Nina Byers facts for kids

Nina Byers (born January 19, 1930 – died June 5, 2014) was a very smart scientist who studied physics. She was a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also taught at Somerville College, Oxford in England. Nina Byers was known for her important work in understanding tiny particles and how some materials can conduct electricity perfectly. She also worked hard to show the world the amazing contributions of other women in science.

Her Discoveries and Work

Nina Byers earned her first degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950. She then got her Ph.D. (a higher degree) from the University of Chicago in 1956.

Byers made big steps in two areas of physics:

• Particle physics: This is the study of the smallest pieces that make up everything around us.
• Superconductivity: This is when certain materials can carry electricity with no loss of energy, like a perfect wire.

She helped explain how electrons (tiny parts of atoms that carry electricity) behave in superconductors. For example, she showed that a discovery called "flux quantization" proved that electrons in superconductors often team up in pairs. This idea is called "Cooper pairing." Her work, along with another scientist named C.N. Yang, led to something famous called the Byers-Yang theorem.

Highlighting Women in Science

Besides her own scientific research, Nina Byers was passionate about sharing the work of other women in physics. She created a special website called Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics (CWP website). This website tells the stories of over 80 female physicists from the 1900s and explains their important discoveries.

She also edited a book with Gary Williams. This book expanded on the information from the website. It shared more details about the lives and scientific achievements of forty famous female physicists from the 20th century.

Leadership in Science Organizations

Nina Byers was also a leader in important science groups. She was elected to many roles in The American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). These are big organizations for scientists in the United States. For example, she was the President of the APS Forum on History of Physics from 2004 to 2005. She also served as a councilor for the APS, helping to guide the society.

See also

In Spanish: Nina Byers para niños