Lise Meitner, born on November 7, 1878, in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most remarkable figures in the history of science. Though often overlooked during her lifetime and even in modern scientific history, her contributions to physics, particularly in nuclear fission, were groundbreaking. Meitner was a pioneering physicist who worked at the heart of early atomic research, yet she faced both institutional challenges and societal barriers because of her gender. Despite these obstacles, her work has had a lasting impact on the scientific community, and her legacy as one of the most influential women in the history of physics is finally being acknowledged.

Early Life and Education

Lise Meitner was born into a Jewish family in Vienna. Her father was a lawyer, and her mother came from a family of intellectuals. Early on, Meitner showed an aptitude for science, particularly in the fields of mathematics and physics. She attended the University of Vienna, where she studied physics, earning her doctorate in 1906 under the supervision of Professor Max von Laue, who would later go on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.

At that time, opportunities for women in science were extremely limited, especially in higher education and research. Despite these challenges, Meitner persisted in her studies, and after completing her doctorate, she continued to build on her education by working at the University of Berlin. It was here that she began her lifelong association with the famous chemist Otto Hahn.

The Collaboration with Otto Hahn

Meitner's most significant and fruitful partnership was with Otto Hahn, a prominent German chemist. In 1917, Meitner and Hahn began collaborating on nuclear research, and together, they explored the properties of various radioactive elements, including the study of uranium. Over the next few decades, they worked closely on unraveling the mysteries of radioactive decay, which laid the foundation for much of their later work in nuclear physics.

One of the most pivotal moments in their collaboration came in 1934 when Meitner and Hahn jointly discovered the element protactinium, which is essential for the study of nuclear chemistry. Their teamwork was incredibly productive, with Meitner often contributing her theoretical knowledge and Hahn conducting the experimental work. This synergy between theory and experiment was one of the key elements of their successful partnership. shutdown123