The missing women of science: 18 remarkable scientists to bring into your classroom
From the discovery of nuclear fission to the fight to protect our planet, discover the women whose achievements changed science, and the film, TV and radio programmes that bring their stories to life.
Who do students learn about when they study the great scientific discoveries?
New research from the University of Cambridge has highlighted how women scientists are almost entirely absent from compulsory learning materials produced by UK examination boards. Yet women have made extraordinary contributions to our understanding of everything from DNA and the Earth’s inner core to dark matter and climate change.
Their stories offer opportunities to enrich science teaching, connect curriculum topics with real-world discoveries and introduce students to a wider range of scientific role models.
At Learning on Screen, we’ve brought together 18 women across six scientific subjects, with links to BBC radio programmes that you can use right now in your teaching. If your students value richer broadcast we have also sourced drama, documentary and news footage televised from our rich archive of over 4 million programmes on Box of Broadcasts (BoB) our streaming platform for educators and have extracted specific clips from the longer public radio programmes for ease. If you are a subscriber to BoB you can access these via the links below. If you’d like to learn more about becoming a subscriber get in touch.
Whether you’re teaching GCSE or A-level, these broadcasts offer different ways to explore the science and the people behind it. Some explain discoveries directly, while others use interviews, drama, documentaries and historical news footage to reveal the human stories behind scientific progress.
1. Biology: The women who transformed our understanding of life
From uncovering the structure of DNA to developing technologies that can edit genes, women have played a fundamental role in advancing our understanding of living organisms.
Rosalind Franklin: The woman whose images helped reveal the structure of DNA
Rosalind Franklin’s meticulous X-ray diffraction research provided crucial evidence for understanding DNA’s double-helix structure. Her work, including the famous Photograph 51 produced with Raymond Gosling, contributed to one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the twentieth century.
Although Franklin’s contribution was not fully recognised in popular accounts for many years, her story demonstrates the importance of experimental evidence, collaboration and the recognition of scientific achievement.
Curriculum connections
- Genetics and inheritance
- DNA structure and function
- Genes, chromosomes and the genome
- Biological molecules
- Scientific methods and experimental evidence
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Material World — BBC Radio: Explore the science and history surrounding Franklin’s contribution.
- Life Story — BoB television drama: A dramatisation of the race to establish DNA’s structure, bringing the scientific personalities and relationships behind the discovery to life.
Together, the broadcasts offer an opportunity to explore both the scientific evidence and the human dynamics behind a major breakthrough.
Barbara McClintock: The geneticist who discovered that genes can move
Barbara McClintock challenged conventional understanding of genetics when she discovered that sections of DNA can change position within the genome.
Studying maize plants, she identified what became known as transposable elements, or ‘jumping genes’, revealing that genetic material is far more dynamic than previously understood.
Her findings were initially met with scepticism, but later advances in molecular genetics confirmed their importance. In 1983, she received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Curriculum connections
- Genes and chromosomes
- Genetics and inheritance
- Mutations and genetic variation
- Gene expression and regulation
- Scientific evidence and changing scientific models
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Science Stories: Barbara McClintock — BBC Radio: Discover how her observations challenged accepted ideas about genetics.
- Private Passions — BoB: Additional archive material for exploring the scientist and her legacy.
McClintock’s story offers a valuable opportunity to consider how unexpected observations can transform scientific understanding.
Jennifer Doudna: The scientist helping rewrite the future of genetics
Jennifer Doudna helped develop CRISPR-Cas9 into a revolutionary tool for editing DNA.
Working with Emmanuelle Charpentier, she demonstrated how a natural bacterial defence mechanism could be adapted to make targeted changes to genetic material.
Their discovery has transformed biological research, with applications ranging from understanding genetic disorders to developing new medical treatments. It has also prompted important ethical questions about how gene-editing technology should be used.
