On Girls and Science…
So, this morning, I watched two videos (via @neiltyson, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson). Both videos were made to encourage girls to get interested in science.
The first video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFvh9zbjYeE) is titled, “Science: It’s a girl thing!” and features models strutting around a stage and posing for the camera. The “science” in the video is done by a male model who, apparently, enjoys creating makeup and an unconvincingly “scientific” model drawing molecules on a board. According to this public service announcement, we are led to believe that the main reason women would want to go into science is to learn how to make their own lipsticks and blush.
I watched the video and felt embarrassment.
Is this really the only way that people think girls will be enticed into the sciences? If anything, this would turn me off of chemistry – this blatant display of pseudo-science directed toward preteens, just reinforcing the materialism our world is saturated with…
The second video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BI2m3QoaS8&feature=plcp), “Barber-Lab Quartet – The Longest Time (Coral Triangle Edition)” features four female scientists singing a song to explain the work they do. The women are normal, laughing, and completely realistic. They are scientists.
I watched this video and smiled. I could relate to these scientists! They are like me: silly, geeky, interested in nature’s processes, and motivated by knowledge. I like this video very much. Sure, the singing isn’t auto tuned or perfectly mastered. Sure, these women aren’t cadaverous or dressed in the height of fashion. But, their simple and fun video inspired me.
I began to reminisce about my days as a lab assistant at the Chetelat Lab of UC Davis’ TGRC (http://tgrc.ucdavis.edu/). I remembered how exciting and intriguing every single day of work was. I never knew what new things I would learn, and I learned something new every day. I loved it! I’d love to be able to share those feelings of awe and wonder with girls who are considering going into the sciences!
The women of Barber Lab achieved so much more in their low-budget and unprofessional video than the professional and stilted first video: they have achieved and showed true success in the sciences. They showed us that it’s not about prestige or being worshiped, it’s about understanding how the world works and sharing this knowledge.
Thank you, female scientists, for having the courage and the tenacity to be who you are and do what you do.
We need you. 🙂