07/05/2026
What a turn around@
The famous photograph above, taken in 1927, captured the 5th Solvay Physics Conference, bringing together some of the century's greatest scientific minds in a single frame.
Often described as one of the most remarkable gatherings of physicists in history, 17 of the scientists in the photo were Nobel Prize winners.
Exactly 90 years later, on September 14, 2017, the roles were symbolically reversed. This photograph was taken after a session of the Italian Physical Society in Trento on the role of women in physics. This time, the image features 28 women and one man.
Significant progress has been made in the representation and careers of women in physics since the time of Marie Curie. However, increasing the visibility and participation of women in physics remains an important challenge, which was one of the topics discussed at the conference.
Credit: G. Cavalli / University of Trento
