Great scientists
There are many famous scientists throughout history that have changed the way we understand the world around us. Scientists such as Michael Faraday, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking are well known greats, but there have been many more that deserve to be hailed among the best of their time. And let us also not forget the many female scientists, such as Rosalind Franklin and Marie Curie, that deserve just as much recognition and praise as their male counterparts
International Women's Day | 22 pioneering women in science you really should know about
We’ve all heard of the likes of Ada Lovelace, Rosalind Franklin and Marie Curie, but there are many more famous women in STEM that deserve your attention.
Who really invented the light bulb?
US inventor Thomas Edison often gets all the credit, but was he really the first to invent it, or did he just come up with a 'bright' idea?
The life-changing and long-lasting influence of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin had a fascinating and eccentric life, one that continues to inspire astronomers today.
6 women who are changing chemistry as we know it
These six chemists – three of them Nobel Prize winners – are all incredible researchers whose accomplishments need to be shared.
Alexander Grothendieck and the search for the heart of the mathematical universe
This piece is extracted from When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamín Labatut's new book blending fact with fiction to tell key moments in science history.
Great scientists | 5 famous mathematicians you’ve (probably) never heard of
From the ancient Greeks to the modern maestros of mathematics, there are plenty you’ve heard of, but here are a few famous mathematicians you might not have.
How Ada Lovelace's notes on the Analytical Engine created the first computer program
She may be one of the most famous women in science history, but what is it that Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace achieved to gain such eminence?
Ada Lovelace | A mathematician, a computer scientist and a visionary
On the anniversary of her birth, we remember one of the most important women in science history, and celebrate the life and work of Ada Lovelace, the first computer scientist.
Who really discovered CRISPR, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna or the Broad Institute?
When it comes to gene editing, the secret is in the scientist’s DNA.
Bird behaviour revealed using Alan Turing's mathematical models
Researchers used the method to study why flocks of long-tailed tits segregate themselves into different parts of the landscape.
Mario Livio | "When human life or the future of the planet is at stake, betting against science is absolutely unconscionable"
From the inquisition of Galileo to President Trump, there is a long history of science denial, and its dangers go far beyond the threat to any political career.
Rosalind Franklin | British scientist celebrated with commemorative coin
The Royal Mint coin includes Franklin’s Photograph 51, which helped lead to the discovery of the DNA double helix.
Erasmus Darwin and the great slaughterhouse of nature
Who came up with the idea for evolution: Charles Darwin, or his grandfather Erasmus?
Alan Turing | My uncle's legacy should be for his triumphs, rather than his tragedy
The great mathematician's nephew recalls how Turing will be remembered for work that goes far beyond codebreaking at Bletchley Park.
Stephen Hawking | Was he courageous, or just doing 'the only thing possible'?
On the second anniversary of his interment in Westminster Abbey, Stephen Hawking's biographer Kitty Ferguson reflects on whether he should be described as courageous.
Leonard Mlodinow | How did Stephen Hawking make science accessible?
In this republished episode of the Science Focus Podcast we discuss the life of the great physicist Professor Stephen Hawking with one of his co-authors.
An interview with Isaac Newton on his legacy, alchemy and the apple
What might one of the greatest scientists of all time have to say about his legacy?
Inge Lehmann | The Danish scientist who discovered Earth has a solid inner core
Between 1929 and 1939, seismologist Inge Lehmann compared various data sets from earthquakes to conclusively prove what was at the Earth's core.
Memory and the brain | The key discovery of Santiago Ramón y Cajal
In 1889, Santiago Ramón y Cajal discovered the precise physical structure of a brain cell – the anatomical basis for memory. But how did he do it?
The four-dimensional life of mathematician Charles Howard Hinton
From bigamy to belief in ghosts, Hinton was no ordinary mathematician.
The great scientists who uncovered the origin of the Moon
Cracking the origins of our lunar companion wasn't a solo effort – these are the key scientists and astronomers who contributed to our understanding where the Moon came from.
Science history | How we unravelled the structure of DNA
Understanding the iconic double helix form of the gene-carrying molecule DNA is one of our greatest scientific achievements.
Photo 51: the key discovery behind the structure of DNA
A photo taken by chemist and crystallographer Rosalind Franklin held the key to unravelling the structure of DNA.
Understanding DNA: Five key scientists who unravelled the helix
The discovery of DNA is one of our greatest scientific achievements – these are scientists who led to its discovery.