Okay, so women in STEM are out here changing the game, and I’m low-key obsessed. I’m typing this in my tiny Chicago apartment, where the radiator’s clanking like it’s trying to start a band, and I’ve got a half-eaten bagel next to me because I got distracted reading about female coders on X. Women in STEM are smashing barriers in fields that used to be total dude-fests, and I’m here for every second of it. Like, I once tripped over a power cord at a tech meetup in Logan Square while trying to impress a data scientist. Total disaster, coffee everywhere, but she was cool about it. Anyway, here’s my take on seven STEM fields where women are killing it, with some embarrassing stories from yours truly.
Why I’m Geeked Out Over Women in STEM
I’ve always been a nerd for women breaking barriers. Back in high school, I was that weirdo reading about Ada Lovelace instead of, like, bingeing Netflix. Now I’m 27, working from home in the U.S., and still fangirling hard. Last weekend, I was at a coffee shop in Wicker Park, pretending to work but actually eavesdropping on two women talking about neural networks. I felt like such a fraud just sitting there with my iced latte, but their vibe was so infectious. Women in STEM are rewriting what’s possible, and I’m here to ramble about where they’re shining.
1. Computer Science: Women Owning the Code
Women in STEM are coding up a storm and making it look easy. I tried a coding bootcamp once—thought I’d be a Python pro in, like, a month. Spoiler: my code crashed harder than my confidence. But this woman, Maya, in my class was debugging like she was born for it. Now she’s at some fancy startup, and I’m still here wondering why my “Hello World” won’t run. Women like her are leading in AI, app development, you name it. Code.org has dope stats on how women are shaking up tech.
2. Engineering: Women Building Stuff That Blows My Mind
Engineering’s where women in STEM are legit building the future. I went to a construction site tour in Milwaukee once, trying to act like I knew what was up in a hard hat that was too big for me. The lead engineer, Priya, was explaining bridge designs like it was no big deal, while I almost face-planted into a pile of dirt. Women are designing skyscrapers, rockets—NASA’s got folks like Jessica Watkins out here making history. I asked Priya a dumb question about concrete and still wanna crawl into a hole thinking about it.
3. Biotechnology: Women in STEM Saving Lives
Biotech’s where women are doing straight-up magic with science. I got hooked on CRISPR after watching a YouTube vid about Jennifer Doudna—she’s like a superhero with a pipette. I tried explaining it to my buddy over tacos last month and sounded like a total dork, mixing up “gene editing” with “gene decorating.” Women in STEM are leading in vaccines, cancer research, all that jazz. My sister’s friend works in a lab and showed me a petri dish once—kinda gross, kinda awesome. Nature’s biotech page is a goldmine for this stuff.
4. Physics: Women Figuring Out the Universe
Physics is wild, and women in STEM are out here unraveling it. I went to a talk at Northwestern last year where a physicist, Dr. Elena, blew my mind with her black hole theories. I asked her a question after and totally choked—something about “space dust bunnies.” She was nice, but I’m still mortified. Women like her are pushing boundaries in quantum mechanics and cosmology. APS Physics has profiles on these rockstars.
5. Mathematics: Women Making Numbers Dance
Math’s not my strong suit—I still use a calculator for tips—but women in STEM make it look like art. I met a cryptographer at a dive bar in Austin who explained her work over nachos. I was like, “So you’re basically a math spy?” She laughed, but she’s out here securing the internet. Women are killing it in data science, stats, all that. My one stats class was a trainwreck (failed a quiz on day two), but I’m obsessed with their brilliance. AMS has cool math reads.
6. Environmental Science: Women Fighting for the Planet
Environmental science is where women in STEM are saving the world. I went to a climate march in D.C. last year, holding a glittery sign that fell apart in the humidity. The organizer, Sofia, was a climate scientist who spoke with such passion I wanted to ditch my desk job and join her. Women are leading in renewables, conservation—check out NOAA’s climate stuff. I’m still figuring out how to compost without attracting ants, but these women are goals.
7. Robotics: Women Building Robots That Rule
Robotics is my fave—women in STEM are making bots that do everything from surgeries to Mars missions. I went to a robotics expo in Boston and accidentally knocked over a demo bot’s sensor. The engineer, Aisha, was chill about it and showed me how her bot dodges obstacles. Women are driving automation and AI—IEEE Robotics has the details. I’m still hoping for a robot vacuum that doesn’t get stuck under my couch.
Wrapping Up My STEM Fangirling
Look, women in STEM are my heroes, and I’m just a clumsy nerd trying to keep up. They’re breaking barriers in coding, engineering, you name it, and I’ve made a fool of myself at least four times trying to understand their work. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s inspiring as hell. If you’re as hyped as me, share your fave women in STEM stories on X—I’m @ClumsyNerdChicago, probably tweeting about my latest bagel disaster. Keep rooting for these women—they’re changing everything.
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