tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post3166581078201377976..comments2024-03-14T04:53:49.513-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Uphill BattleFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-18262792219276454382010-05-06T01:55:36.071-05:002010-05-06T01:55:36.071-05:00I would much rather REAL scientists visited kids i...I would much rather <b>REAL</b> scientists visited kids in school than Al Gore or Michael Mann :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-20504068726425419412009-07-22T21:44:22.492-05:002009-07-22T21:44:22.492-05:00Yeah, my mom would talk to me like that, it had th...Yeah, my mom would talk to me like that, it had the opposite effect. I went into science and later on, art, both fields that she was certain would lead to insane, ear-slicing-off penury.<br /><br />So far my ears are intact. The kid will hopefully learn not to take the advice of parents at all time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-51322705299780657072009-04-22T14:41:00.000-05:002009-04-22T14:41:00.000-05:00I'm still trying to reconcile the set of "paleonto...I'm still trying to reconcile the set of "paleontologists" with the set of "people who lock themselves in their labs and never talk to anyone." All the paleontologists I know are very social and have funny tan lines.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738706550175991130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-20474115938664316352009-04-21T10:12:00.000-05:002009-04-21T10:12:00.000-05:00To the people doing research in the UK:
GET THE ...To the people doing research in the UK: <br /><br />GET THE F*CK OUT if you want an academic position. Go to the US. I was appalled the first couple of conversations I had with very brilliant female scientists who faced the same problems as you do. The UK system for getting an academic career is very vague and convoluted. Many countries, particularly the US, are not like this. There is a reason a lot of Europeans start their academic careers in the US.<br /><br />Just remember, it's not like that everywhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-67653583105116652852009-04-21T10:00:00.000-05:002009-04-21T10:00:00.000-05:00This blog clearly illustrates the point that paren...This blog clearly illustrates the point that parents have a great influence on how their children act. Rebellion is a natural instinct for teens as it is their attempt to differentiate themselves from their parents and create their own identity. However, parents can help to guide the development of their child’s identify by providing them with the tools, support and opportunities to develop a positive identify. For example, they can encourage their kids to enter science fairs or science competitions.Super Science Fair Projectshttp://www.super-science-fair-projects.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-74720538049589466462009-04-21T08:51:00.000-05:002009-04-21T08:51:00.000-05:00Kevin:
I disagree. It doesn't matter what is ha...Kevin:<br /><br /> I disagree. It doesn't matter what is happening in the mother's life; she should <B>absolutely not</B> be telling her kid what he should or shouldn't be when he grows up (unless he says he wants to be a gangster or something). <br /><br />In fact, telling your kid what not to do--unless there's a good reason for it (e.g. no hitting, no stealing, no touching hot stoves, etc.)--is a good way to breed resentful teenagers who think "My mom doesn't understand me!!" <br /><br />I freely admit that walking the fine line between being mean enough that your kids are well behaved and not being so mean that your kids end up warped can be quite a balancing act...<br /><br /><br />To whomever said she might be joking around:<br /><br />It's possible. If so, I feel sorry for the poor kid, because it's clear that <I>he doesn't get her humor</I>. <br /><br />I am personally a big fan of obnoxious jokey comments, but I would never say them to a 9yo, because kids that age aren't completely out of the "take everything literally" stage. Joking with my teens is a completely different matter...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-12060870466857403582009-04-21T07:38:00.000-05:002009-04-21T07:38:00.000-05:00I'm pretty shocked at what people are saying a...I'm pretty shocked at what people are saying about employment after PhD considering it's not at all the experience that I've seen from grads in my field. People generally do one of the following:<br /><br />1) Go to industry for a medium paying but (reasonably) stable job.<br />2) Get a postdoc somewhere for 2-3 years, then get a faculty job.<br />3) Go into undergraduate teaching (in the US there are hundreds of small colleges that hire PhDs straight off)<br />4) Teach at a private high school<br />5) Leave science and do something else (sometimes it's science admin, or journal editing or public policy of science, sometimes it's totally unrelated)<br /><br />5 is the "worst case" scenario, and given that everyone in my field generally has their PhD paid for with a livable stipend, you're usually break even financially at this point.<br /><br />Honestly I think one of the things that attracts me to academia IS the stability. A drop in the economy will not get me kicked out of graduate school, nor once I get tenure will it get me fired. I can't hope to make millions but I don't give a %&@*! about that to be honest. These arguments really confuse me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-33522081605169985682009-04-20T17:10:00.000-05:002009-04-20T17:10:00.000-05:00I have to agree with Tig. I'm in an even worse sit...I have to agree with Tig. I'm in an even worse situation - I would be thrilled if I could get even a 3-year contract, instead my contracts are for ONE YEAR at a time. I've been doing this for several years already and I can't really take much more of it. I would not recommend science as a career to anyone unless you are rich or have a wealthy spouse and don't really need a stable income or unless both you and your family don't mind uprooting every other year so you can get yet another one-year contract. And it is true that being "good at