not only Knabenphysik itself, but also the conventional quantum historians who, for many reasons, could not see them. They lost a lot. As has the history of quantum physics. This arresting book shows that writing about women is learning about history, culture - and quantum physics. I have no doubt that its contributors all discovered a little about themselves while writing it, and so will its readers.’ Indianara Lima Silva, Nature

‘I was buoyed and inspired while reading Women in the History of Quantum Physics. Having once been both a woman and a physicist, it felt meaningful to find the small overlaps in my experience of the world and theirs. And learning that physics history is richer than I knew certainly made me adore it more.’ Karmela Padavic-Callaghan, New Scientist

‘This edited volume contributes to the ongoing effort by historians of women in STEM to expand its historiography from biographies of especially exceptional innovators and prosopographies of everyday practitioners to deeper examinations of individuals who are underrepresented in the general history of STEM … Presentations of scientific work are nontechnical, and the prose throughout is clear and readable. The volume might be especially useful in undergraduate seminars … Recommended.’ A. K. Ackerberg-Hastings, CHOICE

‘Women in the History of Quantum Physics is an important and timely contribution. It is particularly valuable for historians of science, scholars interested in gender and knowledge production, and physicists curious about the social and institutional contours of their discipline’s past. By turning archival silences into analytic opportunities, the volume challenges readers to reconsider not only who is included in the history of quantum physics but also how and why those stories have been told in particular ways. Future work that combines the volume’s rich biographical recoveries with more explicit theoretical tools will further advance the promising research program this book so effectively inaugurates.’ Sofia Guilhem Basilio, H-Sci-Med-Tech