Einstein’s Wife
I went to see Einstein’s Wife this weekend, a funny and quirky play that is playing as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. Without giving away too much (I highly recommend you see it if you are in the Greater Toronto Area), it provides a unique perspective on the historical place of women in science, specifically genetics.
Being in a profession that is currently a whopping 96% women, it is no surprise that I personally feel that women are quite strongly represented in the science world. However, I didn’t have to look far to find criticism of gender inequality within the scientific community. Interestingly, these discussions are centered around women and science writing, specifically within the blogoshpere. As the-scientist reports, female science bloggers represent a mere 22% of all science blogs.
I have yet to find another genetic counselor authored blog. This is a little surprising, given that one of our strongest attributes is our ability to translate complicated scientific information into layperson’s terms. As Sean recently pointed out, women (or those with androgenous minds) are poised to succeed in today’s “hyper-competitive global economy.” Hopefully the same holds true for the hyper-competitive scientific community. In the mean time, we need to get online.
HER NATURE HIS NURTURE 