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closeGrandmothers can be scientists too
Posted by neilfws on 01 Nov 2013 at 02:32 GMT
I would like to suggest that when searching for a label to define a lay, or non-scientific audience, that authors try not to use words like "grandmother."
Most scientists know at least one scientist who is also a grandmother. I can think of several bioinformaticians who are probably grandmothers too.
We have some serious career issues in science - gender equality is one of them. I think we should avoid labelling groups of people (such as grandmothers) as "people unlikely to understand science." I'm sure that in this case it was a casual choice of word and the authors meant nothing by it. However, addressing these issues means thinking about the words we use and asking whether they are potentially harmful or inappropriate.
RE: Grandmothers can be scientists too
pmmgladieux replied to neilfws on 01 Nov 2013 at 22:20 GMT
totally agree
by the way, my grandmothers are dead