Nobel laureate forced out of studies after making joke about women

[The Almighty Aardvark]

Yeah, there's some things you just don't say in worldwide conference when representing your university. "Black people shouldn't be let in labs because they'll steal all your shit", "My coworker is such an utter *****", and, of course "Women shouldn't work alongside men in science because they're too hyper-emotional".

As people said, this pretty clearly wasn't a joke. It wasn't even claimed to be a joke until recently, and his own wife implied that while she doesn't think he's sexist, this is his opinion on the matter.

I don't know, maybe you don't someone in a hiring and grading (if he teaches classes) position when it seems they're ideologically opposed to the idea of women working alongside men in science. I'm sure if we saw the opposite, where a woman said that men shouldn't be in labs with women because they're too sex crazed to focus, then this thread would be calling for her to be fired. Already seen plenty of people calling for that with what journalists said about gamers.

You say stupid shit while representing your place of employment in a large, worldwide event, you'll get fired. It's not an issue of SJW's gone mad, it's just what happens when you do something that makes your company look really bad.

EDIT:

While some people might think the response was too strong, and despite my post I am not sure that I would have fired him (Maybe have some regulation and supervision over his hiring and grading practices?), a lot of the response has been pretty good natured, mocking the comment as opposed to harassing the person:

Spoiler: for example

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Sir Tim Hunt, a noble prize winning scientist has been forced to leave his posts in University College London and The Royal Society after making a comment about women he described as were meant to be "ironic" and "jocular".

The statement in question is as followed:

"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 criticise them, they cry."

Tim Hunt made the statement at an event titled: "Creative Science?Only a Game?" which was a lunch for female journalists and scientists.

After making this statement, he was accused of being sexist, and following a series of events described as "Hounding" despite issuing an apology, and expressing regret over the joke, he claims he was told that he should "Resign or be sacked" by the college.

Various female scientists have come out in defence of the Nobel Laureate, in particular Dame Athene Donald has been running a blog on the issue and supporting a petition to bring the 72 year old biochemist back to his positions.

Source: Here! [http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/13/tim-hunt-hung-out-to-dry-interview-mary-collins]

The guy is seventy-two. Way back when he was in his prime what he described probably actually happened to the extent that it was joked about. It isn't like he is married to a female professor or anything. Oh wait, he is totally married to a female professor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Collins_%28immunologist%29]. Any decent reasonable human being that isn't out there with an ax to grind would have realised that it was a joke.

 

[visiblenoise]

Seems like there's a fundamental difference in values here. Everyone acknowledges that it's fine (perhaps even fun) to talk like this in the company of friends, but whereas some would actively discourage that kind of behavior in public forums, I think that it's a damn shame that we can't appreciate such mild and clearly hyperbolic ribbing as this. It suggests a severe lack of sense of humor.

What gives you the impression we'd all find it fine with friends? Unless it was sarcasm I'd think significantly less of someone for saying that kind of shit and thinking there was some kind of truth in it. It kind of matters why it's supposed to be funny. If it's supposed to be funny because you think the sexist ideas are true well...

Of course it's sarcasm. Do you really think the the problem this guy claims to have is applicable to all girls, as he says?

It's supposed to be funny (I'd say it's more cheeky than funny) because the sexist idea may have a whiff of truth in it and this is being mocked.

I'll accept that not everyone cares for this type of behavior with friends, but I don't accept that any of this needs to be taken seriously.

ProTip: Women don't like to be called girls, anymore than men like to be called boys. I think you may just be someone with views that most of us find objectionable, but have a bunch of friends with the same views? Your choice of of course, but lets not pretend that's the norm, or right.

There are no views involved here, unless you're referring to the view that things are taken seriously too often.

Also, it was the guy who said "girls," I just didn't think it warranted being quoted...

Suuuuure. Do you also have some beachfront property in Arizona for me?

That's more like it!

 

[Bat Vader]

I agree. People need to stop whinging and need to start fighting. If someone is offended by what someone else is saying they should just haul off and slug the person as hard as they can. It's like the Westboro baptist people. Those idiots deserve to have their jaws broken.

