Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist Criticizes Role of Women In Labs

An anonymous reader writes: Tim Hunt is an English biochemist most notable for winning the 2001 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine. Today he's become notable for something else entirely — at the World Conference of Science Journalists, Hunt suggested science labs should be segregated by gender. He said, "Let me tell you about my trouble with girls three things happen when they are in the lab You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticize them, they cry." As you might expect, this set off a firestorm of criticism. Many asked Hunt to treat women in labs with the same respect he is afforded, and others held it up as an explicit example of the sexism that pervades the scientific community. Hunt later issued an apology, saying, "I'm very sorry that what I thought were light hearted ironic remarks were taken so seriously, and I'm very sorry if people took offence. I certainly did not mean to demean women, but rather be honest about my own shortcomings."

Comments

FFS

[koan]

More identity politics and manufactured outrage, come on /, stop putting crap like this up.

Re:FFS

[Archangel Michael]

If you are offended by what he said, in the context of why he said it, it says more about ridiculous you are, than he is. Political Correctness is a disease, not the cure for what ails us.

Re:FFS

[Archangel Michael]

If the word is so offensive, then why do all the Rap chanters use it in their lyrics? Either it is offensive, or it isn't, you can't have it both ways. If it is "hate" embodied in the word, then the last people to use it should be black people.

My contention is that black people using the word does embody "hate" but it is the worst kind, self hated. I personally think it is deeming to use that word, and skin color of those using it doesn't matter.

I agree

[Anonymous Coward]

I have no love of women in the workplace, either. I severely dislike having to walk on eggshells action and language-wise so just not to offend the women. I really do miss my early IT jobs when there were no women in the building. We said or did whatever without fear of offense or HR, who, at least in our building, was a man, and actually smoked on the loading dock with us or joined us for marathon gaming sessions on the company T3. Ah, the good old days...

These days? A company has to hire women, blacks, latinos, Indians, homosexuals, you name it. All in the name of the false narrative called "diversity". 99% of us were white guys and Asians. We all got along just fine, thank you. Mandated hiring is sick and inefficient and only helps PR. If I ever ran my own comany, I would hire only those who I knew would fit in with the culture, which is usually whites and asians.

Critized for sharing his observation

[Ravaldy]

He observed something that some of us have actually seen but not spoken about. Men and women are different. Who knew?

To suggest splitting them in a lab is ridiculous but that doesn't eliminate the fact that his observations/statements are reality in all work environments where both genders reside.

Should he really be stoned to death for speaking of this? Is it because he talked about women in the work place because I noticed him mentioning both genders? If he's not allowed to speak about gender differences then all hope is lost for the feminist case. After all don't they just want to be seen as another worker in the work place?

They Just Proved His Point

[thechemic]

They just proved his point when they took truthful statements and CRIED about them. The articles convey that it was women that complained about his statements.

Re:So is this the "new apologizing"?

[Zero__Kelvin]

You are an idiotic douchebag. (I'm sorry if you find the truth offensive)