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Nobel laureate Tim Hunt resigns after 'trouble with girls' comments

UCL professor steps down after saying he was in favour of single-sex labs because girls fall in love with men, and ‘when you criticise them, they cry’
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    Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday, Hunt says he didn’t mean to cause offence but added he “did mean the part about having trouble with girls”
    A Nobel laureate who said that scientists should work in gender-segregated labs and that the trouble with “girls” is that they cause men to fall in love with them has resigned from his position at University College London (UCL).
    Tim Hunt, an English biochemist who admitted that he had a reputation for being a “chauvinist”, had made the comments at the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, South Korea, where 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 criticise them, they cry.”
    In a statement published on its website UCL said that it could confirm that Hunt had resigned on Wednesday from his position as honorary professor with the UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, “following comments he made about women in science at the World Conference of Science Journalists on 9 June”.
    It added: “UCL was the first university in England to admit women students on equal terms to men, and the university believes that this outcome is compatible with our commitment to gender equality.”
    Hunt, a 72-year-old who won the 2001 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine, had also said that he was in favour of single-sex labs, adding that he didn’t want to “stand in the way of women”.
    Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday, Hunt apologised for any offence, saying he meant the remarks to be humorous – but added he “did mean the part about having trouble with girls”.
    His comments, which were made the addressing a convention of senior female scientists and science journalists, were tweeted by Connie St Louis, who directs the science journalism program at City University, London, and was attending the conference.
    She commented: “Really, does this Nobel laureate think we are still in Victorian times?”
    — Connie St Louis (@connie_stlouis) June 8, 2015
    Nobel scientist Tim Hunt FRS @royalsociety says at Korean women lunch “I’m a chauvinist and keep ‘girls’ single lab pic.twitter.com/Z9NhykaTPv

    comments (3293)

