Overlooking female innovation in science

Women scientists have traditionally been interpreters rather than innovators according to a female American astronomer. Gina Hamilton from the University of Southern Maine believes that the accomplishments of many women scientists were either overlooked by their contemporaries, or were assumed to belong to their male collaborators. Indeed, many women scientists elected to downplay their accomplishments for social reasons, a factor that is still prevalent today says Hamilton. This modesty damages the scientific prestige of female researchers, and can also jeopardise their future career she argues (http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/physics/0001026).