When you think of a scientist, what’s the first name that comes to mind? For many, it’s probably the image of Isaac Newton and his apple or Albert Einstein’s iconic grey hair.

It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that a new survey conducted by education charity Teach First has found that only one in 10 of us would pick a woman when we’re asked to name a scientist. In fact, according to the data, only half (49%) of us can name a female scientist at all.

It’s a shocking statistic to learn, especially when yesterday (11 February) marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This day was designed to recognise the critical role women and girls play in the science and technology industries – intended to break down barriers for future scientists, engineers and thought leaders.

This revelation is not surprising, however, when you look at the grand number of female scientists taught on the UK’s core science GCSE curriculum: zero. This number is particularly frustrating when you remember that women such as Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and Ada Lovelace made massive breakthroughs in their respective fields.

Female scientists don’t actually exist, according to the GCSE science curriculum