The Nobel Prize he stole, the science she proved — this is the atomic breakup of the century.
A story about the life and turbulent times of Lisa Meitner and Otto Hahn, two exceptional scientists whose remarkable collaboration culminated in the discovery of nuclear fission, the division of the atom that changed the future. The show traces the development of nuclear science in the first half of the twentieth century, Meitner's early struggle for education and her quest to gain a foothold in the world of male-dominated physics, Hahn's initial research and independent discoveries, the collaborative discovery of the two scientists, as co-discoverers and the award of the Nobel Prize only to Hahn.
Acting
Linda Hunt's narration carries decades of buried fury.
Writing
Reclaims Meitner's story with scholarly precision and justified bitterness.
Director
Rosemarie Reed
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Element 109, meitnerium, was finally named for her in 1997 — 28 years after her death and 53 years after Hahn's solo Nobel.
Meitner's exile forced her to correspond with Hahn from Sweden; their letters became the documentary's backbone and reveal his growing defensiveness.
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