Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell, born on July 15, 1943 in Belfast, is a British astrophysicist whose discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe. In 1967, while she was a doctoral student at Cambridge University, she detected the first pulsar, a discovery that would win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974… but not for her.
In November 1967, Jocelyn Bell notices an unusual signal in the data from the radio telescope she had herself helped build. This pulsed signal, extremely regular, came from a fixed point in the sky. Initially nicknamed "LGM-1", it turned out to be the very first pulsar ever detected.
Pulsars are ultra-fast rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation. Her discovery opened a new field of study in astrophysics.
What is a pulsar?
In 1974, the Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to Antony Hewish and Martin Ryle. Jocelyn Bell, despite being the origin of the discovery of pulsars, is excluded from this recognition.
This case became an example of the Matilda Effect: the minimization of the contributions of female scientists. Several scientists criticized this decision.
"The Nobel Prize is given for scientific leadership and not for the discovery itself."
Despite this injustice, Jocelyn Bell Burnell pursued a brilliant career. In 2018, she receives the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (3 million dollars) and donates the entire amount to create scholarships.
Her story continues to inspire and reminds us of the importance of fairly recognizing the contributions of all researchers.
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