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Ann Kennedy Smith's avatar

A lovely piece and how nice to be reminded that Mary Somerville was, in a way, the first scientist - and that as a mocking term became respectable, women scientists were edged out. I reviewed Susannah Gibson's The Spirit of Inquiry for the TLS and she was good on this too.

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Paul Craddock's avatar

Thank you so much! Susannah Gibson looks like a great recommendation, too – looking forward to having a gander at that.

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Julie Cassan's avatar

Great read, thanks for sharing, Paul!

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Paul Craddock's avatar

Thanks Julie, so happy to hear from a fellow historian on Substack!

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Ally Barrow's avatar

Love this, at last someone has answered the age old question: “what came first, science or the scientist”?

I’m now off to find a scientist so I can tell them their job is joke...

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