Mac at St Georges Hall-a night to forget.

[Dr Evil]

Rosalind Franklin helped to discover the structure of DNA using X-Ray crystallography.
Not a trivial or girly discovery by any means. But she was too cautious to claim the structure was spiral, so the men got the Nobel prize.
Lot's of girl geniuses seem to be called Rosalind. I like women, except for the small minority of bitches, who should of course be at home cooking and washing up.

[In The Margins]

In any case, I'm not sure which trade name it was that she invented it under since it's been presented as both Liquid Paper and White Out. I love the tape version of it since it doesn't have to actually dry. Brilliant person who came up with that idea.

Actually Wite-Out and Liquid Paper, while similar, are two different products from different manufacturers (BIC and Sanford). I prefer Liquid Paper in their pen format (which sadly has been discontinued) -- better coverage and little drying time. The tape version is hard to work with, in my opinion, but it is better than the bottle.

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf686175.tip.html

[JackT]

Not a trivial or girly discovery by any means.

Or an invention.

[JackT]

Mac: Women have never invented anything thing of consequence.

Outraged Enlightened Feminist: How dare you Sir! I will have none of your sexist tirades! I will have you know that a women nearly discovered the double helix. Not an invention, but still! And a women invented Liquid Paper, which is totally different than White-Out! Also you are apparently forgetting a little something known as "fireplace damping tool."

[bluegrace]

It's a man's world, but here's just some of the things invented by women:

polonium, kevlar, windshield wipers, Scotchgard, Geobond, COBOL computer language, fireplace dampening tool, laser eye surgery, Apgar score, non-reflective glass, Nystatin, petroleum refining, dishwasher, maritime signal flares, reflection hologram,CPR mannequin, catheter, human stem cell isolation, vacuum canned food preservation, improved gas heating furnace, illusion transmitter, disposable diapers, disposable cell phone, and last but not least, Hedy Lammar's secret military (wireless) communication system used during WWII.

Thanks for that, Jane. There are heaps and heaps of things invented by women, for instance a whole new water bag that uses sunshine to clear the water and make it drinkable within hours. The woman who invented it is Swedish and it is already a huge success in areas where pure drinking water is a luxury – no more. Here: http://www.solvatten.se/

[Voodoo Billy]

Thanks for that, Jane. There are heaps and heaps of things invented by women, for instance a whole new water bag that uses sunshine to clear the water and make it drinkable within hours. The women who invented it is Swedish and it is already a huge success in areas where pure drinking water is a luxury – no more.

Maybe so, but I can't recall of any stories of a woman turning it into wine.

[bluegrace]

As for Rosalind Franklin she DID discover the helix in DNA, but the other two MALE scientists stole her work behind her back and were then the first to publish it in a paper, therefore getting all the credit for it and wrongfully so, she should have received the Nobel prize.

All it takes is a little research about the helix and DNA, here for instance: http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/B ... anklin.php

[JackT]

As for Rosalind Franklin she DID discover the helix in DNA,

No she didn't, she provided critical data that others used to determine the structure, after which she was subsequently denied proper credit. Indeed she should have been a co-recipient of the Nobel.

But this is beside the point, as Mac never said there were no great women scientists. Nor did he say no women ever invented anything. He made an assertion about the quantity of significant inventions by women. (The structure of DNA is not invention, nor is the existence of the element Polonium.)

The very fact that we have to Google "women inventors" and come up with a list that includes "windshield wipers", "disposable diapers", and "the dishwasher", essentially validates Mac's assertion, IMO.

[In The Margins]

The very fact that we have to Google "women inventors" and come up with a list that includes "windshield wipers", "disposable diapers", and "the dishwasher", essentially validates Mac's assertion, IMO.

So you're sexist too?

Women invented the fake orgasm. That's significant enough for me.

[JackT]

Kevlar would have to be considered a pretty major invention.

[Mr.Sparkle]

Jack, I can't believe you're defending Mac's comments! First, why are people taking his comments seriously? He was obviously either joking, or he's crazy and delusional. Or both.

[fat cherry]

watson & crick put together information from several sources in deducing the structure, none of it stolen, all published I think, or at least in the public domain. their paper on the structure was published in Nature in april 1953 and was accompanied by a paper by Wilkins, who shared the prize, (co-authored with his colleagues - Stokes and Wilson), and another paper by Franklin and Gosling. I htink watson & crick are remembered more than wilkins because Watson was a much more gregarious self publicist - and I mean that in a good way, but read his book, the double helix for yourself. By the time the nobel prize was awarded franklin was dead and prizes aren'r awarded posthumously. Its obviously a moo point (as joey from friends would say) whether franklin would have shared the prize but wilkins did so there youy go. but no, not an invention as such.

But if mac, or anyone says stuff like this (re inventions and women), then it says more about him tha anything about the way of the world. Tosser springs to mind, but just maybe, not as clever as I perhaps thought he might be would do just as well.

[bluegrace]

I couldn't care less if Ian said something about women scientists and/or inventions or not. What does he know? No idea.

The topic in itself is highly interesting though, women inventors. And you might find that the definition of what is a "great invention" differs regarding to whom you are speaking to.

Somehow I have a feeling the people who in an instant can get pure drinking water thanks to a Swedish woman's invention consider it some kind of a miracle. And isn't that worth something? HELL YES.

[insanejane]

Jack, I can't believe you're defending Mac's comments! First, why are people taking his comments seriously? He was obviously either joking, or he's crazy and delusional. Or both.

Mac needs to retire..... NOW, or maybe start touring with Whitney Houston.

[insanejane]

I couldn't care less if Ian said something about women scientists and/or inventions or not. What does he know? No idea.

The topic in itself is highly interesting though, women inventors. And you might find that the definition of what is a "great invention" differs regarding to whom you are speaking to.

Somehow I have a feeling the people who in an instant can get pure drinking water thanks to a Swedish woman's invention consider it some kind of a miracle. And isn't that worth something? HELL YES.

Would be great for Haiti! : )