Today marks Ada Lovelace Day, the annual event that celebrates the achievements of women in science and tech.
Founded back in 2009, the day was inspired by Ada Lovelace who is considered the first person to ever write a computer program back in the 19th Century.
Whilst Ada Lovelace Day is about Ada, it’s also an opportunity to think about the women breaking ground in STEM now and who are inspiring us every single day.
This is no easy feat: just two weeks ago, a male physicist at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) said that physics was “invented and built by men” and, therefore, not suitable for women.
He also said that women were only welcome in science if they proved themselves enough to win a Nobel Prize, despite not having won one himself. He has since been suspended.
It’s frankly unbelievable that we are still having this debate over whether there is enough room in science, or tech, or maths, or engineering, for women.
In honour of Ada Lovelace Day, let’s forget the detractors concentrate on just a handful of incredible women doing amazing things in science.