{"id":635,"date":"2021-10-12T11:28:35","date_gmt":"2021-10-12T10:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/physics\/?p=635"},"modified":"2021-10-13T13:14:54","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T12:14:54","slug":"ada-lovelace-day-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/physics\/2021\/10\/12\/ada-lovelace-day-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Ada Lovelace Day 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) is an international celebration of the achievements of women in STEM<\/a> (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths). It aims to increase the profile of women in STEM and, in doing so, create new role models who will encourage more girls into STEM careers, and support women already working in STEM. It was founded in 2009 by Suw Charman-Anderson.<\/em><\/p>\n

Held every year on the second Tuesday of October, it’s an ideal opportunity for us to celebrate our own staff and students from across the Department as we welcome the achievements of all genders and pioneers in science and STEM subjects.<\/p>\n

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Ada Lovelace (1815-1852),was an English mathematician and writer, who is perhaps best known for her role in (early) computer science, working alongside the scientist Charles Babbage on his proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine<\/a>. Lovelace became interested in Babbage\u2019s machines when she was introduced to him by their mutual friend, author Mary Somerville<\/a> (a scientific writer of note herself).<\/p>\n

Lovelace was the first person to recognise that such a computer could have applications beyond calculation, and is believed to have published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine. Lovelace is one of the first computer programmers in history, and is often regarded as the first to recognise the full potential of computers.<\/p>\n

“It is thanks to the efforts of pioneers like Ada Lovelace that women today can tackle big scientific questions just as well as the men do! In my research I seek to understand how stars form in our galaxy using massive simulations on supercomputers. These simulations use our knowledge of physical forces to investigate how gas is gathered into clouds of molecular gas which then fragment into filaments along which stars form like beads on strings. Ada was one of the founders of computing and such work would never have been possible without her early efforts.”<\/em><\/span>
\nRowan Smith, STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellow.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Today we celebrate her contribution. Not only because of her influence in STEM subjects back in the 19th Century (and through to the current day), but also because her passion for science and technological vision of the future is one to aspire to. And here at the Department of Physics & Astronomy we are celebrating the contribution of our staff and students by asking them about the scientists who have inspired them. We asked them three questions:<\/p>\n