Are women in science any better off than in Ada Lovelace ’s day? | Jess Wade

On Ada Lovelace Day, let ’s rethink how we ensure scientists from diverse backgrounds can contribute to our understanding of the worldIn recognition of the fact that their obituary pageshad been dominated by white men, in 2018 the New York Times published an obituary of the Countess Ada Lovelace. Alongside Grace Hopper and Katherine Johnson, Lovelace has become an icon for women in technology. So much so that the second Tuesday in October is recognised internationally as Ada Lovelace Day. But what would a modern-day Lovelace make of the situation for women working in science today?Lovelace was from a wealthy background; her father was the poet Lord Byron and her mother, Anne Isabella Milbanke, the “princess of parallelograms”, was a keen mathematician and social reformer. Social scientists of today would describe Lovelace as having high “science capital” – her well-connected parents meant her mentors and advisers were members of the British scientific elite, including the polymathsMary Somerville andCharles Babbage. Her extraordinary insight was the product of an interdisciplinary and inspiring education from world-renowned experts, and she would have been appalled at how modern Britain hasrejected expert advice. Her childhood allowed her to recognise the poetry in mathematics and the beauty of computation. Thepoetical scientific learning of Lovelace gave her immense clarity and forward thought. She might have been surprised to find out that 170 years later, the g...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 9, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Jess Wade Tags: Ada Lovelace Wikipedia Technology Mathematics Science Computer science and IT Education Gender World news Source Type: news