British teens: Scientists are nerds

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2006-01-23 08:39pm

Teenagers value the role of science in society but feel scientists are "brainy people not like them", research suggests.

The Science Learning Centre in London asked 11,000 pupils for their views on science and scientists.

Around 70% of the 11-15 year olds questioned said they did not picture scientists as "normal young and attractive men and women".

The research examined why numbers of science exam entries are declining.

'Big glasses'

Researchers Roni Malek and Fani Stylianidou are completing their research in April but have analysed around half the responses so far.

They found around 80% of pupils thought scientists did "very important work" and 70% thought they worked "creatively and imaginatively". Only 40% said they agreed that scientists did "boring and repetitive work".

Over three quarters of the respondents thought scientists were "really brainy people".

The research is being undertaken as part of Einstein Year.

Among those who said they would not like to be scientists, reasons included: "Because you would constantly be depressed and tired and not have time for family", and "because they all wear big glasses and white coats and I am female".

Keep positive

Dr Stylianadou said: "These results are worrying for UK science but also hold out hope. Young people see science as important and exciting. But they don't see themselves doing it.

"If we can keep young people positive about science but help them to see the full range of scientific careers, more of them may realise that a career in science can be satisfying - and for them."

Lord May of Oxford, president of The Royal Society, which promotes science, has said "proper targets" for the numbers of pupils opting to take science at GCSE and A-level are needed.

The number taking A-level physics dropped by 34% between 1991 and 2004, with 28,698 taking the subject in that year.

The decline in numbers taking chemistry over the same period was 16%, with 44,440 students sitting the subject in 1991, and 37,254 in 2004.

The number of students taking maths also dropped by 22%.

link

wilfulton · Post by **wilfulton** » 2006-01-23 09:25pm

Lo, stupidity is strength.

I'm actually not surprised, in forming cliques, people tend to socialize with those who are more like them, and evidently feel a need to alienate others that aren't exactly alike.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-01-23 09:42pm

Jesus, and I thought Britain was doing better than America. I must have been fooled by their sophisticated-sounding accents. Tally ho, old boy!

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2006-01-24 01:03am

So, if this means that if I eventually become a scientist, there will be little or no competition for those Nobel Prizes? Or will all the competition just be Chinese and Indian?

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2006-01-24 03:19am

Hawkwings wrote:So, if this means that if I eventually become a scientist, there will be little or no competition for those Nobel Prizes? Or will all the competition just be Chinese and Indian?

More like: by the time you become a scientist there won't be any Nobel Prizes. Alright, that's an exaggeration, but it's still worrying that the number of science students is dropping so much simply due to The Nerd Archetype.

Among those who said they would not like to be scientists, reasons included: "Because you would constantly be depressed and tired and not have time for family", and "because they all wear big glasses and white coats and I am female".

Meaning of course, that she has far superior fashion sense and could never bring herself down to that scruffy nerdboy level.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2006-01-24 08:19am

^ Hey, I think big glasses and a white lab coat would look great on a woman. But I'm positive she could do better than me.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-01-24 01:29pm

You'd think that "Brainiac" would have disproved this .....

Ah well, just another good excuse to shoot more seasons!

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2006-01-24 02:15pm

Haha, that girl is hilarious.

My girlfriends doing chemistry at Bristol Uni, she's convinced theres more girls doing the course there than guys lol.

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2006-01-24 02:37pm

*Gasp!* Kids basing opinions on prepetuated stereotypes?! Whatever next?!

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-01-24 02:50pm

Over 60% of the students in my biology classes were female and not only that, attractive ones too. There was maybe one or two that would fit the above average size category and lack of nice facial features. If science is nerdy, I sure am glad to be in the industry with all the smart, cute girls.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2006-01-24 03:55pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Over 60% of the students in my biology classes were female and not only that, attractive ones too. There was maybe one or two that would fit the above average size category and lack of nice facial features. If science is nerdy, I sure am glad to be in the industry with all the smart, cute girls.

Nah, its not just that. if you ever get the chance to be in bristol take a look at their chemistry dept...
Course thats the only experience i have with science courses, i got to a tech uni no science courses here unless your talking engineering or computing lol

tumbletom · Post by **tumbletom** » 2006-01-24 06:04pm

So are we gonna get hot scientist pictures in this thread, or what?

