Inventor cards: Women of the 21st Century

Card Set: 21st-Century Female Inventors

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1. Ada Yonath (b. 1939)

Invention/Contributions: Ribosome Structure Analysis

Interesting Facts:

• Won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering the structure of ribosomes.
• Her work has advanced understanding of antibiotics and protein synthesis.

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2. Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000) (Influence into 21st Century)

Invention: Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (Wi-Fi Precursor)

Interesting Facts:

• Though her invention dates earlier, her work laid the foundation for Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.
• Recognized posthumously for her contributions to modern technology.

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3. Reshma Saujani (b. 1975)

Invention/Contributions: Founder of Girls Who Code

Interesting Facts:

• Created a nonprofit to close the gender gap in technology and engineering.
• Inspired thousands of girls worldwide to pursue careers in tech.

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4. Fei-Fei Li (b. 1976)

Invention/Contributions: ImageNet Dataset for AI

Interesting Facts:

• Developed ImageNet, which helped train artificial intelligence in visual recognition.
• Advocates for ethical AI development and diversity in tech fields.

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5. Gitanjali Rao (b. 2005)

Invention: Lead Contamination Detection Device (Tethys)

Interesting Facts:

• Won the title of Time's first "Kid of the Year" in 2020 for her innovation.
• Focuses on solving global problems like contaminated water and cyberbullying.

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6. Jennifer Doudna (b. 1964)

Invention/Contributions: CRISPR Gene Editing

Interesting Facts:

• Co-invented CRISPR technology, revolutionizing genetics and medicine.
• Won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her groundbreaking work.

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7. Mary Lou Jepsen (b. 1965)

Invention: High-Resolution MRI Technology

Interesting Facts:

• Developed innovative methods for affordable, high-resolution brain imaging.
• Previously led tech development at Google and Facebook.

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8. Rana el Kaliouby (b. 1978)

Invention/Contributions: Emotion AI Technology

Interesting Facts:

• Co-founded Affectiva, which uses AI to recognize and analyze human emotions.
• Aims to humanize technology by making machines emotionally intelligent.

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9. Katie Bouman (b. 1989)

Invention/Contributions: Algorithm for Imaging Black Holes

Interesting Facts:

• Played a key role in developing the algorithm used to capture the first image of a black hole.
• Her work is a landmark achievement in astrophysics and computational imaging.

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10. Grace Forrest (b. 1992)

Invention/Contributions: Anti-Slavery Advocacy and Technology

Interesting Facts:

• Co-founded Walk Free, a global organization using technology to combat modern slavery.
• Helped create the Global Slavery Index to track and fight human trafficking.