Curriculum connections
- DNA and the genetic code
- Genetic engineering
- Gene editing and biotechnology
- Applications of genetics in medicine
- Ethical considerations in modern biology
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Life Scientific: Jennifer Doudna — BBC Radio 4: Hear about her scientific career and the development of CRISPR.
- Profile: Jennifer Doudna — BoB: Explore the scientist behind one of modern biology’s most influential breakthroughs.
Doudna’s work connects established curriculum knowledge with contemporary biotechnology and the ethical decisions facing scientists today.
2. Chemistry: The women who revealed the hidden structure of matter
Chemistry helps us understand what substances are made of, how they behave and how they can be transformed. These women show how discoveries about elements, molecules and materials have changed medicine, industry and everyday life.
Marie Curie: The scientist who transformed our understanding of radioactivity
Marie Curie was a pioneering scientist whose investigations into radioactivity transformed our understanding of matter.
Working with Pierre Curie, she discovered polonium and radium and developed methods for studying radioactive substances. She became the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different natural sciences.
Her discoveries opened new possibilities for science and medicine while also revealing the risks associated with radiation exposure.
Curriculum connections
- Atomic structure
- Elements and isotopes
- Radioactivity and radioactive substances
- Properties of materials
- Applications of radioactive materials in medicine
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Human Intelligence: Marie Curie — BBC Radio 4: An introduction to Curie’s scientific achievements and influence.
- The Genius of Marie Curie: The Woman Who Lit Up the World — BoB documentary: Explore the discoveries and personal story behind one of science’s most recognisable names.
Curie’s story connects scientific discovery with its medical applications and wider consequences.
Dorothy Hodgkin: The chemist who made the invisible visible
Dorothy Hodgkin transformed chemistry by using X-ray crystallography to determine the three-dimensional structures of complex molecules, including penicillin, vitamin B12 and insulin.
Her discoveries helped scientists understand substances of enormous medical importance. In 1964, she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Hodgkin’s story is also a fascinating account of scientific life. Her correspondence reveals the realities of balancing research, family responsibilities and international collaboration during a period when relatively few women held senior scientific positions.
Curriculum connections
- Chemical bonding
- Molecular structure
- Crystallography and analytical techniques
- Structure and properties of molecules
- Chemistry in medicine
Explore through film, TV and radio
- In Our Time: Dorothy Hodgkin — BBC Radio 4: Explore the scientific achievements that made Hodgkin a Nobel laureate.
- An Eye for Pattern: The Letters of Dorothy Hodgkin — BoB radio drama: A dramatisation of her correspondence. Episode 3 offers a particularly personal perspective on her penicillin research and experiences of motherhood.
These programmes bring together the scientific significance of determining molecular structures and the personal experiences behind the research.
Stephanie Kwolek: The chemist who invented a material stronger than steel
Stephanie Kwolek’s research into synthetic polymers led to the invention of Kevlar, a remarkably strong, lightweight fibre.
While investigating new industrial materials, she recognised that an unusual polymer solution had extraordinary potential. The resulting fibre went on to be used in protective equipment, engineering and numerous everyday applications.
Her discovery shows how experimental curiosity and materials chemistry can produce innovations with far-reaching practical benefits.
Curriculum connections
- Polymers and polymerisation
- Synthetic materials and fibres
- Structure and properties of materials
- Industrial chemistry
- Applications of materials science
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Invention of Kevlar — BBC radio: Discover the story behind this remarkable material.
- Absolute Genius: Super Tech with Dick & Dom — BoB television clip: A lively visual introduction to materials technology and the practical applications of scientific innovation.
Kwolek’s work provides a tangible connection between molecular structure, material properties and real-world applications.
3. Physics: The women who changed how we understand matter, light and the universe
From nuclear fission to laser technology and gravitational waves, these physicists have contributed to discoveries that transformed both fundamental science and modern technology.
Lise Meitner: The physicist who helped explain nuclear fission
Lise Meitner played a crucial role in explaining nuclear fission, one of the most consequential scientific discoveries of the twentieth century.
