The Inventing HerStory podcast
Episodes
Melitta Benz - Pour Some Coffee On Me
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tired of bitter coffee grounds ruining your morning brew? So was Melitta Benz—and she decided to do something about it! Using a simple piece of blot...
Sameera Moussa - Peace, Power, and Particles
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered how one scientist could turn something as dangerous as radiation into a tool for healing? This week, we’re diving into the li...
Lillian Moller Gilbreth - She Can Bake Her Cake (And Have Time To Eat It Too!)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered who made your kitchen so efficient—or why your oven, sink, and fridge are placed just so? This week, we’re stepping into th...
Inge Lehmann - Journey to the (Solid) Center of the Earth
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Think of the layers of the Earth as an onion, a slice of cake, or better yet, a Ferrero Rocher; a chocolate with a wafer outer crust, a creamy filling...
Marie Tharp - Drifters vs. Mobilists: The Discovery of Continental Drift
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever looked at a world map and wondered HOW did the continents end up where they currently are, oceans apart? This week we’re diving deep—...
Cecilia Payne - Shine Bright Like A-Type Stars
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that the stars in the night sky are mostly made of hydrogen and helium? You can thank Cecilia Payne for that groundbreaking discovery! De...
Lizzie Magie - The Monopoly Drama
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that Lizzie Magie is the true inventor of Monopoly? Well, technically, she invented and patented The Landlord's Game, a board game i...
Maria E. Beasley - "Barrel-Loads" of Money (Wink, Wink!)
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Earning both public recognition for her inventions and making "barrel-loads" of money (wink, wink!), Maria E. Beasley was an inventor extrao...
Eva Ekeblad - Popularizing the Potato
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eva Ekeblad, also known as the "potato pioneer", was (one of) the first female chemists in Sweden. She experimented with using potatoes in m...
Jeanne Villepreux-Power - Dawning of the Age of "Aquariums"
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Known as the "Mother of Aquariophily," Jeanne Villepreux-Power invented the aquarium, allowing for groundbreaking studies of marine life in ...
Judith Love Cohen - Fly Me To The Moon (And Back)
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Not only the mother of a famous Hollywood star, Judith Love Cohen was working on stars....or at least as an electrical engineer working for a supplier...
Maria Esperanza Martinez-Romero - Farming Using Bacteria, Not Fertilizers
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Using bacteria to give nutrients to crops rather than fertilizers, Maria Esperanza Martinez-Romero is making big steps toward creating sustainable far...
Hedy Lamarr - More Than a Movie Star; An Inventor!
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From her dazzling career as a Hollywood actress to her contributions to wireless communication, Hedy Lamarr's brilliance extended far beyond the ...
Alice Hamilton - The Original Toxic Avenger
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder how those rules about safety, such as wearing lab coats and gloves, came to exist? We have Alice Hamilton to thank for our safety at work!...
Pratibha Gai - Seeing the Unseen: A Microscopic Marvel
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the nanoscale revolution, Dr. Dame Pratibha Gai not only studied chemical reactions at the nanoscale, but she co-invented the atomic resolution...
Zale Parry - Making a Splash, Scuba Style
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the underwater world of scuba diving, which is a profession still heavily dominated by men, Zale Parry made a splash in a big way in the 1950'...
Jeanne Baret - A Voyage of (Plant) Discovery
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A little-known botanist who was also the first woman to circumnavigate the world, Jeanne Baret made a splash with her plant discoveries and her outlan...
Chien-Shiung Wu - The Spin Doctor of Physics
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nicknamed the First Lady of Physics and the Chinese Madame Curie, Chien-Shiung Wu was THE world's top experimental physicist for decades. Most fr...
Mary Anning - Rocking the Fossil World, One Dino at a Time
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the same time as the field of palaeontology was being invented, Mary Anning was knee deep in mud, uncovering new dinosaur fossils. Although she was...
Maria Montessori - Learning with A Twist
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard of Montessori schools but never knew about Maria Montessori, the inventor behind the Montessori method? Then you aren't alone! Ori...
Valerie L. Thomas - The Illusion Transmitter That’s No Trick
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Holograms are not just part of science fiction, but they actually exist thanks to Valerie Thomas! As part of her work with NASA, Valerie invented the ...
Elsie Widdowson - Food For Thought
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Instrumental in developing a rationing diet for British civilians during World War 2, Elsie Widdowson is a pioneer in the field of nutrition science. ...
Ada Lovelace - From Poetic to Programmatic
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Credited with writing the first computer program in 1843 (over 100 years before the first modern computers were even invented!) Ada Lovelace was a bri...