I’m looking for suggestions for women to appear on the new £50 note

[WeeMadArthur]

Hi all, I’ve just seen that the Bank of England have opened nominations for the next scientist to appear on the new £50 note. They have to be British and dead, and I think it’s about time that a woman appeared on it but I’m not sure who to put forward as I worry that if I put someone less well known that it will be a wasted vote against all the better publicized male scientists. The link to the vote is app.keysurvey.co.uk/f/1348443/10fc/

Oh yes, she's not dead 😄😬. I went too contemporary.

Hertha ayrton?

Wow... how had I never heard of her? I'm still Team Hodgkin for a scientist(being a former crystallographer) but if they're wanting engineers for another note then Ayrton it will be.

Do actually vote, don't just post here BTW - I've just done it, only takes a moment.

Mary Anning is a very good call.

Yeah hertha ayrton was amazing- incredible life. (I first heard about her on here)

www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/the-woman-who-tamed-lightning/p05ww2dh

She wasn't exactly a scientist, but I'd love to see Mary Seacole on it.

If we're going with Mary Seacole, then technically Florence Nightingale should also be recognised as a statistician.

She wasn't exactly a scientist, but I'd love to see Mary Seacole on it.

She wasn't a scientist at all, so as they're specifically looking for scientists she'd be a wasted vote in this context. TBH I think it's slightly pushing it to claim Anning and even more so Lovelace as scientists. Whereas Hodgkin was the equal of any male scientist... a vote for her isn't merely because she was a woman.

Florence nightingale has already had a note, surely?

I'd love it to be Mary Anning.

@ErrolTheDragon - yes, but as 'the Lady of the Lamp', (very 'stereotypical' caring role as a nurse, rather than her pioneering work as an analyst, which is apparently a bit too butch for some).

Sure... but in the context of a vote for a scientist, not much point voting for her as a statistician (the inventor of the pie chart) as she's already had a note.

I just did it- nice easy form- hooray thanks for alerting me to this.

Mary Anning was sooooo a scientist! She was never really accepted as such during her lifetime because she was 1. a woman and 2. poor, which in itself is reason to recognise her now. She was so much more than a fossil hunter. Paleontology as a science barely existed before her, though this is what she was doing before it even had a name.

Beatrix Potter was also a botanist. I’d love Mary Anning though- some beautiful fossils on the note!

I'd love to see Anning on a note too. But this vote will be up against Britain's many great, world-ranking male scientists- unfortunately (and unfairly) most of the suggestions simply aren't in the same league. Except for Hodgkin.

@ErrolTheDragon, agreed.

We're gonna have to put up candidates in the 'hard hard' sciences (physics, chemistry etc) for the moment.

It sucks, but it is what it is.

As a female techie Ade Lovelace for me!

I'm in a very silly mood and the temptation to type

TRAVIS ALABANZA

and run away is almost killing me.

Mary Anning or Ada Lovelace.

Oops! I did it! As you were. Brilliant (proper) suggestions on this thread, wimz.

India Willoughby

Margaret Thatcher

The criteria are British, Scientist and Dead. Thatcher did do a chemistry degree at oxford (including working in Hodgkins lab... I've heard Dorothy wasn't too impressed) and a few years in industry but with so many truly great scientists to choose from that'd be a very odd choice.

Rosalind Franklin absolutely deserves her place in the light after so many years being forgotten.

I nominated Rosalind Franklin, it's shocking that her work was used without due recognition.