Women in Science | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/women-science/RSS feed for Women in ScienceenWed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000Scientists Just Made the Most Complete Map of the Clitoris's Sensory Nerve Network. Here's What They Foundhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-made-the-most-complete-map-of-the-clitoris-sensory-nerve-network-heres-what-found-180988463/Cultural taboos around female sexuality have hindered research on the organ. But a new study provides pivotal insights that can inform important surgeries and health careWed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-made-the-most-complete-map-of-the-clitoris-sensory-nerve-network-heres-what-found-180988463/This Aerospace Engineer Just Became the First Wheelchair User to Travel to Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-aerospace-engineer-just-became-the-first-wheelchair-user-to-travel-to-space-180987914/A brief commercial flight with space tourism company Blue Origin made Michaela "Michi" Benthaus' childhood dream come trueMon, 22 Dec 2025 21:11:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-aerospace-engineer-just-became-the-first-wheelchair-user-to-travel-to-space-180987914/'Ghost Gear,' or Abandoned Fishing Equipment, Is Haunting the Oceans. Here's How Conservationists Are Fighting Backhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ghost-gear-or-abandoned-fishing-equipment-is-haunting-the-oceans-heres-how-conservationists-are-fighting-back-180987605/Discarded nets, lines and traps are a hazard to marine life and ecosystems around the world, but pioneering programs are tackling the problem creatively through education, prevention, ocean cleanups and recyclingFri, 31 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ghost-gear-or-abandoned-fishing-equipment-is-haunting-the-oceans-heres-how-conservationists-are-fighting-back-180987605/How Far American Women Astronauts Have Soared Since Sally Ride Took Her Historic Spaceflighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-far-american-women-astronauts-have-soared-since-sally-ride-took-her-historic-spaceflight-180987583/In 1978, Ride and five other women became the first group of female astronauts in the U.S. A new book by a longtime curator of spaceflight artifacts explores the nearly five-decade history of women in the space programTue, 28 Oct 2025 17:20:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-far-american-women-astronauts-have-soared-since-sally-ride-took-her-historic-spaceflight-180987583/With Their Bravery During World War I, These Daring American Women Doctors Proved Their Might to Folks Back Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/with-bravery-during-world-war-i-these-daring-american-women-doctors-proved-their-might-180986812/As their right to vote was debated in the States, a remarkable group of 74 physicians and support staff sailed to war-torn Europe to help those in needFri, 27 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/with-bravery-during-world-war-i-these-daring-american-women-doctors-proved-their-might-180986812/South Korea's Female Free Divers May Have Evolved to Thrive Underwater, Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/south-koreas-female-free-divers-may-have-evolved-to-thrive-underwater-study-finds-180986673/The Haenyeo, a group of skilled divers on Jeju Island, plunge beneath the ocean’s surface without any breathing equipment, thanks to a combination of their training and geneticsFri, 23 May 2025 20:50:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/south-koreas-female-free-divers-may-have-evolved-to-thrive-underwater-study-finds-180986673/The Nation's First Black Female Doctor Blazed a Path for Women in Medicine. But She Was Left Out of the Story for Decadeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-nations-first-black-female-doctor-blazed-a-path-for-women-in-medicine-but-she-was-left-out-of-the-story-for-decades-180986328/After earning a medical degree in 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler died in obscurity and was buried without a headstoneMon, 31 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-nations-first-black-female-doctor-blazed-a-path-for-women-in-medicine-but-she-was-left-out-of-the-story-for-decades-180986328/How an 18th-Century Female Physicist Broke Boundaries and Inspired the Generations Who Followedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-an-18th-century-female-physicist-broke-boundaries-and-inspired-the-generations-who-followed-180986210/Cristina Roccati graduated from the University of Bologna when few other Italian women earned degrees, and she taught physics for decadesWed, 26 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-an-18th-century-female-physicist-broke-boundaries-and-inspired-the-generations-who-followed-180986210/A Century Ago, Pioneering Astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Showed Us What Stars Are Made Ofhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-century-ago-pioneering-astrophysicist-cecilia-payne-gaposchkin-showed-us-what-stars-are-made-of-180986193/The trailblazing Harvard scientist, who documented the dominance of hydrogen and helium in stars, is still inspiring researchers todayWed, 19 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-century-ago-pioneering-astrophysicist-cecilia-payne-gaposchkin-showed-us-what-stars-are-made-of-180986193/The Talented and Valiant Female Surgeon Who Joined Allied Forces in WWII and Broke Barriers Along the Wayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/talented-valiant-female-surgeon-joined-allied-forces-wwii-broke-barriers-along-way-180985952/Prohibited from serving with the U.S. Army as a medical officer, Barbara Stimson was commissioned by the British—and helped open the American military to female doctorsThu, 13 Feb 2025 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/talented-valiant-female-surgeon-joined-allied-forces-wwii-broke-barriers-along-way-180985952/