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Today is Maria Skłodowska Curie's 144 birthday and she got her own Google Doodle. Or rather it was yesterday as it's already after midnight in Poland but I was too busy today to post earlier. This year it's also centenary of her second Nobel Prize, the one she got all to herself. This is why this year have been declared Maria Curie's year by Poland and France and UN has declared 2011 International year of Chemistry in her honour. I wrote about her before so this time I just link to the very good Smithsonian article. Reading it reminded me once again how much better it got since her time. The fact that it's been 100 years since she got her second Nobel Prize made me also realise that it's been a century and we are not there yet. Women are still looked down on in science and many of them drop out from the academia when they have kids. And it's usually the same thing she was accused of - they are accused of being bad mothers when they don't stay at home and take care of kids and when they do stay they fall behind their male colleges. I admire those of my friends who came back and continue in science. I'm also glad I know some stay at home dads who took break from their science career to take care of the baby. And are happy about it. The changes are coming and so will the representation in the Nobel laureates.