Chien-Shiung Wu, often hailed as the “First Lady of Physics,” was a pioneering Chinese-American physicist whose experimental work profoundly influenced our understanding of nuclear physics. Born on May 31, 1912, in Liuhe, China, she was the middle child in a family that valued education. Her father, Zhong-Yi Wu, an engineer, founded one of China’s first girls’ schools, which she attended, fostering her early passion for science.
In 1934, Wu graduated at the top of her class from National Central University in Nanking with a degree in physics. She then pursued advanced studies in the United States, enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her Ph.D. in physics in 1940. Her doctoral research focused on uranium isotopes’ fission products, a topic of significant importance during that era.
During World War II, Wu joined the Manhattan Project at Columbia University, contributing to the development of the atomic bomb. Her expertise in experimental physics was instrumental in resolving critical issues related to uranium enrichment and radiation detection.
One of Wu’s most notable achievements was her 1956 experiment that disproved the conservation of parity in weak interactions. Physicists Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang had proposed that certain subatomic processes might violate parity symmetry – a fundamental concept suggesting that the laws of physics are the same in a mirror image. Wu’s meticulous experiments with cobalt-60 provided the first confirmation of this theory, revolutionizing particle physics.
Despite the significance of her experimental work, the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded solely to Lee and Yang for their theoretical contributions, excluding Wu. This oversight has been a point of contention, with many arguing that her exclusion reflects the gender biases prevalent in the scientific community at the time.
Throughout her career, Wu received numerous accolades, including the inaugural Wolf Prize in Physics in 1978. She was also a staunch advocate for gender equality in science, encouraging women to pursue careers in scientific fields despite societal barriers. Wu’s legacy continues to inspire future generations of physicists, highlighting the critical role of experimental validation in scientific discovery.
Wu passed away on February 16, 1997, in New York City, leaving behind a legacy of scientific excellence and advocacy for women in science. Tsai-Chien Chiang wrote a biography about her called ”Madame Wu Chien-Shiung: The First Lady of Physics Research”, if you are interested in finding out more.