Who is Chien-Shiung Wu?

Chien-Shiung Wu (1912–1997) was a prominent Chinese-American experimental physicist whose work was foundational to the fields of nuclear and particle physics [1].

Often referred to as the "First Lady of Physics," she is remembered for several major achievements:

• The Manhattan Project: During World War II, she contributed to the Manhattan Project by helping develop the process for separating uranium into uranium-235 and uranium-238 isotopes [1, 3].
• Conservation of Parity: She is perhaps most famous for her "Cobalt-60 experiment," which famously disproved the law of conservation of parity, a major breakthrough in physics [3].
• Academic Career: She moved to the United States to study at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1936, where she earned her PhD in 1940 under the mentorship of Ernest Lawrence [2].

Her experimental precision set a standard in physics that remains highly regarded today [3].