Picture a Scientist

One would think that the very educated men in academia would be above acting like 13 year old bullies, but one would be wrong there. So glad that David Marchaunt was finally fired by Boston University, no man deserved it more! What these smart women have had to put up with for all of their careers is just so wrong! As a graduate student working on my Master in European History at Duquesne University in the 1970s, no one ever tried this crap on me, but then I was already married to a 6 foot 4 inch 200 pound recently ex- Air Force sergeant with very impressive muscles. Or maybe it was because it was a Catholic school, or perhaps history is not just primarily a male find. But no woman should have to put up with this sort of thing! That full professors in science at major universities have had to for many decades just show how very fragile men's egos are, that they can be so threatened by smart women in their fields. Their behavior is disgusting! Past time this horrible behavior was exposed!

Unfortunately harassment is ubiquitous, it would appear it is rampant in a male dominated world, while its not surprising it is sad.

In this documentary, women scientists discuss the inequalities they faced while creating a formula to make science accessible to everyone.

A super painful documentary to watch, of course I know the challenges that women face in a world dominated by men and extremely sexist, however I could not even imagine how much humiliation, evil, all the horror they suffered within science and that many still suffer in other areas... A Documentary denouncement necessary, and a little justice for the women who suffered, disgusted that David Marchant, suffered a minima penalty, but very representative, resignation and loss of homage in the Marchant Glacier renamed Matataua Glacier that means "a girl scout before the troops"...

As a female person-of-color undergrad who aspires to pursue physics research, I have personally experienced many put-downs due to my gender.

I have always deeply admired those female scientists coming before me, for their unwavering courage and determination.

I liked the structure of the documentary. We get a definition of the problem, first-hand experiences, discussions about where the problem comes from, examples of how women have managed to create lasting change, and reasons why we should all care. Overall, it presents a good basis for discussion/action, regardless on how familiar you are with the topic.

Also, the protagonists are truly inspiring. Especially when they share their thoughts on how they navigate and respond to inappropriate behavior on a daily basis. As a white male, I have never had to think about these things - and I completely agree with some of the statements in the documentary: It is a complete waste of brilliant minds.

Because it is US-centric, it prompts me to look at how things are elsewhere. I hope to find at least progress.