After fleeing Nazi Germany, she worked with her nephew Otto Frisch to interpret experimental evidence showing that uranium nuclei could split, releasing enormous amounts of energy.
Although Otto Hahn received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery, Meitner’s theoretical contribution was not recognised by the award.
Curriculum connections
- Atomic structure
- Nuclear fission
- Nuclear reactions and energy
- Mass–energy equivalence
- Scientific evidence and theoretical models
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Science Stories: Lise Meitner — BoB radio: Explore Meitner’s contribution and the scientific developments surrounding nuclear fission.
- Chemistry: A Volatile History — The Power of the Elements — BoB television clip: Visual context for the discoveries that transformed understanding of atomic matter.
Her story highlights the relationship between experimental observations and theoretical explanation, alongside questions of scientific recognition.
Sheila Rowan: The physicist helping us detect gravitational waves
Sheila Rowan is a British experimental physicist whose work has contributed to the extraordinarily precise technologies needed to detect gravitational waves.
Her research forms part of the international scientific effort to measure tiny disturbances in spacetime caused by some of the universe’s most dramatic events.
The first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015 opened a new way of investigating the universe.
Curriculum connections
- Waves and interference
- Electromagnetic waves
- Gravitational waves
- Precision measurement
- Astrophysics and experimental physics
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Life Scientific: Sheila Rowan — BBC Radio 4: Hear about her research and scientific career.
- The Sky at Night — BoB television clip: A visual introduction to gravitational-wave detection and the technology behind it.
Rowan’s research demonstrates how familiar principles of waves and measurement are applied to extraordinary scientific challenges.
Donna Strickland: The physicist who revolutionised laser technology
Donna Strickland helped develop chirped pulse amplification, a technique that makes it possible to produce extremely intense, ultrashort laser pulses.
Her work with Gérard Mourou opened new possibilities for precision laser technology, with applications in medicine, manufacturing and scientific research.
In 2018, she became the third woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Curriculum connections
- Waves and light
- Electromagnetic radiation
- Lasers and optics
- Wave properties and applications
- Medical and industrial applications of physics
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Life Scientific: Donna Strickland — BBC Radio 4: Discover the research behind her Nobel-winning achievement.
- BBC News coverage of the 2018 Nobel Prize — BoB clip: Contemporary news coverage capturing public recognition of her breakthrough.
The combination connects laser physics with practical technology and the way major scientific achievements are communicated to the public.
4. Astronomy: The women who helped us see the universe differently
Astronomy relies on interpreting signals, light and other evidence from distant objects. These three women changed how we classify stars, understand galaxies and investigate the universe.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: The astronomer who discovered the first pulsars
In 1967, while working as a postgraduate researcher at Cambridge, Jocelyn Bell Burnell identified an unusual repeating radio signal.
Her observations led to the discovery of pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit regular pulses of radiation.
The discovery opened an important new area of astrophysical research. Although the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics recognised the discovery of pulsars, Bell Burnell was not among the recipients.
Curriculum connections
- Stellar evolution
- Neutron stars and pulsars
- Electromagnetic radiation
- Radio astronomy
- Scientific observation and evidence
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Life Scientific: Jocelyn Bell Burnell — BBC Radio 4: Hear the story of her discovery.
- Beautiful Minds — BoB television documentary: A portrait of Bell Burnell’s scientific achievements and personal journey.
Her story shows how recognising an unexpected pattern in scientific data can transform our understanding of the universe.
Vera Rubin: The astronomer who uncovered evidence for dark matter
Vera Rubin transformed astronomy through her observations of the rotation of galaxies.
Working with Kent Ford, she found that stars in the outer regions of spiral galaxies were moving faster than expected from the gravitational influence of visible matter alone.
Her observations provided powerful evidence for dark matter, helping reshape our understanding of what galaxies contain.