your job" is not what lands you a permanent position, and to me 'permanent' means anything beyond a one-year contract. Thus I too would recommend youngsters against science careers, but not for the same reasons as the mother in the story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-72794461564797048322009-04-20T16:34:00.000-05:002009-04-20T16:34:00.000-05:00DrDoyenne, I like your response to the students' q...DrDoyenne, I like your response to the students' questions about salary. Money certainly isn't the reason most people go into science and I totally agree that money doesn't necessarily bring happiness. Still, lack of money can bring a lot of stress and unhappiness so maybe the second part of the answer could be that most scientists and people with some science education do end up making enough money to be comfortable. I don't know about other fields, but there's some pretty good data for physicists from the AIP that includes people with bachelors, masters, and PhDs in and out of academics:<br /><br />http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/emptrends.html<br /><br />As far as Hollywood is concerned, I share your frustration, but there's hope there too. The National Academy of Sciences has a new program called the <A HREF="http://www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/" REL="nofollow">Science and Entertainment Exchange</A> that's meant to foster communication between people in the entertainment industry that want to get science right at the same time that they entertain and scientists that can help them do it. The best part is that it's run by science blogger extraordinaire Jennifer Ouellette of <A HREF="http://twistedphysics.typepad.com/" REL="nofollow">Cocktail Party Physics</A>. If you liked the Smithsonian Institution program, maybe the SEE is something you would also like.<br /><br />FSP, if I remember correctly from Jennifer's talk at the American Physical Society March Meeting, they're looking for more physical scientists including materials scientists...Andrehttp://biocurious.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-34335104074365535682009-04-20T15:46:00.000-05:002009-04-20T15:46:00.000-05:00Arghhhhh! Palaeontologists don't really work in la...Arghhhhh! Palaeontologists don't really work in labs... They're geologists.... they do fieldwork and have tans in January....<br />I love being a geologist. I get to collect rocks and everything. So I'm a scientist, I love my job as a postdoc, have no job security but get to explore fun parts of the world as "work". Bring on science.<br />And oh, I was just pointed towards your blog this afternoon and I think it's great, thanks!Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653799164642479895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-4300471826862103152009-04-20T14:38:00.000-05:002009-04-20T14:38:00.000-05:00Perhaps the mother wants her son to grow up to be ...Perhaps the mother wants her son to grow up to be something better than a scientist like, I don't know, a drug dealer or a pimp or something. In regards to the opposition against black clothing, maybe she just wants him to be a happy nudist. These are all options! Seriously, though, I think there are some people who just shouldn't have kids, you know?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-13036765431914830662009-04-20T14:20:00.000-05:002009-04-20T14:20:00.000-05:00If more people knew more about my job, they might ...If more people knew more about my job, they might think of scientists differently. Take us scientists at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). We have to be somewhat socially adept, because educating and motivating 20-ish year olds is job one. We also spend a lot of time in outreach to our communities, just to get our university's name out there. We're a self-selected group of people-lovers.<br /><br />Most of all, we have to have a very creative research program that is interesting enough to get published, but not intersting enough to get scooped, and must be done with relatively untrained lab help who only have a few hours a week to be in the lab. We have to be able to do our science with a heavy teaching load, which requires Pausch-like efficiency. Oh, yes, and it must be seriously low-budget science. <br /><br />Think "Science Survivor: PUI." Cobbling together a mansion from sticks and twigs gathered on an island. Now that's exciting science adventure!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-88705488264003647512009-04-20T13:07:00.000-05:002009-04-20T13:07:00.000-05:00Yeah, we do. I have verified proof in an email. I ...Yeah, we do. I have verified proof in an email. I was chosen for a program for my 'excellence in research, my teaching experience and my social competence.' I can go all sciency dorky when I want to but I've also made a point to keep a healthy mix of friends from all walks of life. Keeps me from from getting too sucked into my science world. I can talk to anybody about anything. The stereotypical types of people that are in science is changing. However, I do agree that we have done a horrible job of disproving these stereotypes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-25748425453639215122009-04-20T13:05:00.000-05:002009-04-20T13:05:00.000-05:00I ask myself often "Why am I a scientist?". It's t...I ask myself often "Why am I a scientist?". It's the most idiotic career choice in terms of stability outside of acting. <br /><br />In the UK, you train for SIX years (B.Sc = 3 yrs, Ph.D = 3 yrs) to get paid the same as a graduate does in other careers.<br /><br />You are stuck on 3-year post-doc contracts effectively forever unless you are capable of getting a Fellowship or a Permanent Position. 3-year-contract = no chance of getting a mortgage unless you are (a) living with someone with a sensible job or (b) lie (which is a stupid thing to do cuz if in 3 yrs time you're unemployed, you still have a mortgage to pay off).<br /><br />Getting a permanent position doesn't mean being good at your job, being a good scientist or being good at anything other than jumping through the right hoops and (metaphorically) sucking the right c*cks over the years. The politics of academia are insane.