New illustrations

Graphic history about the “Matilda-effect”

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These days, I am working hard on finalizing a graphic history about the Matilda-effect. The book is 100 % written and handdrawn by myself and is planned to come out Dec 10th (publisher: FADL’s). The book describes the Matilda-effect (the systematic under-recognition of female scientist) by focusing on four scientists, who were all active contributors to the eradication of polio in the middle of the 20th century. 

On the release day, I will make a talk at “Folkeuniversitetet” about the book and subject. See here for more information and booking. 

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The Matilda effect

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I am working on a book – a graphic novel / history about the Matilda effect (the systematic devaluation of female scientists). The book is centered around four scientists; two danish and two american, who all worked with polio and made significant contributions both to the general knowledge about the disease – and to the development of efficient vaccines in the mid-20th century. The book is planned to come out late November / early December 2025. I will also give a talk at “Folkeuniversitetet” about the book, the women and the Matilda effect in general (link about this talk here with possibility to assign). OBS! Both the book and the talk will be in Danish.

New illustrations

Hildegard von Bingen

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Women have always struggled to be allowed to take a part of science and intellectual work.

One of those who fought for this – with succes – was Hildegard von Bingen, a medieval nun. She has been called one of the most influental women from the middle ages, which otherwise was a period where women did not have much
influence, neither on the society or on own lives.

Hildegard von Bingen was born around 1098 in the region Spongen, a part of the Roman empire (today a part of Germany). In 1098, universities and science were only in their very early beginning. The concept of universities was born out of the so-called “scriptoria” of the munk-monasteries. In those, writers and illustrators worked with translations of religious scrips and documentation.

The monasteries for nuns were not really a part of this, but there were exceptions. Hildegard von Bingen, a wonder child, was accepted by a Benedictine-monastery already as 8-year-old. Later she got to be prioress (leader) there and started her own scriptoria.

She quickly got competent within many areas; philosophy, medicine, botany and music. She wrote books (“Causae et curae” about healing plants and diseases – and “Physicae” about nature generally). She composed music (still played today). She travelled around Europe and told about her knowledge, wisely enough camouflaged as holy preaching. Otherwise, she would probably have been “cancelled”.

When the universities were formed, as a natural continuation of the scriptoria, they were strictly male worlds. And in the first 600 years of their history, women were efficiently locked out, with few exceptions. The University of
Bologna in Italy is the world’s oldest, still active university today. From there, the concept of universities spread, first to the rest of Europe – and later to the rest of the world.

Text and illustration by myself, Ann-Louise Bergström, without use of AI.

References:

– Londa Schiebinger: “Women in Science: Historical perspectives”, https://lnkd.in/dWXzZRd4

– Rüegg, Walter: “Foreword. The University as a European Institution”, in: A History of the University in Europe. Vol. 1: Universities in the Middle Ages, Cambridge University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-521-36105-2, pp. XIX–X

New illustrations

An overseen physicist: Chien-Shiung Wu

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Chien-Shiung Wu has been called “The first lady of physics”, “The Chinese Marie Curie” and “The queen of nuclear physics”, but incredibly enough, she is to most rather unknown. She has contributed with crucial discoveries in nuclear- and quantum physics and also contributed to the Manhattan-project. But she is, like the physician Lise Meitner, written out of history in the movie “Oppenheimer”.

Wu grew up in China, but travelled in the 30ies to the USA, more specifically to Berkeley in California, where she collaborated with prominent physicians like Ernest Lawrence and Robert Oppenheimer.

Shortly before her arrival, the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi had made the theory of beta-decay, but he lacked the experimental proof. Others had tried this without luck, but Wu was the first who succeeded in making the experiments that finally proved Fermi’s theory.

A colleague later said about her:

“The most talented female experimental physicist he had ever known”,

and that 

“she would make any laboratory shine.”  

After that, Wu moved to the east cost of USA, where she partially engaged in the Manhattan project and partially worked at Columbia University in New York. 

On Columbia University, she worked together with two other physicians (Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang) about the physical concept Parity.

Parity dictates a symmetry around mirroring of particle physical processes.

Lee and Yang had published an article, in which the theory suggested an inconsistency in parity for the so called “weak nuclear force” (among other things beta-decay, which Wu was expert in). But they did not know how to prove it experimentally.

But Wu was a master in experimental physics!

She cancelled a vacation with her family, went to the lab, and conducted an experiment that elegantly proved Lee and Wu’s hypothesis. In 1957, Lee and Wu received the Nobel prize for the discovery, but Wu did not get a share of the prize, as the Nobel committee referred to the fact that “she had only shown it experimentally”. It seemed odd, as the Nobel-committee normally used honor experimental science. And Wu’s “colleague” in particle physics, Lise Meitner, was excluded from the Nobel prize Otto Hahn received, with exactly the OPPOSITE argument. Here it was Lise, who had thought of it and the described the theoretical principle (for nuclear fission), but Otto Hahn that had shown it experimentally…

Wu and Meitner both became victims of the Matilda-effect, the term used to describe the historical devaluation and trivialization of women’s contribution to science.

 

References:

– Chien Shiung Wu Acc. 90-105 – Science Service, Records, 1920s-1970s, Smithsonian Institution Archives

 

The discovery of the parity violation in weak interactions and its recent developments

Chien-Shiung Wu

Published in: Lect.Notes Phys. 746 (2008), 43-70

Experimental Test of Parity Conservation in Beta Decay

C. S. Wu, E. Ambler, R. W. Hayward, D. D. Hoppes, and R. P. Hudson

Phys. Rev. 105, 1413 – Published 15 February 1957

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Illustrations about psychiatry

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I have a part-time job in a department in Region Hovedstaden (Capital Region of Copenhagen), where I make help to develop e-learning, make illustrations and animations for education and publications and edit the department webpage. It is a partially research, partially out-patient department. 

See more on the webpage for “Enhed for kompliceret skizofreni og Oligofreni” at Psykiatrisk Center Glostrup, Region Hovedstadens Psykitatri.