INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN IN TECH THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Throughout history there have been many great examples of women who made significant technological achievements, made all the more impressive by the hurdles they may have had to overcome to do so.
Here are some examples of women in tech who continue to inspire us today.
GRACE HOPPER
Grace was a pioneering computer scientist best known for creating the first computing language, Common Business Orientated Language (COBOL). Grace developed this programming language to resemble the English language, so it would be easy to read and write, despite being told for years that computers could only process numbers so this would not work.
Such were her achievements that in 1969 she was named “Computer Science Man of the Year”by the Data Processing Management Association, and in 1991 she was awarded the National Medal of Technology at age 85, the highest honour within engineering and technology in the United States.
HEDY LAMARR
Born in 1914 in Austria, Hedy found early success on the silver screen, first in her home country and later in Hollywood. Legend has it she became bored with the glamorous but unchallenging film roles she was offered, and so turned to invention as a distraction.
During the Second World War she was inspired to contribute to the war effort, and developed a jam-proof radio guidance system for torpedoes. She went on to patent a new frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum technology. This design fostered communication technology that we use every day, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
KATHERINE G JOHNSON, DOROTHY VAUGHAN AND MARY JACKSON
These three black women overcame incredible odds to realise their potential and played an integral part in launching the first man into space to orbit the Earth.
Working as human computers, they calculated the mathematical data required to launch NASA’s first successful space missions, such as trajectories and wind tunnel test results.
DR MARY LOU JEPSEN
Previously an executive at Facebook working on taking virtual reality to the next level, Dr Jepson’s most recent endeavour is Openwater, which is developing a device that can see deep into the human body with the detail of a high resolution 3D camera.
She’s also the co-founder and CTO of One Laptop per Child, a non-profit organisation that has created a robust laptop costing around $100. The company ships millions of devices to children in the developing world to help their education.
ADA LOVELACE
The daughter of Lord Byron, Ada was born in 1815 and is widely recognised as the world’s first computer programmer. When working on Charles Babbage’s “Analytical Engine” design, she was the first to recognise the machine had potential uses beyond pure calculation. She created the first algorithm intended to be carried out by the machine and so the first concept of a computer operating system.
Her lasting legacy is as an important role model for females around the world who celebrate her incredible achievements annually on Ada Lovelace day on 16 October.
Source – Digital World
