Berlin: Lise Meitner

     Lisa Meitner is so inspiring! She was an Austrian physicist who helped make drastic strides in the field of nuclear physics and radioactivity, something unheard of for women at the time. She studied at the University of Vienna where she was one of the first women to earn a doctorate in physics, although it was a battle for her to earn respect. For over 30 years she had a collaboration with Otto Han, mostly at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Chemistry in Berlin. She earned her reputation overtime but especially by understanding nuclear fission and being able to explain the process. As a Jewish woman during the Nazi's reign, she had to flee to Sweden as the danger increased, before eventually returning to science and collaborating on the Manhattan Project. 

 Meitner's discovery of nuclear fission contributed to a basic understanding of nuclear processes by describing how an atom's nucleus may divide into smaller parts, releasing a considerable amount of energy. This finding paved the way for the creation of nuclear energy and weapons. It signaled the start of the atomic era, which ended up having significant effects on the people of Japan during the United States's bombing. Something we talked about as a group was that Lise was opposed to the use of nuclear weapons and stepped back when she realized the magnitude of what was happening. That is admirable to me and  shows her wisdom to look at the future and the potential harm her discoveries could have.

    Has she been commemorated well? This one's tricky. I think yes and no. While I do believe Berlin has made an effort in this century to commemorate her, is it too little too late? Sure there are statues and plaques of her, even street names so I've heard, but is it all "fluff?" It might get people talking, but it also just might be another statue one passes by. Even Valerie's friend who has lived in Berlin said she has not heard of Lise, even though her contributions to science were immense. The biggest failure we have ever done to Lise was not award her with the same Nobel prize(s) her partner was awarded. As history has shown, this is a man's world, and I think her lack of recognition during her time has had detrimental effects on her legacy now.