On the other hand, that reaction could get you in trouble really quickly.
As a general rule, manning up and accepting that some people's world vision offends us and that's absolutely fine would be preferreable.

This. So much this.

Somehow, the whole Social Justice Jihad has changed perception to a state where "your rights end where my rights being to" "your rights end where I am offended!". And that just shouldn't be the case. I don't want to live in a world where I have to walk on eggshells out of fear that I will be punished, either by a deranged mob or by actual institutions, that I hurt someones feelings with a harmless joke.

I disagree. I view it as more giving people's fists freedom of speech as well. If someone on the GG side doesn't like what an SJW is saying I think they should have the full right to beat the crap out of them in a fair and legal fight. It would sure as hell make the situation more fun.

In some states there are those legal fights that people can have with a cop watching. I think it should be like that.

 

[EvilRoy]

I'm honestly disappointed that a brilliant mind is being ostracized from a scientific field he is still capable of greatly contributing to for what is a fairly minor offence. Its one thing to loudly dislike a person, its another thing to actually delay morally conducted research in favor of punishing a person for thinking differently.

That said, this is the world we now live in. The court of public opinion is the only one that matters anymore, and some are suited to play it while others are not.

 

[Silvanus]

I will express my feelings on the subject of someone being damned by their own mouth thusly:

First, in the immortal words of Dennis Hopper, "A single tear rolls down my cheek."

But really, no one man can capture the desolation of spirit that I think we all feel when considering this poor good man, who's only mistake was to be a horrid human being in public.

Or can a man? Or a Doctor?

Spoiler

Nailed it.

I'm not terribly interested in grandstanding, so I'll bow out.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

The guy is seventy-two. Way back when he was in his prime what he described probably actually happened to the extent that it was joked about. It isn't like he is married to a female professor or anything. Oh wait, he is totally married to a female professor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Collins_%28immunologist%29]. Any decent reasonable human being that isn't out there with an ax to grind would have realised that it was a joke.

I suppose that any decent reasonable human being that isn't out there with an ax to grind would have also ignored the part where he said that he meant what he said and that he was just being honest for the several minutes he went on about women?

I'm sincerely sorry if a seventy-two year old man's recollections of how the sixties were like offends you. Would you like me to roll you up in bubble wrap before the world causes you anymore grief today?

 

[Barbas]

(Snip).

(Snip).

It would be best if you either disengaged or continued this in PMs. Winding each other up will only affect your health bars.

 

[Mechamorph]

While I agree that its terrible he lost his job, I am confident that he'll land on his feet. There are plenty of institutions that would welcome a Nobel Laureate into the fold. Heck they might need to hold a Battle Royale just to trim down the number of offers he'll get. If no one in the PC mad Europe or America will take him then the Asian universities will. It may not be UCL but they'll pay him well and treat him like a king. Might even be a blessing in disguise at the end.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

I suppose that any decent reasonable human being that isn't out there with an ax to grind would have also ignored the post of mine, as well as All the Common Sense in the World that both say "Being honest about your beliefs and feelings does not mean that your jokes and irony are supposed to be taken LITERALLY"?

So he was just being honest about his beliefs that women are too emotional and distracting and cry if you criticize them, but we're not supposed to take what he says seriously? "I honestly believe this... but I was just joking!" doesn't really work.

That said, I didn't ignore your post because I'm an indecent, unreasonable person, I did it because I didn't feel like dealing with you. I also was busy grinding my machete.

I'm sincerely sorry if a seventy-two year old man's recollections of how the sixties were like offends you. Would you like me to roll you up in bubble wrap before the world causes you anymore grief today?

That's where this is going now, he was only talking about how things were like in the sixties? Maybe i missed it in my not assuming everything bad he said was really a joke, haha, how could you ever believe a 70 year old man could be sexist, but did he say anything that should lead us to believe he was only talking about the sixties?

Regardless, he believes that women in the sixties were overemotional crybabies who should get their own labs so they'd stop distracting the men from their science, but now they're not? That's... better I guess?

I guess it would've been implied given his advanced age and the way he said, "Let me tell you about my trouble with girls.."

And I think people are kinda being cunts for the way they're judging a elderly gentleman for being honest about how things were really like in their workplace back in their heyday.