A movement is underway in Japan to re-evaluate the contributions of Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist who played a key role in the discovery of nuclear fission. Despite her refusal to contribute to the Manhattan Project, which developed the world’s first nuclear weapons, Meitner has been labeled as the “Mother of the atomic bomb.” This year, essays and a biography about Meitner by an American writer were published in Japanese. In addition, manga artist Fumiyo Kono created a short story titled “Lise to Genshi no Mori” (Lise and the Forest of Atoms) in 2018.
Kono described Meitner as someone who was devoted to science while also maintaining her humanity. Although she was one of the first scientists to discover nuclear fission and named it as such, she was overlooked for a Nobel Prize. In contrast, Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “Father of the atomic bomb,” directed the Manhattan Project and had his life portrayed in a biopic released in 2023.
Meitner’s colleagues Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann found evidence for nuclear fission at their institute in Berlin. However, it was Meitner and her nephew Otto Frisch who explained its theoretical process through correspondence with Hahn. Despite her significant contribution to this discovery, Hahn received all recognition when he later received a Nobel Prize for his work that led to the development of atomic bombs.
In Japan last year, a podcast about Meitner’s life was released after Oppenheimer’s biopic came out. Marissa Moss appeared on this show; she is an author who wrote “The Woman Who Split The Atom: The Life Of Lise Meitner” based on Meitner’s correspondence with Hahn and other materials.
During World War II, when approached by colleagues about working on the Manhattan Project, Meitner famously declared that she wanted nothing to do with creating a bomb. She believed that women had great responsibility in preventing another war.
Moss’ biography argues that instead of being labeled as “Mother of Atomic Bomb,” people should focus on recognizing Meitner’s achievements as one of few female physicists at that time who faced persecution from Nazis before fleeing Germany.
Manga artist Kono learned about Meitner from reading books on radioactive materials after experiencing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster caused by earthquake and tsunami back in 2011. Kono produced a short manga about this remarkable physicist who understood radiation dangers well enough to be concerned about protecting people from them.
Meinter’s gravestone epitaph reads: “Lise Mietener: A physicist who never lost her humanity.” Her nephew Frisch wrote these words hoping they would inspire others towards building humanity through love for physics.
Kono originally planned for full-length manga depicting Mietener’s childhood but still hopes it will be completed someday.