Top 10 Incredible Facts about Lise Meitner

A photo of Lise Meitner by Briggs, C.A – Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Incredible Facts about Lise Meitner

Lise Meitner was a distinguished physicist who made significant contributions to nuclear physics and radioactivity fields. She was born in Vienna in 1878 and received her doctoral degree in physics from the University of Vienna, where she was the second woman to do so. Throughout her career, Meitner worked with some of the most renowned scientists of the time, including Max Planck and Ernest Rutherford.

Her most notable achievement was her work on the discovery of nuclear fission, a process by which the nucleus of an atom is divided into two smaller nuclei. This work, which she conducted in collaboration with her colleague Otto Hahn, provided the foundation for the development of nuclear energy and the atomic bomb. Despite her important contributions to science, Meitner was often overlooked and not awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, which was given to Hahn.

1. Meitner Receives Undergraduate and Doctoral Degrees in Physics from the University of Vienna

Lise Meitner received her undergraduate degree in physics from the esteemed University of Vienna in 1901, and subsequently earned her doctoral degree in 1906, becoming the second woman to do so.

Following her education, Meitner worked alongside some of the most revered scientists of the time, including Max Planck and Ernest Rutherford. She is renowned for her work on the discovery of nuclear fission, a process by which the nucleus of an atom is divided into two smaller nuclei.

This work, which she conducted in conjunction with her colleague Otto Hahn, formed the basis for the development of nuclear energy and the atomic bomb. Despite the significance of her contributions to science, Meitner was frequently overlooked and not awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, which was given to Hahn.

2. She was the second woman to earn a doctorate in physics from the University of Vienna

Lise Meitner was the second woman to attain a doctoral degree in physics from the prestigious University of Vienna, having received her undergraduate degree in 1901 and her doctorate in 1906. After completing her education, Meitner was fortunate enough to work with some of the most esteemed scientists of her time, including Max Planck and Ernest Rutherford.

She is renowned for her work on the discovery of nuclear fission, a process by which the nucleus of an atom is divided into two smaller nuclei. This work, which she conducted in conjunction with her colleague Otto Hahn, formed the basis for the development of nuclear energy and the atomic bomb.

3. Meitner worked with some of the most renowned scientists of her time

Lise Meitner had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most distinguished scientists of her era, including Max Planck, Otto Hahn, Niels Bohr, and Albert Einstein. Each of these individuals made significant contributions to their respective fields, and their expertise and insights proved invaluable to Meitner as she pursued her research endeavours in the realm of radioactivity and nuclear physics.

Max Planck, a German physicist, is widely credited as the founder of quantum theory, while Otto Hahn, a German chemist, is renowned for his work on nuclear fission. Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist, was a pioneering figure in the development of quantum mechanics, and Albert Einstein, a German-born physicist, is widely considered one of the most brilliant scientists in history. Meitner’s collaboration with these individuals greatly influenced her research and contributed to her lasting legacy in the field of physics.

4. Meitner Escaped Nazi-Occupied Austria and Continues Scientific Research in Sweden

Lise Meitner fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and eventually settled in Sweden, where she continued her scientific research. Lise Meitner was a member of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin, the Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Meitner received her undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Vienna in 1901 and her doctoral degree in 1906.

Meitner was offered a place to work in Sweden by a colleague, but the offer did not include any funding. Eva von Bahr was able to provide funding from the Nobel Foundation, but this only provided Meitner with laboratory space and she had to perform work that she had previously delegated to technicians.

5. Refugee Meitner’s Struggles and Regrets in Sweden during WWI

Lise Meitner’s brother-in-law, Jutz, was able to escape the confines of the Dachau concentration camp and emigrate to Sweden with his wife, Gusti, due to the efforts of Niels Bohr and Justitieråd Alexandersson. Meitner’s sister Gisela and her husband, Karl Lion, also sought refuge in England.

Meitner herself had accepted an offer to work at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, but the onset of World War II prevented her from relocating. Meitner was able to assist her colleague, Hedwig Kohn, who faced deportation to Poland, in finding refuge in Sweden and eventually emigrating to the United States.

Though Meitner was unable to secure the escape of Stefen Meyer, he was fortunate enough to survive the war. Meitner declined an invitation to participate in the Manhattan Project at the Los Alamos Laboratory and later expressed remorse over the creation and deployment of the atomic bomb.

She also acknowledged her moral failing in remaining in Germany from 1933 to 1938 and expressed regret for the inaction of her colleagues, including Hahn, von Laue, and Heisenberg, in actively opposing the oppressive Nazi regime.

6. Albert Einstein recognized Meitner

Albert Einstein praised Meitner as the “German Marie Curie” and recognized her contributions to the field of science. In 1946, she received the honour “Woman of the Year” from the National Press Club and had dinner with the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, at the Women’s National Press Club.

7. Meitner received numerous awards and honours throughout her career

Meitner received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Leibniz Medal from the Prussian Academy of Sciences in 1924, the Lieben Prize from the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 1925, and the Ellen Richards Prize in 1928. In 1947, she was awarded the City of Vienna Prize for Science, and in 1949, she received the Max Planck Medal of the German Physical Society.

Meitner was also honoured with the Otto Hahn Prize of the German Chemical Society in 1954, the Wilhelm Exner Medal in 1960, and the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art in 1967. In 1957, she was awarded the Pour le Mérite (peace class) by the President of Germany. Meitner was made a Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1945, and a full member in 1951.

In 1955, she was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, and in 1960, she was made a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition, Meitner received several honorary doctorates, including ones from Adelphi College, the University of Rochester, Rutgers University, and Smith College in the United States, the Free University of Berlin in Germany, and the University of Stockholm in Sweden.

8. She was the greatest of all time when it came to Chemistry and Physics

Meitner was a well-respected scientist who was recognized for her contributions to the field of chemistry and physics. During her career, she has nominated for the Nobel Prize in both of these fields a total of 19 and 29 times, respectively, between the years 1924 and 1965. This demonstrates the high regard in which her peers and the scientific community held her work and achievements.

9. Meitner was a trailblazer in the field of physics

Her achievement of becoming a full professor of physics in Germany was a significant milestone for women in science. This honour recognized her exceptional skills and contributions to the field and demonstrated that she was a highly respected and accomplished physicist.

10. Why is Meitner regarded to be an Austrian-Swedish?

Lise Meitner was a physicist who spent much of her career in Berlin, Germany, where she was a professor and department head at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. She was the first woman to become a full professor of physics in Germany but lost her position in the 1930s due to the anti-Jewish Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany.

In 1938, she fled to Sweden, where she lived for many years and eventually became a Swedish citizen. Meitner was known for her work on radioactivity and nuclear physics, including the discovery of the Auger effect and her contributions to the understanding of nuclear fission. However, she was not awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work, which was given exclusively to her collaborator, Otto Hahn.