Tim Hunt got hunted!

ShowMeTheCash

Was watching question time on BBC last night and they discussed should Tim Hunt been let go from his position at the Royal Society and University College London after telling a conference it was difficult to work with "girls".

"Let me tell you about my trouble with girls," he said.

"Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry."

What I found Ironic if anyone saw it, a woman who was very passionate about defending the argument that he should indeed of been dismissed almost seem to become emotional to the point she looked like she was going to cry while making her point!

What do you think, should he been dismissed or has political correctness gone crazy?

kneemos

Could be right.Never worked in a lab.

eamonnq

I am assuming that he does not fall in love with ALL the women that are in his lab, and that not ALL the women in the lab fall in love with him, and I would think that not ALL the women in the lab cry when he criticised them.

ShowMeTheCash

eamonnq wrote: »

I am assuming that he does not fall in love with ALL the women that are in his lab, and that not ALL the women in the lab fall in love with him, and I would think that not ALL the women in the lab cry when he criticised them.

Wow - Science!

His comment was stupid don't think too many would argue to the contrary, but should he be fired over the head of it?

kellso81

He wasn't fired, he resigned

kneemos

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

Wow - Science!

His comment was stupid don't think too many would argue to the contrary, but should he be fired over the head of it?

The guy is a professor,surely he bases his conclusions on evidence?

ShowMeTheCash

kellso81 wrote: »

He wasn't fired, he resigned

Let me rephrase - he was forced to resign.

Menas

I am with Brian Cox on this, the reaction is disproportionate but the comment was stupid.

I did like the comeback from some female scientists though...

biko

People fall in love in the workplace all the time. And cry when criticised.
His remark was sexist drivel but hardly enough for a manhunt*.



*see what I did there?

ShowMeTheCash

kneemos wrote: »

The guy is a professor,surely he bases his conclusions on evidence?

Yeah that's what professor's do, they weigh up every single word that they utter to ensure everything said is always backed up with evidence...

kneemos

Lab work looks like the most boring and repetitive thing I've ever seen.
Maybe that's why they're crying.

Eugene Norman

He's a 72 year old man who made a silly old school but definitely sexist remark. As a "joke". The harpies then circulated.

ShowMeTheCash

Eugene Norman wrote: »

He's a 72 year old man who made a silly old school but definitely sexist remark. As a "joke". The harpies then circulated.

Trial by twitter I think they where calling it!

looksee

13 posts and no-one has said they wouldn't fancy him/ they wouldn't do (various things) to/with him/ he wouldn't be good enough for them/ he is too old / his appearance does not meet the rigorous standards required by posters...funny that...

darkpagandeath

looksee wrote: »

13 posts and no-one has said they wouldn't fancy him/ they wouldn't do (various things) to/with him/ he wouldn't be good enough for them/ he is too old / his appearance does not meet the rigorous standards required by posters...funny that...

Because to fight sexism with sexism is the way..

aphex™

I've had problems with women in the workplace.

Let's see-

Colleague asking me repeatedly if I think she's good looking.
Female manager trying to set me up with a female colleague, then angry when rebuffed.
Woman telling other staff that she's going to stand at my desk until I run a report when her own team is holding me up with nothing to do.
The above woman crying when I emailed the 2nd level manager above her.
The above woman crying (again) when her boss asked her to do her job.
Female manager repeatedly looking around the office and saying "You guys are being mean to me" x4 times daily.

Yep, the guy has a point.

kylith

aphex™ wrote: »

I've had problems with women in the workplace.

Let's see-

Colleague asking me repeatedly if I think she's good looking.
Female manager trying to set me up with a female colleague, then angry when rebuffed.
Woman telling other staff that she's going to stand at my desk until I run a report when her own team is holding me up with nothing to do.
The above woman crying when I emailed the 2nd level manager above her.
The above woman crying (again) when her boss asked her to do her job.
Female manager repeatedly looking around the office and saying "You guys are being mean to me" x4 times daily.

Yep, the guy has a point.

Well, perhaps we could all start listing problems we have with our opposite gender colleagues. Or perhaps we can look at it rationally and accept that problems such as the ones you list are generally rare and are due to a minority of people and that most people, regardless of gender, turn up to work, do what has to be done with the minimum of fuss and drama, and pass the day with no incidents.

Buona Fortuna

Tim Hunt - bit of a ****

Maybe he should have been named Mike.


In another life I could have been a poet.

aphex™

kylith wrote: »

Well, perhaps we could all start listing problems we have with our opposite gender colleagues. Or perhaps we can look at it rationally and accept that problems such as the ones you list are generally rare and are due to a minority of people and that most people, regardless of gender, turn up to work, do what has to be done with the minimum of fuss and drama, and pass the day with no incidents.

Unfortunately, no.

I actually had to take them to the LRC after I made a complaint about a women and it was implied that I "should help them" to harass me because their boss was "being mean" to them.

So the issue can become institutionalised.