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2006-01-24 09:25pm

tumbletom wrote:So are we gonna get hot scientist pictures in this thread, or what?

Well, we do have this intelligent female specimen:

Wikipedia wrote:Education

Portman has always thought education extremely important. She reported on a talk show saying, "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star" and that her goal was to graduate from college even if it ruined her acting career. She graduated Syosset High School in Syosset, New York in June of 1999. After high school she enrolled at Harvard University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Psychology on June 5, 2003. Portman is credited as a research assistant to Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz's Case For Israel. She was a research assistant to Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn's psychology lab as well. In 2005 Portman pursued graduate studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to her native Hebrew and English, Portman has studied and/or can speak (to some degree) French, Japanese, German, and a little Spanish, and she is now learning to speak Arabic.

As a student, Portman co-authored two research papers which were published in professional scientific journals:

* Her 1998 high school paper on the Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen earned her a semi-finalist placement in the Intel Science Talent Search.
* In 2002, she contributed to a study on memory called Frontal Lobe Activation During Object Permanence (PDF) during her psychology studies at Harvard.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2006-01-24 11:48pm

Wow, those are some credentials. At least she's a smart student.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-01-25 06:59am

A psychology major though. Not to dismiss her other skills in languages, which are certainly laudable, but psychology is not a hard science anymore than sociology (both of which are probably far more popular today than the Big 3). Her paper involving enzymes should have led her to biochem if anything.

kheegster · Post by **kheegster** » 2006-01-27 05:56am

Around 70% of the 11-15 year olds questioned said they did not picture scientists as "normal young and attractive men and women".

This might be because most scientists are in their late 20s by the time they get their PhDs, and over 30 by the time they settle down into a permanent position.

They found around 80% of pupils thought scientists did "very important work" and 70% thought they worked "creatively and imaginatively". Only 40% said they agreed that scientists did "boring and repetitive work".

Over three quarters of the respondents thought scientists were "really brainy people".

Interestingly, I would estimate that a significant fraction of scientists (~20% at least) do carry out boring and repetitive work, and those who don't have to do boring and repetitive work now and then. Even the most brilliant front-line theoretical physicist have to spend days doing algebra now and then.

And I know of people in science who aren't really intelligent.

Among those who said they would not like to be scientists, reasons included: "Because you would constantly be depressed and tired and not have time for family", and "because they all wear big glasses and white coats and I am female".

The first is true to a certain extent for top scientists, who are so engrossed in work that they do overtime and don't have much time for family, but this is true to a certain extent for most professions... the people at the top work their socks off. The difference with scientists is that they are doing out of curiosity and love of knowledge, not money.

Maybe it's because I'm a physicist, but I've never donned a pair of lab goggles and white coat before.

Akhlut · Post by **Akhlut** » 2006-01-27 09:10am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:A psychology major though. Not to dismiss her other skills in languages, which are certainly laudable, but psychology is not a hard science anymore than sociology (both of which are probably far more popular today than the Big 3). Her paper involving enzymes should have led her to biochem if anything.

What are the Big 3, out of curiosity? Physics, chem, bio?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-01-27 09:14am

Akhlut wrote:
What are the Big 3, out of curiosity? Physics, chem, bio?

It sure as hell ain't astrology, alchemy and witchcraft.

Akhlut · Post by **Akhlut** » 2006-01-27 09:20am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:It sure as hell ain't astrology, alchemy and witchcraft.

Fuck. What am I supposed to do with all this lead, star charts, and psychadelic drugs now?

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-01-27 09:30am

Am I the only one that hears those quotes in a Vicky Pollard voice?

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2006-01-27 09:57am

Akhlut wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:It sure as hell ain't astrology, alchemy and witchcraft.
Fuck. What am I supposed to do with all this lead, star charts, and psychadelic drugs now?

Cast the lead into bullets, combine the paper from the star charts with other ingredients to form a fast-burning propellant, and then take enough psychadelic drugs that you hallucinate you have a gun to use the bullets and powder with.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2006-01-27 01:24pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:Am I the only one that hears those quotes in a Vicky Pollard voice?

Most definately not. They probably asked the most pikeyish looking girls they could just to get the sensationalist head line.

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British teens: Scientists are nerds

British teens: Scientists are nerds

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