Lise Meitner

physics · nuclear science · women in science · discovery

Split the atom. Lise Meitner helped explain how a heavy nucleus could break into smaller pieces and release huge amounts of energy. This process is called nuclear fission, and it's the same reaction that powers nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons.

Worked with team. She collaborated with other scientists, including her nephew Otto Frisch and chemist Otto Hahn, to understand experiments that nobody could explain at first. Together they figured out the math and science behind why atoms were behaving in this strange, splitting way.

Austrian to Swedish. Lise was born in Austria and became an excellent scientist, but she had to leave during World War II because of her Jewish heritage. She moved to Sweden and continued her work there, earning respect from scientists around the world.

Calculated the numbers. Meitner used Albert Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 to figure out exactly how much energy comes from splitting an atom. Her calculations showed that a tiny amount of mass could turn into an enormous amount of energy.

Overlooked honor. Many scientists believe that Lise Meitner's contributions to nuclear fission were so important that she deserved a Nobel Prize, but she never received one. Even so, she remains one of the most influential physicists of the twentieth century.