Incidentally, they hired a female solicitor at the LRC and that didn't work either.
Wiped the floor with them. :rolleyes:

goose2005

Menas wrote: »

I did like the comeback from some female scientists though...

I thought it was juvenile and cruel

Menas

goose2005 wrote: »

I thought it was juvenile and cruel

Why do you think it was juvenile and cruel?

fizzypish

There are no women in the labs I work in. Just nerdy men. I think a bit of soap opera drama might spice up the work environment a little. I don´t personally want to be involved, just about to witness and bask in the mayhem.
But.... lets me play devils advocate and try to interpret Mr Hunts comments. He´s a professor so he works with students. Some (maybe most) could be around the 22-24 mark and some will have never have worked in industry so maybe in his selective experience he has a point...... pfffttt ...sorry I couldn´t even type that with a straight face.

gramar

What he said wasn't sexist. It was just an observation. You can't say anything about a woman now and it's sexist. People who get all upset about this bull**** should fcuk off and die. imho.

QuinDixie

Tough on him losing his job, but he will be alright.
Another institution or corporation will snap him up. Great scientists write their own tickets.

Menas

Menas wrote: »

I am with Brian Cox on this, the reaction is disproportionate but the comment was stupid.

I did like the comeback from some female scientists though...

That is some incredibly sexy nose hair he has going on there. I think I'm falling in love.

gramar wrote: »

What he said wasn't sexist.

On which planet?

kneemos

On which planet?[/quote]




If he's stating what he's seen how could it be anything other than a statement of fact?

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

On which planet?

If he's stating what he's seen how could it be anything other than a statement of fact?

You're confusing personal opinion with fact there.

kneemos

Candie wrote: »

You're confusing personal opinion with fact there.

Not personal opinion.It happened,it's fact.

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

Not personal opinion.It happened,it's fact.

So even if every single woman he's ever worked with has falling in love with him, while crying, that means ALL women scientists do.

Gotcha. Didn't know that fact.

MathDebater

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

Was watching question time on BBC last night and they discussed should Tim Hunt been let go from his position at the Royal Society and University College London after telling a conference it was difficult to work with "girls"

I watched it too. The panel and audience seemed more upset that a man said women cry than mothers taking their children to join ISIS. Old man says women cry in the workplace - 'I feel mortally offended.' Women taking their children off to join ISIS - crickets. We will park that one there. Don't mention the war.

The social media/social justice phenomenon is a very American import. They don't have real left wing politics and in its place you get this self-righteous mob concerned with whatever issue is topic du jour. As America is the dominant culture, it's started to slowly spread across the Atlantic.

fizzypish

Candie wrote: »

So even if every single woman he's ever worked with has falling in love with him, while crying, that means ALL women scientists do.

Gotcha. Didn't know that fact.

I once seen a scientist take a wazz in the street. All scientists sicken me.....

kneemos

Candie wrote: »

So even if every single woman he's ever worked with has falling in love with him, while crying, that means ALL women scientists do.

Gotcha. Didn't know that fact.

He was making an observation from his years of work in the lab.
You can say he is sexist for stating it,but his observations are correct.

Kev W

kneemos wrote: »

He was making an observation from his years of work in the lab.
You can say he is sexist for stating it,but his observations are correct.

What are you basing your confirmation of his observations on?

gramar

kneemos wrote: »

Not personal opinion.It happened,it's fact.

Not just fact....scientific fact.

Wibbs

What he said was stupid. No matter how "in jest" it was later claimed to be. Stupid because it's more than a bit daft and stupid because he should have realised you can't say anything like that without having the pitchforks coming out to play. Interestingly not a single woman scientist who studied under or worked with him suggested he had any gender bias. Quite the opposite, while they said his utterings were daft, they had nothing but good things to say of the chap.

Look at the crapstorm that followed the chap who wore the "sexist" shirt FFS(see my avatar), made by a woman no less. All it took was some social studies journalism major hack to point the beady and next thing the guy is in tears apologising. Knowing if he didn't, career suicide. Yea, nice one hack, all you can muster is pressing the on button on your macbook Air and retweeting feelz, while he's part of a team(that included women who were strangely absent from the lynch mobs witterings) that landed a probe on a comet. GTFO

kneemos

Kev W wrote: »

What are you basing your confirmation of his observations on?

Himself. He's a highly intelligent man with years and decades of experience.

Kev W

kneemos wrote: »

Himself. He's a highly intelligent man with years and decades of experience.

What he says is true because he says it's true. Brilliant.

kneemos

Kev W wrote: »

What he says is true because he says it's true. Brilliant.

Exactly.

Wibbs

MathDebater wrote: »

The social media/social justice phenomenon is a very American import. They don't have real left wing politics and in its place you get this self-righteous mob concerned with whatever issue is topic du jour. As America is the dominant culture, it's started to slowly spread across the Atlantic.

+1. What was once harebrained radical stuff seems to get much more traction and airtime and has more real world effects too. I say seems, but it's more about how much larger an audience social media garners for the extremists of all hues. Plus and more importantly it gets a lot more views/clicks/likes and profits than measured commentary. It increasingly makes people pick corners too. Not good, very divisive.

gramar

Candie wrote: »

That is some incredibly sexy nose hair he has going on there. I think I'm falling in love.




