Careers In Science, Gender Inequalities: Lab Mom and Lab Boss

**Disclaimer: any comments I make about the University that I work at are general and not directed at any one person or Lab. :o)

A group from the highly acclaimed scientific journal Nature have published a study revealing the inequalities that still exist between the genders in science. They surveyed males and females from 16 countries in regards to their career satisfaction, and monetary compensation.

Actual paper: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2010/100624/full/nj7301-1104a.html

CBC article: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/TL974.html

I really thought that we didn't have to deal with this much anymore...but alas, here we are.

They only surveyed those in post-doctoral positions or beyond, but I can elaborate a little on some of the things that are proposed as 'keeping down' the female gender in earlier years. I must admit that I was quite naive going into this article. Usually after reading something like this I think that the researchers are being near sighted and violently accusatory towards our male counterparts. So, naturally, I was expecting the worst. However, after reading the 'Opinions' section in regards to this study, my opinion quickly changed (see what i did there? with the opinion...clever eh? haha).

Opinions piece: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7301/full/4651006a.html

In the very first section by Kathleen Christensen I was made VERY aware of the subtle sexism that exists in our workplaces. She starts out very typical: women being passed over for promotions, women being ill-equipped for negotiation etc. But there are many more subtle things that tend to keep women from obtaining high status positions, and as I found out, they start when you are just a wee little undergrad.

The thing that striked me as having the biggest effect on women in graduate research, or even undergraduate, positions was the term 'office wife'. Christensen uses this term to describe a situation where administrative duties in a lab fall on female shoulders, she also lists planning social events. Seems harmless enough....right?

I have to admit I have heard the term 'lab mom' used many, many times (too many, in fact). Even in reference to myself. I had never (really) thought of this as being a bad thing until I read this article. Christensen explains that although these 'micro-inequities' don't seem harmful on the surface they can be highly toxic to a woman's career in science. Overloading a female student with duties outside of their actual job, 'can impair job performance, damage self esteem and prompt literal or figurative withdrawl from the workplace'. And when we do turn these small slights and subconscious sexism into an issue or stop participating in lab/department social activities we are instantly labelled a Bitch. A word that we will never rise above for the time we spend in that position.

Personally, I also feel like the predominantly (older) male faculties can be incredibly intimidating to women. Male students tend to have better relationships with their professors and supervisors. In my experience it is simply that they have more in common with them than with their female students. They may also be frightened that female students will take their 'friendship' as sexual advances. But these relationships will clearly have an impact in how male students will act towards faculty in general and how male faculty members will respond to their actions.

Where do we go from here? It's clear that there is an issue. No sense yammering on about it if there aren't solutions being brought to the table. I propose that my fellow women in science take the bull by the horns and refuse to be the Lab Mom that takes care of everything but their own project. Lets share the party planning and 'lab-keeping' duties.

Of course we won't change anything overnight, but if every woman in science refuses to settle for anything buy equality and excellence, we can, at the very least, change things for the women following behind us.

And another one bites the dust...

Everyone have a good weekend? Forget about that oil spill for a few hours? Good. Cause we're on Day 63 of that greasy bastard, and now I have another example of the same shortsightedness:

"Oh gee Mr. Willicker, looks like these here weeds are gettin' strong to the pesticide you been usin' on 'em the last 40 years..."

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/06/21/roundup-weeds-resistant.html

Apparently using Roundup for years and years causes the weeds to eventually become resistant and take over the fields even more than they were before. Genetic resistance?! Who could have predicted that?! Oh wait...anyone who has taken Introductory genetics. And now its up to the farmers to you come up with the solution...surprise!

*Side note: My new goal is to cut out soy and corn (unless they are organic) from my diet. Its going to be difficult, that shit is in Everything. [I'm also trying to figure out how to do organic AND Local meat, but its proving to be more difficult than I had originally anticipated].

Just another example of industry getting its hands dirty and not knowing how to clean them off.

"Oh, no problem big mining/oil/forestry company...destroy that ecosystem. Don't worry about it, just put a little money in this account over here so we can pay people to figure out how to clean up your mess while you make it. And then, when they don't figure it out in time and you permanently damage not only this ecosystem, but the ones surrounding it, just take a small fraction of the money you made, pay a fine, and be on your way! We'll take over from there, and be sure to come back soon! :)"

I can only imagine this is the internal conversation that officials are having with themselves when they approve some company to come and completely destroy our land.

When will we learn?? One of my biggest pet peeves is people who constantly use or promote the use of antibacterials/antivirals. If we keep using them the way we do we are just going to have the same situation as with the Roundup and the weeds. Except these are things that will make us sick. Very very very sick.

We can't just always look for the short term solution to very long term issues.

We can't just assume that technology will catch up to industry and learn how to fix their mistakes all the time...how about we just don't make the mistakes?

This is making me depressed. A bit of a jumbled post but I needed to rant because, as you can see, I am growing increasingly frustrated with these types of situations.

Anywho, Happy Monday.

Oh the humanity of it all

With all the news of the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill going on it's hard to get any other science news lately. Everyone's busy telling us how many cars it could fill or how big the spill is in comparison to Rhode Island or how many floors of the empire state building are full of "hypothetical oil".

A hint... it's half full.

So while not "science-y" on first appearance, the story of a 500 million dollar expenditure by the US military really struck my fancy.

What could cost 500 million? Bombs? Planes? Tanks? An exit strategy? Nope...

Some 4 star general must have gone steam-punk and thought that he could use a Victorian era idea to defeat Al Qaeda...

The US Army has purchased three 300 foot long airships to help in Afghanistan.

