The Queen of Physics: Chien-Shiung Wu
Chien-Shiung Wu: an unstoppable powerhouse in her study, even being referred to as the “First Lady of Physics”
Chien-Shiung Wu in a laboratory at Columbia University in 1958. Getty Images.
Written by Julia Cao
Today, Chien-Shiung Wu, a truly unstoppable powerhouse in her study, is referred to as the “First Lady of Physics”. She was crucial to certain areas of physics and was a pioneering figure in her field. She proved many wrong in her time in a time when she was usually looked down upon as a female Chinese immigrant. Her accomplishments will never be forgotten, and her studies are still used to this day.
Chien-Shiung Wu was born on May 31st, 1912. She went to a vocational school in Shanghai, which was uncommon for her time. Her father believed girls should be able to get an education as well, which she would carry on with her later in her future. He would encourage her to keep studying even in a time where most disagreed with women in schools. With her early education, she was able to get into Nanjing University. It was especially rare for girls to pursue secondary education, but she persevered. Upon graduating, Wu worked with Dr. Jing-Wei Gu, her mentor, who showed kindness to her as they were both women studying in the field of physics. Dr. Gu was the one who first told Wu to study physics in the United States.
Chien-Shiung Wu shown with a "Dr. Brode" and a group of Science Talent Search winners, 1958. Smithsonian Institution Archives.
When she came to the United States, there was hatred against Asians due to the recent Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite all of this, Chien-Shiung Wu kept working hard and attended the University of California Berkeley. Ernest Lawrence, who received a Nobel Prize in physics, took her under his wing. With his support and her work ethic, Wu was able to complete her PhD in physics. Shortly after, she married Luke Yuan, also a physicist.
Unfortunately Chien-Shiung was not able to find a job at a university. It may have been fate though, as this made her become the first woman to be a physics instructor at Princeton University. After getting a job at Columbia University, she went to join the Manhattan project, where she would make some major discoveries.
During her time on the Manhattan Project, she put her time into researching radiation detectors. When the B Reactor in Hanford shut down, Chien-Shiung was ready. She knew Xenon-135 was the perpetrator. Wu became a real professor in 1959, and her pay was raised equal to a man. That was extremely rare in a time of sexism and anti-Asian sentiment combined. Chien-Shiung had other significant contributions to physics, such as proving Tsung Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang’s theory relating to beta decay. They wanted her to test that the conservation of parity did not relate during beta decay. She was able to test the theory, proving that particles will not always act the same. Lee and Yang earned a Nobel Prize for their theory, but Chien-Shiung Wu was left in the dark and not given anything – a trend observed commonly for women in STEM fields.
Chien-Shiung Wu receiving the National Medal of Science. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum.
Wu kept on leading and studying physics, even helping the field of medicine. She researched to answer significant questions about sickle-cell disease. She was able to see changes in red blood cells that caused the horrible sickness.
Unfairly, Dr. Wu was never given the Nobel Prize in Physics. However, she recovered many other forms of awards and recognition in her time. People saw her as one of the greatest scientists ever. She defied norms of society and proved how intelligent she truly was, and inspired many other physicists to defy societal norms as well. Chien-Shiung was the first female president in the American Physical Society, the seventh woman to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and the first honorary doctorate given by Princeton to a woman. Wu even had an asteroid named after her, called the 2752 Wu Chien-Shiung.
She died on February 16, 1997. At death, she was able to return to her humble beginnings at the vocational school her father pushed her to go to.
Sources
“Biography: Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu.” National Women’s History Museum, 2023, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/dr-chien-shiung-wu. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
“Chien-Shiung Wu - Nuclear Museum.” Nuclear Museum, 2022, ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/chien-shiung-wu/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
“Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, the First Lady of Physics (U.S. National Park Service).” Nps.gov, 2013, www.nps.gov/people/dr-chien-shiung-wu-the-first-lady-of-physics.htm. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
