Katherine Burr Blodgett
A trailblazing physicist from the United States
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- Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898–1979)
In 1926, she became the first woman ever to earn a PhD in Physics at Cambridge University. She spent most of her career at General Electric, where she worked closely with Irving Langmuir. Building on his method of coating glass with a thin film, Blodgett developed a way to add multiple layers—creating completely invisible glass. This invention found countless applications, from cameras to windshields, wherever reflections were unwanted. Blodgett not only pushed science forward but also opened doors for women in physics.
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Learn more about
The scientist
The science
Explanation of thin film interference: Physics LibreTexts
The illustration
Drawn by Nuriya Nurgalieva: Website