Curriculum connections
- Galaxies and their structure
- Gravity and orbital motion
- Dark matter
- Cosmology
- Scientific models and observational evidence
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Woman’s Hour — BBC Radio: Explore Rubin’s contribution to astronomy.
- Secrets of Size: Atoms to Supergalaxies — BoB television clip: Visual material for exploring galaxies and the evidence for unseen matter.
Rubin’s research offers a compelling example of how observations can reveal limitations in an established scientific model.
Annie Jump Cannon: The astronomer who organised the stars
Annie Jump Cannon transformed astronomy by developing and applying a system for classifying stars according to their spectra.
Working at Harvard College Observatory, she classified hundreds of thousands of stars, helping establish the familiar O, B, A, F, G, K and M spectral sequence.
Her meticulous work laid important foundations for modern stellar astronomy.
Curriculum connections
- Stars and stellar classification
- Electromagnetic spectrum
- Spectroscopy
- Stellar temperature
- Interpreting astronomical data
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Woman’s Hour — BBC Radio: Discover Cannon’s contribution to stellar classification.
- BoB radio clip: An archive extract identified for this topic.
Cannon’s story demonstrates how organising and interpreting large quantities of observational data can be as important as discovering something entirely new.
5. Environmental Science: The women protecting our planet
From investigating the ozone hole to restoring forests, these women demonstrate how environmental science can reveal threats to our planet, explain natural processes and support practical action.
Susan Solomon: The scientist who helped solve the mystery of the ozone hole
In the 1980s, Susan Solomon helped establish why the ozone layer above Antarctica was being depleted so dramatically.
Her research explained how chemical reactions involving chlorine compounds, including those originating from CFCs, could destroy ozone under Antarctic atmospheric conditions.
Her work contributed to the scientific understanding that informed international action to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
Curriculum connections
- Atmospheric chemistry
- Ozone depletion
- CFCs and atmospheric pollution
- Human impacts on the atmosphere
- Environmental protection and international agreements
Explore through film, TV and radio
- 5 Live Science Podcast — BBC Sounds: Relevant discussion identified at approximately 25 minutes 17 seconds.
- Saving Planet Earth: Fixing a Hole — BoB television clip: Documentary material exploring the ozone problem and scientific efforts to understand it.
Solomon’s story offers a powerful example of scientific evidence contributing to international environmental action.
Lucy Carpenter: The scientist exploring the chemistry between oceans and air
Lucy Carpenter is an atmospheric chemist whose research investigates the exchange of chemicals between the oceans and the atmosphere.
By studying naturally occurring gases and their reactions, she helps scientists understand the processes that influence atmospheric composition and environmental change.
Her research reveals how closely interconnected Earth’s environmental systems really are.
Curriculum connections
- Atmospheric chemistry
- Ocean–atmosphere interactions
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Atmospheric composition
- Environmental monitoring
Explore through film, TV and radio
- The Life Scientific: Lucy Carpenter — BBC Radio 4: An introduction to her research and scientific career.
- Should We Still Be Worried About the Ozone Layer? — BoB: A complementary programme for exploring atmospheric chemistry and environmental challenges.
Carpenter’s work offers a contemporary perspective on how scientists investigate complex interactions within Earth’s atmosphere.
Wangari Maathai: The woman who turned tree planting into an environmental movement
Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan biologist and environmental campaigner who founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977.
Through community-led tree planting and environmental restoration, she helped address deforestation, soil degradation and the loss of natural resources, while supporting women’s participation in environmental decision-making.
In 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Curriculum connections
- Deforestation and reforestation
- Ecosystems and biodiversity
- Soil erosion and land degradation
- Conservation
- Sustainable resource management
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Green Originals — BBC programme: Explore Maathai’s environmental legacy.
- BBC News archive — BoB television clip: Historical news coverage providing a contemporary perspective on her work and influence.
Maathai’s story demonstrates how environmental knowledge can be applied to conservation, sustainability and community-led change.
