Another dedication post.
Dear Dr. Matt Taylor,
You are a great scientist. The project was an amazing achievement. I applaud you and your team for such a significant contribution to mankind.
At the same time, I am deeply saddened to find out that you were treated very poorly during the big event, over something as trivial as a shirt no less. It harms absolutely no one and it does not even express any form of direct hate. Yet, the sad truth is terrible people exist. And this lot has ruined the day for you and us all. I would have preferred if you stayed firm and did not apologize but given the excitement you were feeling that day making you very vulnerable, it was understandable. I would have felt very dejected as well. We scientists are only human after all.
But please understand that I and I believe many more, we who try to make a difference are on your side. I personally dislike the shirt, but it is merely a matter of taste and I strongly think that the treatment you received and the apology forced out from you were horribly unjustified. Your fashion choice, albeit a bit unorthodox given the event, was nothing offensive. I sincerely hope those who are closer to you think the same as I do and support you through this all.
Regarding your remark about how it was a 'sexy' project, I fully agree with you. We scientists tend not to do science because of some utilitarian purpose, we do it simply because we are interested in it. Because we LOVE it. (Really though, the environment is terrible, who would stay without love?) And we express the love in different ways, just like humans do. So what if you choose to express it as 'sexy'? It's a very common comparison (since sex is awesome). In fact I find it inspiring that you put it that way. It echoes with the fire I have deep down, the reason why I chose to do science at all. After all the HR 'diplomatic' facade I see all too common to give a 'good' representation of science, it's very refreshing to see something honest. Respect.
Best regards,
An aspiring scientist
p/s:
Sean Carroll, my respect to you is reduced since I saw your tweet. You are a great scientist no doubt, but for a while already you seem more like a popularizer/advocate than a scientist. Popularity change people eh?
p/p/s:
Look, bitches, I'm one of those who think discrimination is completely justified when crap presents itself. Which you are. So against you sexism is not merely fine, it is a responsibility to keep my decency as a human being who knows the right from the wrong and therefore responds accordingly. Oh mind you this sexism is not directed to women in general for being women (my advisor is a woman, an amazing scientist and she is absolutely wonderful), it's just directed specifically against scum like you who had nothing but the stupidest bullshit in your mind. We landed on a friggin' comet and what you care about in the very same day is a friggin' shirt? PRIORITIES. No wonder why I don't see contributions from you lot yet. 'Cause stupid, y'know? Oh wait, you don't. Sorry, I expected too much from your mental capacity.
If you argue this is the kind of shit that deters women from being in STEM, well, no. Maybe stupid women like you, but we want none of your kind in the field irrespective of gender anyway so it's a win-win for us. So you seem to believe that intelligent women stops answering to their life calling (be it STEM or whatever) just because some dudes happen to have a liking to women? Dr. Matt I believe has abused no one thus far. He has to be amazing or the ESA wouldn't be dumb enough to elect him as their representative. At least since they achieved the Rosetta mission they are sure as hell not as dumb as you. And surely they have some women at all levels in the group. These women were probably not offended by him. If they did, they surely would have gotten more then enough dose of his taste (be it chicks in lingerie or what else) during the entire decade of the project and so could easily do something about it. But they didn't, because they were both mature and focus on things that matter. Which you childish lot don't. Did I expect too much from you feminists again? Sorry!
If you want to help women in STEM, this is not the way. Encourage and teach them. Strive to achieve. Was Wu's achievement any less (or more) amazing because she had a vagina? Curie's, Noether's, Lovelace's, Meitner's? Nope. But is any random woman's position any better in science because these high achievers had vaginas and she does too? Nope. People are people. In science or wherever the fuck else. Similarly, my position in science is not any better because I happen to have penis just like Einstein, Dirac, Heisenberg, Schrodinger (aha), Feynman, Bardeen... etc. If you noticed, I mentioned more men on purpose to tick you off. ;) But seriously, effort and contribution counts. Whatever your circumstances outside of science don't, be it gender, needs or else. That is equality. No one deserves any kind of special treatment because of gender.
Actually on second thought these women were indeed very amazing, they had to deal with a truly sexist society at the time, getting no pay and other problems. Yet they focused on the science, the things that matter. Not crying about how unjust it all and moaning feminism like you. One could argue that nothing could have been done as it was the prevailing mood at the time, but times were tough and they achieved. Now women are recognize a lot more, in my work women and men are equal, so exactly what you're bitching about?