Richard Feynman was arguably the second best known physicist after Einstein. But she is not the only distinguished scientist in the Feynman family.
Born in 1927, Joan Feynman grew up in Queens, New York, alongside her older brother Richard. He would become Joan’s first teacher and someone who helped develop her curious nature, believing her capable of learning all the math and science he could teach her. She would try to solve math problems for the unique reward of getting to pull her brother’s hair and serving as his “lab assistant” at the age of five. For her fourteenth birthday, Richard gave Feynman a copy of Astronomy by Rebecca Horace Baker, a college-level physics text, which both taught her about physics and what was possible. Feynman credited it for proving to her that women could indeed have a career doing science.
Feynman would go on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, before she attended Syracuse University, studying condensed matter theory and earning a PhD in 1958. By 1960, Feynman was married with two children and she decided to take a break from physics to take on the role of homemaker.
The break was short-lived, as Feynman grew depressed from keeping a home and caring for two small children. In 1962, at the advice of a psychologist, she went in search of employment, securing three job offers at multiple institutes. At Lamont, where she worked part-time, Feynman began her research into Earth’s magnetosphere, identifying its shape.
Over the course of her career, Feynman made many breakthroughs in furthering the understanding of solar wind and its interaction with the Earth’s magnetosphere. As author or co-author of more than 185 papers, Feynman’s research accomplishments range from discovering the shape of the Earth’s magnetosphere to identifying the origin of auroras. In 1974, she would become the first woman ever elected as an officer of the American Geophysical Union, and in 2000 she was awarded NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.
“Joan Feynman leaves a wealth of scientific accomplishments, having made important contributions,” said APS CEO Kate Kirby. “Despite being discouraged to pursue science by social expectations, she persevered, and her accomplishments serve as an inspiration to women who wish to pursue a career in science.”
【小题1】How did Richard influence Joan?| A．By preparing her for subjects in college. |
| B．By introducing her to the world of science. |
| C．By teaching her the importance of astronomy. |
| D．By offering her a job serving as his lab assistant. |
| A．All women scientists have benefited from Joan’s inspiration. |
| B．In Joan’s time women were encouraged to become scientists. |
| C．Pursuing scientific goals contributed to Joan’s psychological well-being. |
| D．As her first teacher, Richard designed Joan’s career path as an astronomer. |
| A．Successful and wealthy. | B．Optimistic and hardworking. |
| C．Popular and ambitious. | D．Productive and acknowledged. |
| A．Joan Feynman: Survivor of Depression |
| B．Joan Feynman: Sister of Richard Feynman |
| C．Joan Feynman: The Lesser-known Feynman |
| D．Joan Feynman: The Most Successful Woman Scientist |
