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Nobel Laureate: Female Scientists cause trouble for men in Labs.

ancapailldorcha

The Guardian wrote:

Scientists should work in gender-segregated labs, according to a Nobel laureate, who said the trouble with “girls” is that they cause men to fall in love with them and cry when criticised.

Tim Hunt, an English biochemist who admitted that he has a reputation for being a “chauvinist”, said to the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, South Korea: “Let me tell you about my trouble with girls … 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.”

I find it baffling that someone this intelligent could say something so daft or be so prejudiced. Every time I think that this sort of daft sexism is a thing of the past, someone like Tim here comes along to correct me.

Source.

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hatrickpatrick

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

There is also a study in the Journal Of Scientific Studies of Science that found that segregation in schools led to higher levels of gayness.

I thought it was the feckin' Greeks?

ThinkProgress

The Dark Side wrote: »

He was just expressing what happens with himself - what's the problem.

Do people not want honesty?

Totally agreed. People would rather he towed the PC line... the truth is only useful when it suits their world view!

Nobody is actually giving his points any real rigorous analysis... they're merely snapping their necks out in disgust.

I think there is some value to segregation in some academic areas. Men and women often operate differently. Sometimes they can be an impediment to each other...

Shenshen

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Totally agreed. People would rather he towed the PC line... the truth is only useful when it suits their world view!

Nobody is actually giving his points any real rigorous analysis... they're merely snapping their necks out in disgust.

I think there is some value to segregation in some academic areas. Men and women often operate differently. Sometimes they can be an impediment to each other...

Yes, we should definitely introduce purdah in all academic institutions. For the advancement of scientific understanding.

goose2005

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Not much to say about it really. Man says idiotic and offensive thing, is rightly lambasted for it.

There'll be another thing to rage about in a day or two, I'm sure.

suicide_circus

He's talking shiite but women in my work place do tend to cry a decent amount

ThinkProgress

Shenshen wrote: »

Yes, we should definitely introduce purdah in all academic institutions. For the advancement of scientific understanding.

Minus the veils though... They're just mean! lol

Would battle of the sexes not be fun? Competition can create great results in many areas!

Male scientists VS Female scientists. Who wins? Humanity, that's who!

One eyed Jack

Riskymove wrote: »

Hunt said he was "really sorry that I said what I said, it was a very stupid thing to do in the presence of all those journalists".

“What was intended as a light-hearted, ironic comment apparently was interpreted deadly seriously by my audience,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

latest

Ahh jesus, when you're after digging yourself into a hole, it's best to stop digging :pac:

"If it hadn't been for those pesky kids reporters... reporting"

It's not nice to laugh at people when they come out with stupid comments, but this chap's opinions and then his further justifications, are making it increasingly difficult to keep a straight face.

steddyeddy

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I find it baffling that someone this intelligent could say something so daft or be so prejudiced. Every time I think that this sort of daft sexism is a thing of the past, someone like Tim here comes along to correct me.

Source.

Tim's the discoverer of cyclin dependent kinases, proteins which mediate the cell cycle. He discovered how the cells divide basically. I met Tim at a conference and he seemed like a nice guy. Shocked at this but it goes hand in hand with being a public school boy in England. Some of the values they're taught aren't all that valuable.

steddyeddy

One of the articles on the issue says there is a huge divide in male and female scientists. That was most certainly the case a few decades ago but I'm not sure it holds water today.

_Redzer_

ScumLord wrote: »

It sounds like scientists fall in love too easily.

This is completely my problem

GLaDOS

steddyeddy wrote: »

Tim's the discoverer of cyclin dependent kinases, proteins which mediate the cell cycle. He discovered how the cells divide basically. I met Tim at a conference and he seemed like a nice guy. Shocked at this but it goes hand in hand with being a public school boy in England. Some of the values they're thought aren't all that valuable.

In my experience, these uber powerful PIs can sometimes be a little... odd.

Son Of A Vidic

Most women I've worked with, would cut your throat and stand on your dead carcass if it meant getting ahead and I never expected anything less tbh.

ThinkProgress

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Most women I've worked with, would cut your throat and stand on your dead carcass if it meant getting ahead and I never expected anything less tbh.

Retail?

c_man

People smart in one area, not smart in others. Shocker.

Quick check, yup an article from someone who's most likely never heard of the guy before explaining how this comment shows his exact inner mind and hey hey! a rape reference thrown in within the first few paragraphs! Good old Guardian.

steddyeddy

ScienceNerd wrote: »

In my experience, these uber powerful PIs can sometimes be a little... odd.

Yep mine too. I caught my boss walking along a quiet pathway outside the university. Ever now and again he would pause and stop and stare at the ground. It actually freaked me out and it looked like he was in another world.

A lot of the scientists are complete weirdos and strange unemphatic people.

Son Of A Vidic

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Retail?

Nope, Medical sector public & private.

steddyeddy

I'll be honest I have heard this from some older scientists so the culture definitely used to exist. I've been told women scientists are more ruthless by an older gent from Imperial college.

Samaris

Eh. I'm a woman in the sciences and what this guy has to say doesn't bother me at all. You get this sort of ****. You slag them off and eventually they sort themselves out or retire in disgust.

