What's your take on Neil deGrasse Tyson's answer to a question about why there aren't more women in science? (from 2015, so not recent, but video is circulating on social media (again))

Singulaire · 2016-05-05T11:27:40+00:00

I don't think that Neil's experience of going through the education system as a black man in the 70's (he was born 1958) is a good approximation of social barriers that may or may not affect women unequally. I don't think women are likely to face teachers who will try to dissuade them from engaging in science. I think women are more likely to be dissuaded by people telling them that STEM fields are sexist and that women in the field are mistreated.

aragorndc · 2016-05-05T10:12:25+00:00

If you only you can come to a conclusion that women are being pushed away from science based on personal or anecdotal evidence then he is either being delusional or ignorant on the subject.

If all it takes is a personal experience to prove women being pushed away from science then I will give you my personal experience which contradicts that. Me and my sister both were encouraged to pursue STEM but my sister loved biology (reason she is good at remembering) and hated maths and physics. Never once my sister was told she cannot do maths because she is a girl either by my parents, teachers or anyone and even arranged a private tuition for these subjects. Yet no use, she really hated maths and physics and did not go into engineering but selected social sciences and wants to be a social worker who wants to start an organization to help women.

I am not here to say women cannot do maths or stuff. I am just saying your view on how world works should not be solely based on personal or anecdotal evidence. I was under impression that men don't face problems because I have never faced any problem so far, you can say I was bit lucky. But doing my own research, hearing out different views on subject and analyzing them I have realized men in general do face problems in the society which brought me closer to this sub.

FFXIV_Machinist · 2016-05-05T13:58:11+00:00

I think this guy, and people in general, should stick to shit they know about. This guy has no idea what it is like to be a female and has no experience with the problems they faced or why they do not go into science or math.

ExpendableOne · 2016-05-05T18:23:01+00:00

As much as I adore and respect NDT, I think he's really misinterpreting a lot of these facts and factors. The issues here aren't men telling women they shouldn't be in science, or telling them they should be doing other things, the issue is this culture of anti-intellectualism, or more specifically anti-science and anti-male aspects, that are so predominant among women and girls(which also seems to be pretty dominant within black communities, especially those that glorify urban/thug attitudes, which in of itself seems to strongly glorify female definitions of virility and masculinity). The problem is inherently with this common attitude of "eww nerds!", or "if you're into tech/science, specifically if you are male, then you are not worthy of love and respect, least of all from women" because it isn't an "alpha male" or "real man" pursuit(which also completely revolves around this self-perpetuating notion of "nerd is unattractive, therefore women shouldn't like nerds, therefore nerd is unattractive"). The lack of women in science, or even the lack of black people in science, is far more related to misandry(if not even racism against what might be viewed as a "white or asian" pursuit by racist black individuals) than it is about misogyny or racism against black people.

iongantas · 2016-05-05T13:13:07+00:00

I respect him less and less every time he tries to comment on something outside his field of expertise. First atheism, now identity politics.

DingleberriesOnToast · 2016-05-05T14:40:20+00:00

Here's an idea. Men and women are different. Fewer women go into science because they're generally less interested in it than men are.

What does everyone think?

Tolazytomakename · 2016-05-05T21:26:45+00:00

Well experiences change...if we want to bring up anecdotal evidence.

Born in the 80's, women were actively encouraged to be interested in science in school. Damn there are even programs for just girls to be able to spend a day at the University and seeing all the cool things being done there, nothing for boys. This is a girls only program.

Whisper · 2016-05-05T22:37:58+00:00

Just lost a lot of respect for him, that's what.

You would think scientists wouldn't be quite so prone to confirmation bias.

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