6. Geology: The women who uncovered Earth’s hidden history
From the Earth’s inner core to the ocean floor and the fossils preserved in ancient rocks, these women transformed our understanding of the planet’s structure and history.
Inge Lehmann: The scientist who discovered Earth’s solid inner core
Inge Lehmann was a Danish seismologist who transformed our understanding of the Earth’s interior.
By analysing how seismic waves travelled through the planet, she identified evidence that could not be explained by existing models of the Earth’s core.
In 1936, she proposed that Earth possesses a solid inner core within its liquid outer core, a discovery that fundamentally changed our understanding of the planet’s structure.
Curriculum connections
- Earth’s internal structure
- Seismic waves
- Earth’s core and mantle
- Geophysical evidence
- Scientific models of the Earth
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Unstoppable: Inge Lehmann — BBC radio: Discover the scientist whose interpretation of seismic evidence revealed a hidden layer within the Earth.
Lehmann’s discovery is a striking example of how scientists use indirect evidence to investigate places that cannot be observed directly.
Marie Tharp: The woman who mapped the hidden mountains beneath the ocean
Marie Tharp was an American geologist and oceanographic cartographer whose pioneering maps revealed the extraordinary structure of the ocean floor.
Working with Bruce Heezen, she used ocean-depth measurements to map underwater mountain ranges and the rift valley along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Her work provided important evidence for the developing theory of plate tectonics and helped change how scientists understood the movement of the Earth’s crust.
Curriculum connections
- Plate tectonics
- Ocean-floor mapping
- Mid-ocean ridges
- Seafloor spreading
- Geological evidence and mapping
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Mapping the Ocean’s Secrets — BBC radio: Discover how Tharp’s maps transformed understanding of the ocean floor.
- The Science Hour — BoB: Additional broadcast material connected to her contribution.
Tharp’s story shows how mapping and interpreting scientific data can reveal geological processes operating on a planetary scale.
Mary Anning: The fossil hunter who revealed a prehistoric world
Mary Anning grew up in Lyme Regis on England’s Jurassic Coast, where she developed an extraordinary ability to discover and identify fossils.
Her discoveries, including important ichthyosaur and plesiosaur specimens, transformed scientific understanding of prehistoric life and contributed to debates about extinction and the Earth’s ancient history.
Working at a time when women had limited access to scientific institutions, Anning became a respected source of expertise despite receiving relatively little formal recognition.
Curriculum connections
- Fossils and fossilisation
- Sedimentary rocks
- Geological time
- Extinction
- Earth’s history and changing environments
Explore through film, TV and radio
- Science Stories: Mary Anning and Fossil Hunting — BBC radio: Explore her discoveries and contribution to palaeontology.
- Tracks: Mary Anning (1994) — BoB television clip: Archive television material bringing Anning’s story to life.
Anning’s discoveries offer an engaging connection between fossils, sedimentary rocks and the evidence scientists use to reconstruct Earth’s ancient environments.
Bring more scientific stories into your classroom with Box of Broadcasts
These 18 women represent just a small selection of the scientists whose work has shaped our understanding of the world.
Their stories also demonstrate the value of using film, TV and radio alongside traditional teaching resources. A historical news report can capture the moment a discovery entered public consciousness. A documentary can visualise complex scientific ideas. A radio interview can reveal the curiosity and persistence behind a breakthrough, while a drama can bring the personal experiences of scientists to life.
Box of Broadcasts (BoB) gives subscribing educational institutions access to an extensive archive of broadcast television and radio, including documentaries, news, interviews and drama.
With BoB, educators can discover programmes connected to curriculum topics, search transcripts where available and create clips that bring specific concepts, discoveries and debates into focus.
Want to explore how film, TV and radio can enrich your teaching?
Discover our free course, Rethink Teaching with Film, TV and Radio, or find out how Box of Broadcasts can support teaching across your curriculum.