Sir Tim Hunt - women should stay out of labs because they distract men

[MurielWoods]

and they cry too easily and make men fall in love with them

I shit you not

Maybe men should stay out of labs because they get distracted too easily?

It's all rot and he's said as much. Apparently he's married to a very eminent scientist, so I imagine the nonsense doesn't show in his personal life too much.

However, some women are inclined to cry at work over the slightest criticism, which isn't helpful.

IME though, it's actually men who manage to cause the most problem by falling in love inappropriately - complete infatuations that affect their work and decision making.

I read a great rebuttal in the comments section on a FB page. 'Men fall in love with you and sexually harras you then pass off your work as their own'.

It was accompanied with the #notallmen disclaimer, but a few female academics/scientists chimed in saying they had that particular t-shirt.

Tim Hunt. Middle name Warrick....

Yet another depressing example of women being blamed for [some] man's inability to think with their brains rather than other anatomy

However flippantly he intended his comments, a Nobel laureate ought to have enough gumption to appreciate that his words would be given a prominence far in excess of their worth. What an idiot.

Well in nearly two decades of working life I have never fallen in love with a colleague or burst into tears when criticised. While it is possible that a colleague of either gender has fallen in love with me, given that I'm unaware of it, everyone clearly managed their emotions in a sensible way. Not surprising given that we're ^grown ups*.

I would suggest that these comments tell us more about Sir Tim Hunt's lack of emotional maturity than anything useful about life as a scientist.

I'm not sure gender segregation will help Sir Tim unless he thinks his gay colleagues never fall in love.

What a twunt. I have never fallen in love with a colleague or anyone else who comes into the lab. AND the only time I ever cried at work was the day I handed my notice in at a job that I had been bullied and sexually harassed at for 18 solid months. Maybe hunt should stop objectifiying women as things to either shag or protect and see them instead as proper people....

"Brilliant Scientist is also a Silly Twat"

Now there's news . . .

There's a wonderful hashtag on twitter at the moment about this. Pictures of women scientists, both historical and current #distractinglysexy

I laughed like a drain when I saw this.
In 25 years of working in labs I've never fallen in love with a colleague or had one fall in love with me. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

Worraloadofbollox.

Mind you, I worked in one set of labs which was a veritable hotbed of intrigue and drama! At least 3 marriages were broken while I was there due to affairs within the work place (I was there 5 years), there was a sexual harassment issue going on, it was never dull!

But the work was always done.

Proves yet again you can be a genius and have absolutely no brains...
oh and the only people I've ever seen cry in work have both been blokes ( & both for good reason...)

Oh dear poor old sods probably desperate to work in a more fun environment.

'Yaaawn' oh dear what a douche,

Funnily enough the same thing was being rattled about back when Marie Curie was studying at the Sorbonne. Look what happened there!

I can't believe a 72 year old said something unfashionable and a bit prejudiced. It's difficult to contain my shock and dismay, especially as a reader of mumsnet.

Oooh Thumb I've worked in places like that too. But like you say, the work always gets done.

Dear Sir Tim
If people are regularly crying when you offer them constructive criticism to improve their work; then either i) your people skills need some work or ii) your criticism is destructive rather than constructive!

p.s. what are girls doing in a University lab are they all child prodigies or do you mean women.

Newsflash: lab scientists are human after all! Who knew...

Sir Tim Hunt
"the trouble with girls is that they are not ... blokes"

The idea that the problem of people in the lab falling in love with each other would be solved by not having women in the lab is also completely heteronormative.

And yes r.e. Chazs comment. Academic discourses are often quite destructive rather than constructive - of course the problem is often expressed as 'crying women' rather than 'hmm, people's feelings are being hurt (though not all are expressing it in the same way), are we perhaps doing this the wrong way?'

Ah jesus. Every few years one of the old dinosaurs embarasses himself in this way. I wish they'd fuck off into retirement and let the younger people get on with it. Not that I think science is a perfectly welcoming career for women otherwise, but it really is fucking irritating on top of everything else.

I've worked with academics who are, or think they are, top of their field. These comments don't surprise me at all. Some of them think they are so clever that the normal rules of society shouldn't apply to them.

Not sure male prejudice and stupidity is confined to the old men though to be fair. Plenty of stupid young ones and sensible old ones.

And yes yes chaz girls indeed.

I once heard one of those dinosaur Professors say "women in science are a waste of time" to some students. An eminent female Professor was present; she gave him a hug, laughed and patronisingly patted his head "there, there".