<br /><br />I would only recommend someone take a career in science (as in an academic career in science) if they have a large contingency fund in the bank for those unemployed years when you can't get funding, have a very understanding partner and are willing to up-sticks to find work - including moving 10,000 miles with your family in tow. Oh and then moving back again in 3 years when the contract ends.<br /><br />Is that honestly a career you'd recommend?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-63937566549427986732009-04-20T13:04:00.000-05:002009-04-20T13:04:00.000-05:00Etched in my memory is my second grade teacher tel...Etched in my memory is my second grade teacher telling me "so you want to be a scientist?", with a heavy dose of derision. Although she left other mental scars, science & engineering (which I like to think of as the application of science) are still my passion. People like her shouldn't be allowed to "teach".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-86414871044646298232009-04-20T12:45:00.000-05:002009-04-20T12:45:00.000-05:00In fact, I know quite a few.In fact, I know quite a few.Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-2474118154727226632009-04-20T12:43:00.000-05:002009-04-20T12:43:00.000-05:00A socially functional scientist doesn't exist....A socially functional scientist doesn't exist....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-18226874337801054752009-04-20T12:22:00.000-05:002009-04-20T12:22:00.000-05:00I actually take much pride in the fact that people...I actually take much pride in the fact that people who just meet me would never suspect that my career is science professor and that they are shocked and somewhat impressed when I tell them. I like to think that it's my stellar social confidence but I think it has more to do with the fact that I look like I'm 23.<br /><br />I actually have made it my personal mission to if not as least break but to make people rethink their stereotype of scientists being dorky, socially incompetent men.<br /><br />I'm opposed to any parent discouraging their child from something positive or a particular career that they really want to do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-36918883075931409222009-04-20T12:12:00.000-05:002009-04-20T12:12:00.000-05:00Maybe the "all black clothes" comment wasn't about...Maybe the "all black clothes" comment wasn't about Goth fashions but about being a stage hand.<br /><br />Perhaps the mother knew that the kid was super-rebellious and was much more likely to do something she appeared to disapprove of.<br /><br />Maybe she was religious fanatic and disapproved of science because her guru/pastor told her to.<br /><br />Maybe she was a scientist who had just lost all her funding and her job and was in the airport on the way to a job interview for yet another short-term postdoc.<br /><br />Seriously, we really need more context before we can judge either the mother or the child.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14528751349030084532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-25362874645881991592009-04-20T11:55:00.000-05:002009-04-20T11:55:00.000-05:00"...but mom, I like wearing black"
The kid is onl..."...but mom, I like wearing black"<br /><br />The kid is only nine and he has already figured out that his mother's judgment is suspect. He'll be alright.yolionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-45207970929815267662009-04-20T11:54:00.000-05:002009-04-20T11:54:00.000-05:00Actually, that was a joke, or an attempt at one, o...Actually, that was a joke, or an attempt at one, or at least an attempt at sarcasm (sorry).Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-83468509024954461672009-04-20T11:32:00.000-05:002009-04-20T11:32:00.000-05:00The thing in your post that really struck a chord ...The thing in your post that really struck a chord with me was your offhand comment that you are a scientist and therefore you get depressed. I am definitely this way, and I have learned that a lot of people I really respect (and thought would not be victims) are so too. I would be interested to hear more on this topic. Do we all really tend to depression? If so, why? A poll?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00586261769282744708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-73276775027530203252009-04-20T11:15:00.000-05:002009-04-20T11:15:00.000-05:00My own university bought into the stereotype that ...My own university bought into the stereotype that engineers are shy and have no social skills. Or maybe they were catering to local employers who believed that stereotype. Either way, we were all forced to take a few classes freshman year to learn how to not be so nerdy and backward. Those classes were the only easy As throughout college, but they still took up valuable time that I could have used to study, sleep, or practice social skills in real life.<br /><br />In reality, I work with others as part of my daily job. A good scientist will realize that they don't know everything and they can benefit from consulting their colleagues.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627177924499542404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-30304266966937519532009-04-20T11:14:00.000-05:002009-04-20T11:14:00.000-05:00"You want to be a CEO of a major corporation? NO ..."You want to be a CEO of a major corporation? NO way! Those people work too hard, ignore their families, make morally dubious decisions to further their careers, and ultimately realize that the dumptrucks of money they make can't buy them happiness! There's no way I'll let you be a CEO."<br /><br />:pAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-84295156520367301932009-04-20T11:11:00.000-05:002009-04-20T11:11:00.000-05:00i guess this mother did not see the power rangers ...i guess this mother did not see the power rangers then - paleontologist and super hero. yes, i say this with a smile on my face. my 9 year old wants to either be a paleontologist or game software designer, as he thinks both of these professions are "cool".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com