Tim Hunt got hunted!

ShowMeTheCash · 19-06-2015 09:16AM #1

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 · 19-06-2015 09:19AM

Could be right.Never worked in a lab.

eamonnq · 19-06-2015 09:20AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:27AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:29AM

He wasn't fired, he resigned

kneemos · 19-06-2015 09:29AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:31AM

kellso81 wrote: »

He wasn't fired, he resigned

Let me rephrase - he was forced to resign.

Menas · 19-06-2015 09:31AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:32AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:34AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:38AM

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

Eugene Norman · 19-06-2015 09:40AM

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 · 19-06-2015 09:50AM

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 · 19-06-2015 10:00AM

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 · 19-06-2015 10:02AM

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™ · 19-06-2015 10:04AM

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 · 19-06-2015 10:18AM

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 · 19-06-2015 10:18AM

Tim Hunt - bit of a ****

Maybe he should have been named Mike.

In another life I could have been a poet.

aphex™ · 19-06-2015 10:22AM

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 · 19-06-2015 10:32AM

Menas wrote: »

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

I thought it was juvenile and cruel

Menas · 19-06-2015 10:34AM

goose2005 wrote: »

I thought it was juvenile and cruel

Why do you think it was juvenile and cruel?

fizzypish · 19-06-2015 11:23AM

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 · 19-06-2015 11:27AM

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 · 19-06-2015 11:29AM

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.

19-06-2015 11:35AM

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 · 19-06-2015 11:37AM

On which planet?[/quote]

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

19-06-2015 11:38AM

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 · 19-06-2015 11:40AM

Candie wrote: »

You're confusing personal opinion with fact there.

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

19-06-2015 11:42AM

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 · 19-06-2015 11:44AM

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 · 19-06-2015 11:44AM

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.....

Tim Hunt got hunted!

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