Sexist Nobel Prize winner Tim Hunt recently suggested that there are three things that happen when females are in a science lab: “You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them, they cry.” He says he supports single-sex science labs, because he doesn’t want to “stand in the way of women.”
As if he’s such a heartbreaker. Here is what 72-year-old Hunt looks like:
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His bloviating rightfully set off cries of sexism, and Hunt soon found himself issuing a half-hearted apology: “I found that these emotional entanglements made life very difficult. I’m really, really sorry I caused any offence, that’s awful. I certainly didn’t mean that. I just meant to be honest, actually.”
This guy is a fellow of the Royal Society, and they are distancing themselves from him, issuing a statement that they are committed to getting more women involved in science. Hunt has since resigned from the prestigious fellowship.
Tim Hunt resigns from @royalsociety awards committee http://t.co/uykhrfmwLJ
— The Royal Society (@royalsociety) June 11, 2015
And what of the women already actively working in science? They are responding in the best way: with lightness and humor. Do yourself a favor and check out the #distractinglysexy hashtag—it skewers Hunt’s uninformed point of view so tastily.
It's just really hard working in a coed lab because I'm too distracting to the male scientists #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/9cZMUpy6TL
— Danielle Spitzer (@DNAielleSpitzer) June 11, 2015
Filthy #archaeology women–so #distractinglysexy while head-first down a Neolithic grave. pic.twitter.com/WvlKleIQtn
— Colleen Morgan (@clmorgan) June 11, 2015
https://twitter.com/cenewman0/status/608817036077244416
I was always #DistractinglySexy in my boiler suit covered with seabird poo during my PhD in field ecology… #TimHunt pic.twitter.com/fTM2TE38EP
— Dr Viola Ross-Smith (@Viola_RS) June 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/baileyanns/status/608913504007954432
Photo via Bailey-Ann/Twitter