If male scientists were written about like successful women
'He had the body of an athlete and the face of a movie star. But Oliver Sacks chose science over glamour.'
Ever notice how profiles of successful women tend to focus on their stereotypically feminine traits? She's not just a CEO – she's also a loving mother. She may be a scientist, but she's gorgeous too.
- #DistractinglySexist exhibit highlights sexism in science and tech
- Scientist Tim Hunt says he was forced to resign over sexist comment
- Female scientists fight back with photos of their 'distractingly sexy' outfits
A relatively unknown Twitter account caught some attention recently by playing around with this concept.
Twitter user Daurmith has been writing short bios of famous male scientists, but in the way that these innovators might have been written about had they been women.
The tweets were originally written in Spanish and then translated into English on Sunday.
They riff on the undue attention given to prominent women's romantic lives
«Pierre Curie, married and proud father of two, found time for love and family during his short scientific career.»
—@Daurmith«Sassy and carefree Feynmann challenged social mores as he worked on his research. He broke hearts all over USA.»
—@Daurmith«A devout husband and father, Darwin balanced his family duties with the study of the specimes he brought from his travels.»
—@Daurmith«His dour personality made everyone think he’d never marry. Even so, Schrödinger got a wife and a Nobel Prize."
—@DaurmithAnd the unnecessary focus on women's appearance
«No one could imagine that behind Newton’s large eyes and frail appearance hid one of the most prodigious brains in the world."
—@Daurmith«He had the body of an athlete and the face of a movie star. But Oliver Sacks chose science over glamour.»
—@DaurmithOther Twitter users got in on the fun, too
.<a href="https://twitter.com/gsciencelady">@gsciencelady</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Daurmith">@Daurmith</a> Despite Einstein's unkempt hair and unusual wardrobe choices, he is lauded for his theory of relativity today.
—@lauretig.<a href="https://twitter.com/Daurmith">@Daurmith</a> Surviving the tragic death of his first wife, the creative and wandering genius Thomas Edison would find love and marry again.
—@alibranscombe