Injustice in Science: The Meitner Scandal and Robert Millikan's Troubling Legacy

Perspectives on Science

What would it take to "render justice" in science? In this roundtable discussion, our panelists discuss two episodes that demonstrate how scientific credit and recognition reflect the social and political order of the times. Ruth Lewin Sime and Robert Marc Friedman discuss the "Meitner Scandal," in which the world-renowned physicist Lise Meitner was denied a Nobel Prize for her work, despite being nominated over 50 times and having been considered by many—both in her time and now—as an exemplary candidate. Michael Chwe and Peter Sachs Collopy discuss the recent reckoning with the racist and pro-eugenic beliefs of Robert A. Millikan, the former faculty member at Caltech and winner of the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physics. They discuss activism in having Millikan's name taken off of buildings at Caltech, as well as current attempts to make Caltech more inclusive and diverse. Our moderator for this panel is Susan Lindee, Professor of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and our commentator is Sue V. Rosser, Provost Emerita and Professor Emerita at San Francisco State University. Please watch a number of our panelists live on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at 12:00pm and on-demand as they discuss these issues at the 2022 AAAS Annual Meeting. The link to the AAAS Program can be found at: https://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2022/meetingapp.cgi/Session/28502 For more information on this forum and related resources, please visit: https://www.chstm.org/video/134