ScienceBrunch

After leading the United States' successful scientific effort to become the first nation to develop the atomic bomb, Robert Oppenheimer spent the rest of his life advocating for international arms control.

German mathematician Emmy Noether came up with theorems to elegantly describe the workings of the universe.

Persian mathematician and astronomer Omar Khayyam created a calendar that lasted 1000 years, but the Western world only remembers him for his depressing poetry.

Yvonne Brill was a brilliant rocket scientist whose work made modern satellite and spacecraft missions possible. However, most people only know about her because of one terribly sexist obituary.

Jacques Cousteau started out as a bit of a careless sea explorer, but became a conscientious conservationist and revered science communicator.

In her time, Mary Anning was known as the go-to person if you wanted an interesting fossil from the Jurassic period. But the most many people know about her is the tongue-twister she inspired, not her contributions to paleontology or even her name.

Things computer scientist and US Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper kept in her purse: wallet, tissues, lip balm, and a bundle of nanoseconds.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal is considered the "father of modern neuroscience" for his study and illustration of neurons -- work for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize.

Sara Josephine Baker saved hundreds of thousands of infant lives with a basic concept: start treating them BEFORE they start dying. Revolutionary!

Nikola Tesla was a great inventor overflowing with amazing ideas, but he wasn't very successful in business.