Yup, I can just picture it now...



Too easy, but yeah... 500 million for some hot air balloons.

Go priorities!

By the way... to make this science, the Hindenburg was filled with Hydrogen, the lightest element. However it is highly reactive and bursts into flames quite easily. This is why is is being touted as a new fuel source... in a safe way that won't make people cry because a Nazi airship burst into flames.

Infographic Madness

So I asked this question a few months ago. Since the Icelandic volcano was keeping planes grounded worldwide for at least a week, would there be less CO2 released by the volcano than by flights?

Well, it seems someone was asking the same question as me and decided to turn it into an infographic diagram.

Volcano infographic can be seen here

And the answer is... yeah if a volcano can close air traffic every year for a about a week we may have a start on the climate change issue. And maybe a hurricane can stop people driving cars for a month too.

So after I saw this I decided to look for some more interesting infographics.

One current trend in the infographic world is showing the effect of the deep horizon spill.

Deep Water

Deeper Water

This oil spill needs to be described in these terms to really get an idea. But 1 million tanks of gas less is one effect. So instead of making 50 million dollars in profits, they'll be losing 2 billion dollars.

I'll do this every once in a while... just quick posts.

This might be one of my favorites, non science though Remember, anything black is where McDonalds rules.

Researchers Use Gene Therapy-esque Technology to Cure Ebola In Macaques

Link to the article

This will likely be heavily covered pretty much everywhere, but I want to get in on the fun too.

Researchers have used a technology called siRNA, or small interfering RNA, to cure the ebola virus in macaques. What the hell are small interfering RNAs? Let me explain....

1. RNA, unlike DNA, is single stranded. It is made by RNA polymerase, which is simply an enzyme that reads DNA to make RNA. This process is called Transcription.

2. There are several different kinds of RNA, but in this case the RNA moves to the ribosome (oh yeah...remember learning about the cell in grade 9? this is why...). This process is called Translation.

3. The ribosome reads the RNA and makes a protein.

4. Those proteins then make up tissues, organs, neurons etc. In short, they make YOU. This is why DNA is said to be the 'blueprint of life'.....it all starts with DNA.

5. siRNA molecules are very short, and double stranded.

6. One of these strands then interferes with the RNA (see above) so that the protein cannot be made.

7. This RNA interference is a post-transcriptional (see above) gene silencing mechanism. So the gene that is the blueprint for the protein remains intact, it is just simply not allowed to make that protein.

In the case of the ebola virus, they stopped the virus from reproducing by interfering with the RNA needed to make a protein that is essential for replication. Thus, allowing the body to mount an immune response against the virus.

Just think of the implications!! I think that this is pretty amazing. All the viruses out there that we dont have a cure for, or even good treatments for! This is very promising research and I am thoroughly impressed.

- TinieBop

See ya in the comments.

Quick Links 1

I'm tired... so instead of writing something that is full of sarcasm and lacking in wit, I'll give some links, and you can treat it like a write your own adventure book... of Science!

Surfing Crocs!

Shitake Diesel

Please Don't Feed The Bears

First Olympic Weather Control, now there's artificial Northern Lights?

It seems that we keep getting some new junk in our solar system all the time. Making more moons in Man's Meighbourhood... well I had to try it.

Be back with new stuff tommorow or Friday.

Look Who's Talking

Although most of his life he's been known as the world's biggest brain, lately this guy has been taking on alien life in a direct and poignant way. No, it's not any of the characters Jeff Goldblum has ever played or his buddy, giant headed Will Smith, it's Mr. Black Hole himself, Stephen Hawking.

So what prompts me to talk about Dr. Stephen "Let's turn off the lights so the paper boy doesn't know we're home" Hawking, other than his TV special which includes some controversial views on how to treat our neighbours in space? It might be that at this moment, the king of the Nerds is hanging at his newly crafted palace in Canada.

Dr. Stephen Hawking, world renowned astrophysicist, is visiting Waterloo, Ontario as part of a research post, at the Perimeter Institute for theoretical Physics, which he accepted in 2008.

It's no surprise that man who has developed many of the key ideas used in describing the known and unknown universe would be offered such a position. He's been awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom by the US, spent 30 years teaching at Cambridge University, and has been the first quadrapelegic to experience weightlessness. As well he can be considered one of the world's best Science Communicators as his book, A brief History of Time, which attepts to expalin the concepts behind astrophysics to the everyman, has sold 9 milliopn copies.

As well as getting to hang out in one of the coolest buildings I've ever been in(with chalkboards littering the walls, pool tables and espresso machine in each lunch room and a theatre which hosts weekly concerts). Hawking also will have the newest wing of the institute named after him and will meet with the Premier of Ontario. Kind of a lucky guy I'd say.

For more info on the visit, roll on over to CBC right here.

For more info on Dr. Hawking and his ideas, visit wikipedia

Gulf Oil Spill... More Like Atlantic Oil Spill

June 7th, 2010

Although I've been hearing from most people I ask, including people who work in Alberta's Tar Sands, that the gulf oil spill is a huge disaster that should mean tougher regulations and oversight on the oil companies, it doesn't hit quite close to home since it's so far away.

Well it may not take too long for Canadians, especially those in my home province of Nova Scotia to realize that this is a far bigger issue than they may have thought. In a June 3rd report released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the National Science Foundation includes some startling projections for the path of the oil.

Watch Spill Projection Video at YouTube

This projection shows the path of the oil approaching the Grand Banks and Sable Island. While they state that the levels of oil concentration should be at acceptable levels by the time they reach Europe, Nova Scotia is still pretty far from Europe.

For the rest of the story: Click Here