Well, today is #WomenInScienceDay!

Not just scientists. I remember Eric Laithwaite showing linear induction which blew my little mind. Carl Sagan showed me Google Maps in 1977. The last good one was, ironically, the first woman, Susan Greenfield.

what used to be five hours of exposotion of theory and evidence has become a party-poppers and fireworks laden kids birthday party that explores nothing, criticises nothing and proclaims that everything is Amazing.

It's a lot easier to collate view counts than it is the number of budding scientists who have been inspired.

I'm depressed by the Royal Insititution Christmas Lectures. Five of the last seven lecturers have been women, but what used to be five hours of exposotion of theory and evidence has become a party-poppers and fireworks laden kids birthday party that explores nothing, criticises nothing and proclaims that everything is Amazing.

I remember being told in the early 80s that my chosen field wasn't a good idea for a woman because 'it moves so rapidly that you can't take time out then resume a career in the field'. The insinuation being that I was only a few years away from taking time off to have children. Three years ago, I was being pushed to apply for a management position because, although I was slightly less qualified than the leading male applicant, they were very eager to shift the gender balance at that level (I declined because I personally dislike 'positive' discrimination but, hopefully, things will swing back to a happy medium in the near future).

I teach History, and one of the units I teach is Health and Medicine. I love teaching the students about the achievements of Marie Curie and her Nobel Prizes for Science. The girls I teach find her an inspiration. Sadly there aren't too many women on this syllabus.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

'To rise to the challenges of the 21st century, we need to harness our full potential. That requires dismantling gender stereotypes. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, let’s pledge to end the gender imbalance in science.'

Well said!

https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day

I should get back to my computer... every day is a woman in science day in my house.