

Émilie du Châtelet - "a great man whose only fault was being a woman" - Jun8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89milie_du_Ch%C3%A2telet

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Jun8
A couple of thoughts:

* How hard it must have been for women scientists and mathematicians (the distinction was not clear until recently, both pretty much went under the name of "natural philosophy" before) and how hard-headed these women were. Maria Gaetana Agnesi, an Italian mathematician in the 16th century, "composed and delivered an hour-long speech in Latin to an academic gathering on the subject of women's right to be educated". She was 9 years old! Today she is remembered only from the curve called the "witch of Agnesi" through a mistranslation.

* How many women of such high caliber, in addition to Emilie, died early, mostly at childbirth? Mary Wollstonecraft comes to mind (and, of course, Ada Byron, who died at 36). Unbelievably, Wikipedia has an entry for this: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_who_died_in_child...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_who_died_in_childbirth)

