A Canadian ( U of Waterloo, originally from Guelph ) woman, Donna Strickland, is only the third woman ever ( first in 1903, second was back in 1963 ) to be awarded the Nobel prize in Physics for her work in high energy lasers. The methods she helped develop while doing her PhD in the 80s, 'chirped pulse amplification', reconciles the requirements for short pulses and high power ( without blowing up the laser ).
Especially significant for me; she is my age , so we probably attended ( different ) Universities at the same time.
Glad that the Nobel Committee is recognizing women's accomplishments in Physics.
( but do they need to wait 60 yrs in between ? )

Well Frances Arnold (CalTech) also just won one in chemistry (the fifth woman). In both disciplines (and one could probably include biology to the mix) women are underrepresented in faculty positions.