Abstract

In this talk I shall present some important contributions of women physicists of the past, from medieval times until the beginning of the 20th century. I shall discuss the work of independent researchers (Hildegard von Bingen, Nicole Reine Lapaute, Laura Bassi, Caroline Herschel), of assistants of better known husbands or brothers (Sophie Brahe, Lucia Galeazzi Galvani) as well as that of translators such as Emilie de Breteuil Marquise de Châtelet or Mary Somerville. Then I shall discuss why there are still so few women in physics today. In particular, based on studies conducted in Europe, U.S.A. and Japan, I shall comment on whether men and women work differently in science, on how they view themselves and how others view them, as well as on how family and work influence each other for physicists.