March is Women’s History Month, making it a great time to acknowledge the contributions women have made in many fields. Women have made several important inventions that either played a crucial role in history or are a staple in our lives today. Here are five significant inventions or discoveries by women.
1. Monopoly
The classic board game Monopoly has been a favorite for decades. There has often been confusion about who created it, but the earliest known version of it, called The Landlord’s Game, was invented by Elizabeth Magie as a way of expressing her economic opinions. The outcome of the game, where one person gains control and becomes richer by raising rent prices for others was meant to show the dangers of a monopolist system. However, the game has often been mistakenly attributed to Charles Darrow, who brought it to its current publisher to be mass-produced and has therefore profited heavily from it despite getting the idea from Magie’s version.
2. Frequency Hopping
Hedy Lamarr was an actress with no formal engineering experience, but she came up with new inventions in her spare time. She invented the concept of frequency hopping to make signals more secure in military applications. Frequency hopping means making communications rapidly alternate between various frequencies rather than just sending the whole signal along one frequency, which would prevent the enemies from being able to jam or intercept the signal. This concept is used in many modern-day communications such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and more. Besides security, the other main benefit this practice provides is reducing interference. The limited number of available frequencies are shared by countless devices, so frequency hopping minimizes interference between them.
3. Computer Languages and Compilers
Grace Hopper contributed heavily to the language COBOL, which was one of the earliest high-level languages—meaning it was easier to read and write. Despite it being several decades old, it continues to be used in business and finance applications today. Grace Hopper is also credited with creating the first compiler, an invention that translates more understandable code written by people to a form that the machine itself can read. This is what allowed COBOL and other high-level languages to work, because they are written using English words and symbols that the compiler can then translate for the machine.
4. DNA and Gene Editing
The double helix structure of DNA, the building block of all life on Earth, was discovered by Rosalind Franklin in 1953. This is a field in which women continue to be highly important contributors to this day. The recent gene-editing technology of CRISPR-Cas9 was invented by two women, Jennifer Anne Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier. All eyes are on this technology as it provides a potential solution for genetic diseases. If a harmful mutation is identified, the technology can be used to replace it with its normal counterpart, curing the associated disease or abnormalities. This concept can also be used to create improved genetically modified crops that are more resilient or useful, making it a potential breakthrough in the field of agriculture as well.
5. The Composition of Stars
Many important discoveries in the field of astronomy have been made by women. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin discovered that stars are made mainly of hydrogen and helium in 1925. Previously, most astronomers believed that stars were made of heavier elements such as calcium and iron. When she first published her findings, it was discredited by another astronomer, Henry Norris Russell, although he admitted she was correct a few years later. As a result, she was forced to downplay the significance of her results and calculations in order to avoid tarnishing her career. However, this is now considered one of the most crucial discoveries in the field of astronomy.
Throughout history, women have made several very important contributions to science, technology, and other fields. Do you know any other inventions or discoveries by women? Let us know at @HerCampusSJSU!