Mind you, as a female who is fairly shy and who -can- cry in certain types of stressful situations (believe me, I find it frustrating and annoying too), I would be very irritated to think that this would reflect badly on all females. Personal reactions should reflect on oneself and no-one else.

steddyeddy

Samaris wrote: »

Eh. I'm a woman in the sciences and what this guy has to say doesn't bother me at all. You get this sort of ****. You slag them off and eventually they sort themselves out or retire in disgust.

Mind you, as a female who is fairly shy and who -can- cry in certain types of stressful situations (believe me, I find it frustrating and annoying too), I would be very irritated to think that this would reflect badly on all females. Personal reactions should reflect on oneself and no-one else.

I don't think people realise how stressful an environment a lab can be. You'd be forgiven for crying.

ancapailldorcha

Candie wrote: »

Tim Hunt? Are you sure his name isn't misspelled?

As my gran would say, he's one of a dying breed that will live forever.

What do you mean?

ThinkProgress

Samaris wrote: »

Eh. I'm a woman in the sciences and what this guy has to say doesn't bother me at all. You get this sort of ****. You slag them off and eventually they sort themselves out or retire in disgust.

Mind you, as a female who is fairly shy and who -can- cry in certain types of stressful situations (believe me, I find it frustrating and annoying too), I would be very irritated to think that this would reflect badly on all females. Personal reactions should reflect on oneself and no-one else.

Eh. I think he was talking about HIS experiences. That's hardly an objective "double blind" conclusion!

Who is more likely to be sympathetic to your female emotions in that instance, a man or a woman? (Typically speaking)

Whenever a woman cried in my workplace environments, the vast majority of men looked like deer in the headlights. Not a feck!n clue what to do! lol

sullivlo

ScienceNerd wrote: »

In my experience, these uber powerful PIs can sometimes be a little... odd.

I was at a conference where Watson was the keynote speaker. He said many controversial things in that hour. He is also sexist, racist, and believes that we should populate safety studies for drugs with terminally ill people as they're dying soon so we should get use out of them first.

Top guy.

I've met him several times since. Still the same.

ScumLord

Riskymove wrote: »

latest

Sounds like maybe he meant it as a joke, maybe in poor taste but the media have blown it up into a global outrage.

sullivlo

steddyeddy wrote: »

I don't think people realise how stressful an environment a lab can be. You'd be forgiven for crying.

I don't think people understand just how invested in experiments we get, or how tiring it can be to be in the lab, or the pressure to produce results, or any of the other stressors. I've cried in the lab, and I'll openly admit that, especially to the PhD students who are stressing about finishing and working themselves into a tizzy.

Crying happens in every profession.

I've never cried when my PI criticised me though. At least not in front of my PI :pac:

steddyeddy

sullivlo wrote: »

I was at a conference where Watson was the keynote speaker. He said many controversial things in that hour. He is also sexist, racist, and believes that we should populate safety studies for drugs with terminally ill people as they're dying soon so we should get use out of them first.

Top guy.

I've met him several times since. Still the same.

I've heard that about Watson. A true scumbag who made his name by stealing a woman's work.

YFlyer

My supervisor was chairing a session at some conference years ago.

There was this woman Dr. Little given a presentation on 'Women in Science.' When she finished, my supervisor said 'what a lovely talk by the little lady.' There was rupture. I heard that only the males in the audience laughed.

He was forced by the female scientists off the Chair for the remaining of the session.

blinding

He certainly is entitled to his opinion. Well Mostly who isn't ?

He is an old man brought up in different times. This may have been his own experience which he may have caused or mis-interpreted.

The interactions between todays young people are totally different to when he was young.

Give him a bit of leeway. How much more falling in love has he got in him and how much more reducing people to tears has he got left in him ?

PizzamanIRL

Hey there Miss Scientist, would you like me to whiten your lab coat even more?

YFlyer

sullivlo wrote: »

I don't think people understand just how invested in experiments we get, or how tiring it can be to be in the lab, or the pressure to produce results, or any of the other stressors. I've cried in the lab, and I'll openly admit that, especially to the PhD students who are stressing about finishing and working themselves into a tizzy.

Crying happens in every profession.

I've never cried when my PI criticised me though. At least not in front of my PI :pac:

There was a professor here in UL that would have his post grads and post docs on campus every Saturday for meetings.

They were stressed out from the work load he demanded every week. Some of them broke down crying.

stinkle

sullivlo wrote: »

I don't think people understand just how invested in experiments we get, or how tiring it can be to be in the lab, or the pressure to produce results, or any of the other stressors. I've cried in the lab, and I'll openly admit that, especially to the PhD students who are stressing about finishing and working themselves into a tizzy.

Crying happens in every profession.

I've never cried when my PI criticised me though. At least not in front of my PI :pac:

Ditto. But it is a stressful environment to be in, and it can be awful when it seems everyone else is muddling along nicely and you are struggling.

He seems to have backtracked from his comments and said it was a "joke". it's easy to write him off as a chauvinistic dinosaur, but I (female) wouldn't be laughing if he was someone I had applied to work with or had to collaborate with. Imagine working for someone like that and requesting maternity leave/parental leave etc? I've worked alongside women who were terrified of announcing their pregnancy to oddball PIs. It was like being a teenager and having to tell your dad!

People with his influence often have all sorts of responsibilities within the university system too, not just running a research group. He may be or have been a department chair, for example and would have a lot of influence on other academics. Bad attitudes from those in charge permeate down. Not to mention that universities are only too delighted to have the cash that a Nobel Laureate on staff brings in so there's a reluctance to bring them to task when someone complains about them.