Today, in the section of women scientists we are going to talk about Laura Maria Caterina Bassi, better known as Laura Bassi.
Although I didn’t great discoveries Like other women we have talked about so far, Laura deserves a place in this section for her way of flatly refusing to be only mother and wife, dedicating time to these tasks, but without neglecting their professional passions.
In addition, he also stood out for his foundations both in science like in the philosophy, becoming a true specialist in both facets. All this, together with great tenure, led her to occupy unusual positions for a woman of that time.
Laura Bassi Biography
Laura Bassi I was born on Bologna, on October 31, 1711. From a very young age she proved to be a prodigy girl, reason why it did not have any type of problem to form simultaneously in mathematics, philosophy, anatomy, natural history and languages.
But undoubtedly his greatest vocation was science, so he soon began to complement his training in this matter. graduated in 1732, immediately obtaining a position of philosophy teacher at the University and becoming part of the Bologna Academy of Sciences.
However, her subsequent marriage to the physical Giuseppe Veratii, with which he had twelve children, began to awaken criticism of those who thought that I should abandon science and teaching to focus only on the work of be a mother.
Dedication to science by Laura Bassi
As I was saying, at the beginning, Laura did not stand out for her scientific findings, but I know for his way of fighting so that his work was recognized in the same way as that of a man.
The task was not easy, as he was denied easily executable activities by a male. For example, I could only do conferences low Senate permit and he was denied the possibility of working in manypublic centers, to the point that in 1749 he made the determination to open a private laboratory in his own house, where he also gave experimental physics classes. Many of his students became renowned scientists later, so little by little this center was on the lips of all the professionals in the area, who began to recognize their work as deserving.
In the meantime, it was withcharacters like Volta and Voltaire, and wrote a large number of dissertations on very diverse subjects ranging from chemistry to physics; going through mathematics, hydraulics, technology and mechanics.
Finally, after seeing how he proved his worth as active and passive, in 1776 the Bologna Senate I gave him the chair of experimental physics, although he could hardly enjoy it, since he died just two years later, leaving behind a hard path that will serve as an example to many other women, who for centuries continued to demonstrate that men and women can achieve the same work achievements, as long as they do not put their legs to us so that we stumble over and over again.
Cover image: Italoamericano
