[phil_20686]

Original article - warning this quote is a long way down!

Dutch study shows rampant sexism in scientific community. Dutch establishment promises reforms, says they will push "gender awareness" on everyone involved. Outside observers point out basic statistical error, actual results show no gender bias at all. Original authors say it doesn't matter and the Dutch scientific community is still sexist because grant review forms use "gendered language" like the word "excellent" which is apparently "male-coded". Dutch establishment says reform and gender awareness programs are "still a good idea, regardless of the paper's quality", and vow to push ahead. Why are we even bothering to do science anymore? Why don't we just write the only acceptable conclusion on a piece of paper beforehand and save however much it cost to do the study?

[helene_t]

Haha, welcome to the real World. I suppose theoretical phycisists don't have this problem so often, but I had something very similar in a recent drug trial I was asked to advice about. Really hard to convince people who have this "we know the drug works so it doesn't matter that our data don't show it" attitude.

But yes, "heerlijk" is a sexist term. You shouldn't call Germany "Germany" either, it is sexist as well

[phil_20686]

 helene_t, on 2015-October-13, 07:01, said:

Haha, welcome to the real World. I suppose theoretical phycisists don't have this problem so often, but I had something very similar in a recent drug trial I was asked to advice about. Really hard to convince people who have this "we know the drug works so it doesn't matter that our data don't show it" attitude.

But yes, "heerlijk" is a sexist term. You shouldn't call Germany "Germany" either, it is sexist as well

I also came aross this in today's procrastination. Truly incredible. And not in the good way.

[billw55]

 phil_20686, on 2015-October-13, 07:52, said:

I also came aross this in today's procrastination. Truly incredible. And not in the good way.

I actually found it fairly entertaining. Spoofing woo is a tricky thing to do well.

[Trinidad]

 helene_t, on 2015-October-13, 07:01, said:

Haha, welcome to the real World. I suppose theoretical phycisists don't have this problem so often, but I had something very similar in a recent drug trial I was asked to advice about. Really hard to convince people who have this "we know the drug works so it doesn't matter that our data don't show it" attitude.

But yes, "heerlijk" is a sexist term. You shouldn't call Germany "Germany" either, it is sexist as well

If I will ever eat fruit in that Arab country, I will say: "I am eating a womandarine in Owoman." On my trip I will probably be accompanied by a galde (rather than a guy-de). I call on all BBF contributors to actively girlcot organizations that use these male-coded terms. I vow not to use chap-stick until there is a lass-stick on the market. ... I am still torn on the use of soup lad-els...

Rik

[Winstonm]

 Trinidad, on 2015-October-14, 07:32, said:

If I will ever eat fruit in that Arab country, I will say: "I am eating a womandarine in Owoman." On my trip I will probably be accompanied by a galde (rather than a guy-de). I call on all BBF contributors to actively girlcot organizations that use these male-coded terms. I vow not to use chap-stick until there is a lass-stick on the market. ... I am still torn on the use of soup lad-els...

Rik

How can I boy-cott?

[Zelandakh]

 Trinidad, on 2015-October-14, 07:32, said:

If I will ever eat fruit in that Arab country, I will say: "I am eating a womandarine in Owoman." On my trip I will probably be accompanied by a galde (rather than a guy-de). I call on all BBF contributors to actively girlcot organizations that use these male-coded terms. I vow not to use chap-stick until there is a lass-stick on the market. ... I am still torn on the use of soup lad-els...

"Probably" is clearly also sexist (should be "Promädelly") and perhaps we ought to use "maryet" rather than "market". "Use" is of course reverse sexist, so I think we should start replacing that with "rams" at least half of the time. For that matter BBF itself is obviously sexist - I suggest we re-brand the site BFF in the future.

[y66]

 phil_20686, on 2015-October-13, 06:55, said:

Why are we even bothering to do science anymore?

Quote

Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it. -- Richard Feynman, sexist pig

[kenberg]

Much of Feynman's wit was grounded in truth. I have often explained to people that every mathematician I know chose his/her this profession because he/she enjoys the subject. People pay us because it is useful. It's a fine arrangement.

I am having some (well, more than some) trouble following this thread but if the claim is that ideology can trump reason on the left as well as on the right, I have no trouble agreeing to that. In fact I would insist that this is so. But there are degrees.

[phil_20686]

 kenberg, on 2015-October-29, 13:36, said:

I am having some (well, more than some) trouble following this thread but if the claim is that ideology can trump reason on the left as well as on the right, I have no trouble agreeing to that. In fact I would insist that this is so. But there are degrees.

There wasn't really a claim. I just thought it was funny, and about equally as crazy as creationism. Maybe more so, as creationism doesn't really impact on real life.

We also just had a petition at Cardiff university to no platform Germane Greer, led by a woman's officer who thinks Germaine Greer's opinions on trans-gender persons qualify as hate speech. Its getting a little hard to know who we are supposed hate these days. There I was thinking that Germaine Greer was a feminist icon and that the fact that Cardiff university has a women's officer is in no small part to her efforts on behalf of gender equality. Irony is dead.

Reported e.g. here <- my favourite article on the topic.

[Trinidad]

 kenberg, on 2015-October-29, 13:36, said:

Much of Feynman's wit was grounded in truth. I have often explained to people that every mathematician I know chose his/her this profession because he/she enjoys the subject. People pay us because it is useful. It's a fine arrangement.

I agree. I often explain my work as "a sandbox for nerds who get paid to play there".

And why does society pay them? Because it is incredibly useful stuff. That is nice for the nerds, but they don't really care, they just play.

Rik

[barmar]

Confucius said: "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."

I've been fairly lucky in that regard. The only time I really "worked" was when I delivered newspapers and worked for Burger King when I was a teenager. Once I learned how to program computers, my passion has aligned pretty well with what a number of employers have needed.

[kenberg]

 phil_20686, on 2015-October-30, 06:21, said:

There wasn't really a claim. I just thought it was funny, and about equally as crazy as creationism. Maybe more so, as creationism doesn't really impact on real life.

We also just had a petition at Cardiff university to no platform Germane Greer, led by a woman's officer who thinks Germaine Greer's opinions on trans-gender persons qualify as hate speech. Its getting a little hard to know who we are supposed hate these days. There I was thinking that Germaine Greer was a feminist icon and that the fact that Cardiff university has a women's officer is in no small part to her efforts on behalf of gender equality. Irony is dead.

Reported e.g. here <- my favourite article on the topic.

Germaine Greer! Now that's name I haven't heard in a while. I looked her up, she was born in 1939, just as I was. Same month, even, but I am a Capricorn and she is an Aquarius. That's probably why we never saw eye yo eye. <y first wife was an Aquarius.

Anyway, maybe she could kick back and relax a little? Long ago I realized no one cares what I think it means to be a "real" woman.

[nige1]

 phil_20686, on 2015-October-30, 06:21, said:

We also just had a petition at Cardiff university to no platform Germane Greer, led by a woman's officer who thinks Germaine Greer's opinions on trans-gender persons qualify as hate speech. Its getting a little hard to know who we are supposed hate these days. There I was thinking that Germaine Greer was a feminist icon and that the fact that Cardiff university has a women's officer is in no small part to her efforts on behalf of gender equality. Irony is dead. Reported e.g. here <- my favourite article on the topic.

Whatever students feel about Germaine Greer's views, it's sad that they deny her the platform to defend them. Students should keep their minds open to ideas (PC or not). Public debate and dispassionate examination might improve their understanding and educate us all. Ignorance bolsters prejudice: Knowledge undermines it.