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Explore the remarkable scientific contributions of Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, a pioneering X-ray crystallographer whose groundbreaking work in the 1920s advanced the field of crystallography and solved the 200-year-old puzzle of benzene's structure. Learn about Lonsdale's brilliant mathematical solutions and innovative methods that led to the creation of the International Factor Tables still used today, while discovering why many believe she deserved Nobel Prize recognition for her transformative research. Examine her career at the Royal Institution under William Henry Bragg and understand the historical context of her work on benzene's mysterious chemical nature through expert analysis from chemists Judith Howard (CBE, FRS) and Judy Wu. Gain insight into the challenges Lonsdale faced as a woman scientist in the early 20th century and celebrate her historic achievements as the first woman admitted to the Royal Society in 1945, the first female professor at UCL, and the first woman president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
