WIQD Book Spotlight with Prof. Margriet van der Heijden: “Women in the History of Quantum Physics: Beyond Knabenphysik”

At WIQD (We in Quantum Development), our aim is to make the quantum ecosystem a space where everybody feels that they belong. Part of this is sharing impactful, but often overlooked, stories. On the 22nd of October, our WIQD Book Spotlight featured Margriet van der Heijden, Professor of Science Communication in Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology. As co-author, she shared insights on her book “Women in the History of Quantum Physics: Beyond Knabenphysik.” Van der Heijden explained: 

“Despite this [quantum] being a male-dominated enterprise, women have always been present in physics, and thus also in quantum physics…With our book, we wanted to create a more realistic history of quantum physics.”

Knabenphysik

The session was kicked off with a presentation on some of the contributions of women scientists to the development of quantum theory. Van der Heijden explained the limitations women in STEM were confronted with, from university-bans to the undervaluation of their work. Van der Heijden pointed to the underlying stereotypes and expectations that shaped – and continue to shape – the challenges women in quantum face:

“The term ‘Knabenphysik’ became an emblem for a small and heroic group of young, brilliant, competing and collaborating physicists, all men, who developed quantum mechanics…and such heroic tales emphasized and perpetuated the idea that you needed an innate talent to contribute to quantum physics, and that this inherent talent is a masculine trait.”

“Heroic stories overshadow the contributions of experimentalists, technicians, teachers and mentors, who were also crucial in making the quantum revolution possible.”

Most of all, they overshadow the stories of women, except for a few who were, in a sense, the exception to the rule. In her book, van der Heijden wanted to avoid focusing on these well-known, highly visible women, such as Marie Curie and Lise Meitner and show that many more women have always been involved in the development of quantum physics.

Looking to the future

At the end of the session, we opened the space for questions and discussion. We reflected on current issues and possible solutions, such as paying attention to continuous backlash women face, supporting women in precarious positions in academia, and the importance of men as allies. We also reflected on the role of Artificial Intelligence in reinforcing gendered biases in quantum.

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