Ep. 266 | Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu
This time Laszlo introduces an outstanding Chinese-American scientist who will be honored in the United States on February 11, 2021, with a new commemorative postage stamp. Dr. C.S. Wu came to America in 1936 and due to circumstances in her homeland, ended up staying in the US for good.
She made many contributions in the field of physics and worked on the Manhattan Project. Dr. Wu was a role model and tireless campaigner for encouraging young women to study the sciences and for equal rights.
She’s was a great American success story.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bóshì | 博士 | A doctor of philosophy - Ph.D. |
| Běipíng | 北平 | The name of Beijing during the Republican Period |
| Gu Jingwei | Professor of Wu Jianxiong who had a major impact on her future physics studies | |
| Hú Shì | 胡适 | One of the most influential writers, thinkers and teachers in 20th century Chinese history |
| Jiāngsū | 江苏 | Rich coastal province north of Zhejiang |
| Liúhé | 浏河镇 | Town located in Taicang County, where Wu Jianxiong was born |
| Lǐ Zhèngdào | 李政道 | T.D. Lee, Tsung-Dao Lee, born 1926, great Chinese-American physicist and Nobel Prize winner |
| Míngdé Xiǎoxué | 太仓市明德小学 | Míngdé Vocational Continuing School for Girls, where Wu Jianxiong attended school. It was founded by her father Wu Zhongyi |
| Nánjīng | 南京 | Former capital of the Republic of China and of Jiangsu province. |
| qípáo | 旗袍 | A kind of Chinese dress, also known as a Cheongsam (长衫) |
| Shanghai Gōngxué | 上海公学 | The Shanghai Public School |
| Sūzhōu | 苏州 | City in Jiangsu right near Shanghai1 |
| Tiānjìn | 天津 | Port city just one hour east of Beijing |
| Tàicāng | 太仓 | City adjacent to Shanghai and Suzhou, today part of Suzhou |
| Wú Jiànxióng | 吴健雄 | 1912-1997, American physicist and proponent for women's rights |
| Wú Jiànxióng Jìniàn Guǎn | 吴健雄纪念馆 | Jiànxióng Wu Memorial Hall located on the campus of Southeast University in Nanjing |
| Wú Zhòngyì | 吴仲裔 | Wu Jianxiong's father |
| Yangzi River | 扬子江 / 长江 | The second longest river in the world, known in China as the Chang Jiang |
| Yuán Jiāliú | 袁家騮 | Luke Yuán, grandson of Yuan Shikai and husband of C.S. Wu. |
| Yáng Zhènníng | 楊振寧 | C.N. Yang, Chen-Ning Yang, b. 1922, along with colleague T.D. Lee, one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century...Chinese American or otherwise |
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