Laboratory Cultures and Research Networks: Women Scientists and Community Building in Early Twentieth Century Nuclear Physics and Radiochemistry

9320188， PI-Wise：对于科学决策者来说，越来越明显的是，这个国家保持其在科学领域领先地位的唯一途径是培养科学人才，而不考虑种族、性别或身体残疾。太多的女性和少数族裔不愿学习科学，因为他们发现科学对他们的存在不友好。然而，情况并非总是如此。本世纪上半叶的核物理学和放射化学提供了一个例子，说明科学家如何能够共同努力，促进妇女和少数民族参与对最困难的科学领域的研究。在诺顿·怀斯教授的指导下，特蕾莎·霍珀女士正在调查二十世纪初在核物理和放射化学领域中相当多的女性取得非凡成就的原因。1900年至1939年期间，一些杰出的女科学家对核物理和放射化学领域作出了杰出的理论贡献；也有大量女性获得了高等学位，进行了高级研究，但她们的理论贡献不如那些更杰出的同行那么引人注目。霍珀女士认为，女性在这些领域的杰出成就并非偶然或巧合，相反，这一时期女性在这些领域的非凡参与是由知名男女科学家的积极努力带来的，他们在本世纪初致力于将女性纳入科学实践。由于玛丽·居里、欧内斯特·卢瑟福等人的合作，创造了一个女性可以在科学实践中取得成功的空间。霍珀分析女性在这些领域取得成功的依据是，存在着一个由支持她们研究的知名科学家组成的社会网络；在核物理和放射化学领域创造了一个知识利基；实验室文化为他们提供了蓬勃发展的氛围。她正在调查杰出的科学家，看他们对各自领域作出的重要理论贡献。不太出名的科学家也很重要，因为他们在将实验室文化塑造成女性可以在科学实践中取得成功的地方方面发挥了作用。

9320188, PI-Wise: It has become increasingly obvious to science policy makers that the only way this country can maintain its leadership in science is to advance scientific talent regardless of race, gender or physical handicaps. Too many women and minorities have been discouraged from studying science because they have found it inhospitable to their presence. Yet, such was not always the case. Nuclear physics and radiochemistry in the first part of this century offer an example of how scientists can work together to promote the participation of women and minorities in the study of the most difficult of scientific areas. Under the direction of Professor Norton Wise, Ms. Teresa Hopper is investigating the reasons for the extraordinary levels of success achieved by a relatively large number of women in the fields of nuclear physics and radiochemistry in the early decades of the twentieth century. A number of prominent women scientists made outstanding theoretical contributions to the fields of nuclear physics and radiochemistry between 1900 and 1939; and there also existed a large number of women who received advanced degrees and performed advanced research, but whose theoretical contributions were less dramatic than those of their more prominent counterparts. Ms. Hopper argues that the outstanding success of women in these fields is no accident or coincidence, but rather, that women's extraordinary participation in these fields in this period was brought about by the active efforts of established men and women scientists who were committed to including women in the practice of science in the early years of this century. As a result of the cooperation of Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford and others, a space was created in which women could succeed in scientific practice. Ms. Hopper is analyzing women's success in these fields in terms of the existence of a social n etwork of established scientists who supported their researches; an intellectual niche that was created in domains of nuclear physics and radiochemistry; and a laboratory culture that provided an atmosphere in which they could flourish. She is investigating prominent scientists for the important theoretical contributions they made to their fields. Less prominent scientists are also relevant because of their role in shaping the laboratory cultures into places where women could succeed in scientific practice.