Weird how some people can be both completely brilliant and a total freaking bonehead at the same time. Exhibit A: former professor Tim Hunt.
Actually, it’s Sir Tim Hunt — he’s a knight as well as a Nobel Prize winner and biochemist. And up until yesterday, Sir Tim Hunt was also a professor at the über prestigious University College London. He was forced to resign after making some other-level sexist comments at a conference in South Korea — attended by a room full of really smart lady scientists and a whole bunch of journalists.
First he opened with, “Let me tell you about my trouble with girls.” There’s nothing that can possibly follow that first sentence that won’t be awful, right? Oh, not to worry, Sir Tim Hunt obliged.
“Three things happen when they are in the lab: You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them, they cry.”
He really said that.
And while the only reasonable reaction to the comment is to guffaw, it stops being funny the second you remember that these are the men running our best universities, labs and companies in the world.
It’s going to take a whole lot more than GoldieBlox to overcome this kind of prejudice against women in science.
And so lady scientists across the world are reacting in the most powerful way they can — taking to social media to show the world what a real lady in the lab looks like and take a couple of hilarious jabs at Tim Hunt’s comments in the process.
Here are a few ladies doing a little more than being #distractinglysexy in the lab, regardless of Sir Tim Hunt’s opinion.
Danielle Spitzer posted this shot of herself at work obviously dressed to turn heads.
It's just really hard working in a coed lab because I'm too distracting to the male scientists #distractinglysexypic.twitter.com/9cZMUpy6TL
— Danielle Spitzer (@DNAielleSpitzer) June 11, 2015
Here are a few ladies that were able to earn their Chemistry degrees between all the sexy and crying.
Somehow got our masters in chemistry inbetween all the crying #distractinglysexy labcoats #TimHunt#womeninsciencepic.twitter.com/tnrsE6Twuo
— Valerie A (@Valerishkavoff) June 11, 2015
Here’s a genius Tim Hunt Quarantine Lab created from Legos with the females safely segregated from the dudes.
https://twitter.com/Bailiuchan/status/609073841080377344
In some circles, maybe cheetah poop is #distractinglysexy.
Nothing like a sample tube full of cheetah poop to make you #distractinglysexypic.twitter.com/tdBTLRos4p
— Prof Sarah Durant (@SarahMDurant) June 11, 2015
And congrats to scientist Lucie who was able to get through another day at the lab without crying.
https://twitter.com/lu_debeauchamp/status/608980986534182912
What’s more #distractinglysexy than crystallography experimentation?
Nobel-winning pioneer in the advancement of crystallography? or just #distractinglysexy? #dorothyhodgkin#timhuntpic.twitter.com/OBajBzmAS0
— Brett deG (@onetwobrett) June 11, 2015
Or avoiding ticks in the field?
Collecting mosquito larvae and other aquatic invertebrates while avoiding ticks #distractinglysexypic.twitter.com/zhlBvvOgSR
— Cary Institute (@caryinstitute) June 11, 2015
Brains are pretty sexy, but dissecting brains?
I made it through these brain dissections without falling in love or crying. Phew! #distractinglysexy#TimHuntpic.twitter.com/q5PVkM9zCx
— Prof Sonja Vernes, Bat Boffin🦇🌈 (@Sonja_Vernes) June 11, 2015
And wonderfully, there were plenty of men that couldn’t resist taking their own swipe at Hunt’s comments.
https://twitter.com/m_maclennan/status/609071364922724352
And what man could avoid an invitation to the fluid bed from this distracting lady?
Busy luring dudes to the Fluid Bed #distractinglysexypic.twitter.com/uMzWOgQIfr
— AngieBiernacki (@AngieB269) June 11, 2015
Lady scientists might not get a ton of respect from the likes of Sir Tim Hunt, but these chicks have jokes for days. Sometimes you’ve got to laugh to keep from crying.
More on women in science
10 Female scientist role models for your daughter
7 Important skills for STEM success
What women need to know about the gender wage gap and salary negotiation
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