Traces of female genius: scientists between past and present

At the Giovanni Poleni Museum a thematic itinerary dedicated to the contribution of women in the history of physics, including scientific instruments, memory and reflection on the present. The appointment is at 6 pm, on two different dates: 9 July and 2 September.

The history of physics is often told through big names, theories, and discoveries. But how many women find space in this story? And how many, despite having observed, calculated, experimented and contributed to the development of science, have remained on the margins or have been recognized only belatedly?

Starting from these questions, the thematic visit "Traces of female genius: female scientists between past and present" was born, proposed at the Giovanni Poleni Museum. The itinerary starts from the scientific instruments preserved in the museum to accompany the public on a journey through physics, memory and female genius, to discover well-known and lesser-known scholars who, in different eras, have contributed to the knowledge of the physical world, often confronting social, cultural and institutional obstacles.

The Museum's tools thus become starting points for telling stories and paths of women in science. The sixteenth-century astrolabe, for example, offers the opportunity to reflect on the figure of Al-ʿIjliyya, builder of astrolabes in Baghdad in the tenth century. The instruments of the eighteenth century, on the other hand, allow us to recall the events of Laura Bassi, the first professor of physics in Bologna, and Émilie du Châtelet, who translated Newton's Principia , introducing the most advanced mathematical knowledge of her time.

The visit also offers a reflection on the importance of contributions that, although not always coinciding with great discoveries, have played a significant role in the development of science as well as being an opportunity to deepen the case of Italian academies, among the few in Europe to welcome women between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The itinerary does not intend to build a simple gallery of exceptional figures, but to invite us to observe science from a broader perspective. Behind every tool there is not only a technical story: there are people, institutions, opportunities offered and opportunities denied. Questioning who was able to do science also means reflecting on who was excluded.

Between past and present, the visit therefore offers an opportunity to discover the heritage of the Poleni Museum and, at the same time, to discuss the role of women in science: what has been forgotten, what has been recognized too late and the questions that still remain open today.

The Giovanni Poleni Museum originates from the Physics Cabinet started in Padova in 1739 by Giovanni Poleni, a scientist of European fame. His collections, which include instruments from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, document the development of scientific thought and technology, ranging from astronomy to mechanics, from pneumatics to electricity, up to the first X-rays and instruments for the study of cosmic rays.

The cost of the guided tour is 3 euros including the booking fee. Places are limited and online booking is mandatory.