On which planet?

Women cry in the workplace. It happens.
In every company where I've worked...6 or 7 I can think of women I've seen crying in each and every one. I can't remember any men crying and I think that would stand out. It's not sexist, it happens. No big deal.

Men and women get together in the workplace, it happens. Again I've seen it in most places I've worked in. What's the big bloody deal?

Every now and then some hack latches onto some non story, the witch hunters come out in a feeding frenzy and some victim is forced to apologise for something that doesn't need apologising for. Usually for causing offence....which they didn't cause but of course you can't account
for people willfully taking offence.

kneemos

Seems some women are too sensitive to take a bit of criticism.

Kev W

gramar wrote: »

Women cry in the workplace. It happens.
In every company where I've worked...6 or 7 I can think of women I've seen crying in each and every one. I can't remember any men crying and I think that would stand out. It's not sexist, it happens. No big deal.

Men and women get together in the workplace, it happens. Again I've seen it in most places I've worked in. What's the big bloody deal?

Every now and then some hack latches onto some non story, the witch hunters come out in a feeding frenzy and some victim is forced to apologise for something that doesn't need apologising for. Usually for causing offence....which they didn't cause but of course you can't account
for people willfully taking offence.

I've seen men cry in the workplace too.

Samaris

kneemos wrote: »

Himself. He's a highly intelligent man with years and decades of experience.

As a scientist, your reasoning for believing his hypothesis is nonsense. All it would be at this stage is a hypothesis. Where's his data? Has he run a statistical analysis on it to see if a significant portion of his female colleagues have fallen in love with him? It would be more along the lines of confirmation bias and cherry picking.

Also, as a female scientist, I find myself madly in love with you, kneemos. I can't help it.

It is a shame that he lost his position over a stupid comment, but he really should have known better. Even if he'd apologised in a slightly less not-really-apology way, he might have gotten away with it. No, I don't think he should have lost his job, but at the same time, I eyeroll over the elderly attitude towards wimmin in science.

gramar

Kev W wrote: »

I've seen men cry in the workplace too.

I'm not saying they dont but personally I can't recall seeing it anywhere I've been.

Going through every company I've been in, I can think of women crying. I'm not criticising it...it just happens. I could even include primary and secondary school teachers to that list.

Kev W

Samaris wrote: »

As a scientist, your reasoning for believing his hypothesis is nonsense. All it would be at this stage is a hypothesis. Where's his data? Has he run a statistical analysis on it to see if a significant portion of his female colleagues have fallen in love with him? It would be more along the lines of confirmation bias and cherry picking.

Also, as a female scientist, I find myself madly in love with you, kneemos. I can't help it.

It is a shame that he lost his position over a stupid comment, but he really should have known better. Even if he'd apologised in a slightly less not-really-apology way, he might have gotten away with it. No, I don't think he should have lost his job, but at the same time, I eyeroll over the elderly attitude towards wimmin in science.

Well why don't you go cry about it?

Oh you are.

Oh I'm so sorry.

Samaris

*sobs wildly*

kneemos

Samaris wrote: »

As a scientist, your reasoning for believing his hypothesis is nonsense. All it would be at this stage is a hypothesis. Where's his data? Has he run a statistical analysis on it to see if a significant portion of his female colleagues have fallen in love with him? It would be more along the lines of confirmation bias and cherry picking.

Also, as a female scientist, I find myself madly in love with you, kneemos. I can't help it.

It is a shame that he lost his position over a stupid comment, but he really should have known better. Even if he'd apologised in a slightly less not-really-apology way, he might have gotten away with it. No, I don't think he should have lost his job, but at the same time, I eyeroll over the elderly attitude towards wimmin in science.

The only error I can see is his calling it a problem.
It's normal human behaviour.

gramar

Samaris wrote: »

It is a shame that he lost his position over a stupid comment, but he really should have known better. Even if he'd apologised in a slightly less not-really-apology way, he might have gotten away with it. No, I don't think he should have lost his job, but at the same time, I eyeroll over the elderly attitude towards wimmin in science.

He didn't commit any crime to have to get away with anything. He has been accused and convicted of a crime that isn't a crime.

Kev W

gramar wrote: »

He didn't commit any crime to have to get away with anything. He has been accused and convicted of a crime that isn't a crime.

Nobody called it a crime. You can "get away" with things that aren't crimes. He also to the best of my knowledge has not been convicted.

gramar

Kev W wrote: »

Nobody called it a crime. You can "get away" with things that aren't crimes. He also to the best of my knowledge has not been convicted.

ahh you know what I mean...it was a so-called crime of social etiquette or some shyte like that. If you're going to lose your job for that you may as well have a good auld grope while you're at it.

Wibbs

Kev W wrote: »

I've seen men cry in the workplace too.

Maybe it's just me but I've never seen anyone cry in the workplace.