Hi friends, today we are talking about Ellen Richards, the mother of modern hygiene, if you will. Yes, apparently until 1890, Americans and the world were living in filth, until Ellen and her power women at MIT came along, analyzing food and water for environmental and intentional contaminants. She made some amazing contributions to human society, however she was not perfect. Her world view was tainted by the racism of her time. We think it is still important to talk about her, while pointing out her imperfections. We hope you'll enjoy!

References 

https://nautil.us/issue/46/balance/the-woman-who-gave-us-the-science-of-normal-life

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/women-scientists/ellen-h-swallow-richards.html

https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/ellen-h-swallow-richards

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/first-female-student-mit-started-women-chemistry-lab-food-safety-180971056/