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    1 2 3 4 … 31 next
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    • 0 1
      DESPITE BEING SCIENTISTS WE REMAIN JUST PEOPLE
      The previous message related to a lady scientist? What about a gentleman scientist?
      I dream neither of the next door girls
      Nor of the city where I live nor country
      In my dreams is only Senegal
      Cuz it paid me the most precious bounty
      Just imagine, folks from our testing lab,
      Lapping of the waves and plash of oars,
      Alligators, coco trees and baobabs
      And the wife of the French Ambassador
      Though, frankly, I can`t speak a word of French
      Nor can she of English, does it matter?
      After groping in the corridor,
      In the kitchen we passed on to graters
      Now that I needn`t ladies from the lab,
      I gonna come back to Africa, where are
      Alligators, coco trees and baobabs
      And the wife of the French Ambassador
      Sorry, dear bros and dear sises,
      I don`t know what I`m talking of!
      All the nights I dream of her hot kisses,
      She is featured in that 3D movie of
      My wild passion that can burn to ashes,
      There is Africa and there`s open door
      To the bed in which together lashes
      Four my limbs the French Ambassador.
      Reply |
    • 0 1
      Night Club in Bern, Switzerland. A tipsy lady scientist is trying to pick up a handsome gentleman.
      Lady Scientist: You must listen and trust me! When they describe us, the mathematicians as the dried-up people, never believe it! Outrageous lie! Lie!!! Personally, I am Einstein of love! I gonna confess you just one thing, I wanna be with you, Sir!
      Handsome gentleman: Fine! Get outside, my dear! I am to follow you soon.
      Lady Scientist: No kidding, really?
      Handsome gentleman: Nope!
      Lady Scientist: I`m on my way. On my way! (A little bit later) Can you swear it?
      Handsome gentleman: Cross my heart and hope to die! Now go and draw a pair of formulas!
      Lady Scientist: I`m on my way!
      Handsome gentleman: But be quick!
      Reply |
    • 0 1
      "belittling them as crying and a distraction"
      Hmm. The crying bit is actually true, particularly in our culture but I suspect also a hormonal thing. And their being a distraction is a reflection on Tim rather than on women.
      No, sorry, I don't think that there is anything that Tim said that impacted on the opportunities of women. He merely reflected that they are different, and suggested that a solution might be for men and women to work separately. We are not required to agree with him - and such are the nature of opinions.
      Unfair discrimination would be if he had suggested that women should not be allowed to be researchers, or do not make suitable scientists, or something of that nature that indicated a tendency on his part to disadvantage or underestimate women, or to encourage others to do so. This was not apparent in what he said.
      Reply |
    • 3 4
      What a minute - the guy spoke the truth and he said "In my experience...." Free speech is more important. Besides, do you want him to lie to you/us instead? He told of an event or events which happened to him - the truth - good.
      Reply |
      • 0 1
        Exactly
        Live a life externally that threatens no one or only be honest about your experienced real world reality of many years or decades behind closed doors with family and trusted friends.
        Yes we must obey laws but does anyone really believe that discrimination doesn't occur behind closed doors by most employers?
        There have been numerous studies conducted where a simple name change evokes a major increase in interviews just as saying you had a physical disability had little negative effect but even a very mild and short term mental illness meant very few interviews whilst the applications were otherwise exactly the same.
        One life live it
        Reply |
    • 0 1
      To be honest women should not be working in science, they have too many hormones, everyone knows it. They should be at home, keeping the cave tidy and free from sabre toothe tigers and other predators. Then when their scientist/hunter husband returns home with the days food and discoveries they should be ready to cater to his needs.
      Reply |
    • This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs.
    • 3 4
      The was removed a fragment from `Sexmissja`, a classical movie that foresaw the current situation. Well, lil bros and sises, it`s time to forbid all most all classical movies and books. Now we gonna forbid films, then we shall set on fire books, after that we`ll start jailing and shooting people.
      Fragment from the Russian feature film `The Good Comrade` («Служили два товарища»):
      -We are speaking to you in plain Russian!
      Lady Commissar: Wait! I’ve recognized you, Sir. You tortured me in the Intelligence Service! You are a white officer!
      -You are mistaken, madam.
      Lady Commissar: Look at your hands! They are all in blood!
      Red Lettish Rifleman: Comrade Commissar! That’s what has been found in their machinegun cart!
      Lady Commissar: All’s clear now. ... Shoot` em.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Vp4q5B0h83U
      Reply |
    • This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs.
    • 1 2
      And they say (Dawkins) God is a "misogynistic..malevolent bully" - yet some people would label Dawkins anti-women - for his comments - which he hurriedly qualified in subsequent interviews. We know of Richard's minimizing of the seriousness of Paedophilia when he admitted being a victim of it: "Mild paedophilia never did me any harm." I call that Dawkins' Bonobo syndrome. If monkeys do it - why cant we?
      But why am I talking about Dawkins? Well - Tim Hunt is no better than other people in his prejudices...no more enlightened than Dawkins as a scientist. Scientists are no more moral than the rest of us. This is the great fallacy in modern times; the idea that a man of science has ethical duties to attend to. With the demise of priests and religious authorities as examples of morality - the men in white coats have replaced the men with the clerical collars.
      As Dawkins opens in his God Delusion: the OT God is a "misogynistic, homophobic, racist, ... filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully" - we can confidently say the same about scientist. They've certainly caused great harm to our ecological welfare with their bloody inventions. All we can say is - it takes one to know one - R.D.
      Reply |
    • 0 1
      Human brain is not perfect. Tim is a sick man and his environment (supremacist conservative monarchist British) did not help him but worse his dark side.
      His language, his views are not rare in England but cultural.
      Reply |
      • 2 3
        Goebbles: When I hear the word `culture` I feel like shooting! Let`s destroy his environment (supremacist conservative monarchist British) and break their dog`s heads. 文化大革命万岁! Long live Great Cultural Revolution!
        Reply |
    • 5 6
      He's 72 and still refers to women as "girls"? Knob!!!
      Reply |
      • 6 7
        Where I work, there are around a dozen female persons and they always refer to each other as "girls". So, what does that make them? I am the only male employee, btw. Were I of such a mind, I could quite easily have a case for sexual harassment, given the base nature of their relentless conversations and lewd suggestions aimed in my direction.
        Reply |
      • This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs.
    • 4 5
      The first work environment girls ever see is when they go to primary school and learn at first-hand, from a very early age, that men and women do very different jobs.
      Almost all of their primary school teachers will be female.
      If you want equality, try not imprinting on girls at a very early age that men and women do different things.
      Reply |
    • 6 7
      Another scalp for the feminists. Yet another reason why I have abandoned that label.
      Reply |
    • This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs.
    • 3 4
      I've looked around. And men in general are truly pissed by the double standards that have been used against Sir Tim Hunt in comparison with Bahar Mustafa. Perhaps it's time for a segregation in science: Let the men do their thing and let the women do their thing. It's obvious that we don't trust each other anymore. Right?!
      Reply |
      • 1 2
        The reason you feel that way is because you are failing to understand the difference in context. Context is everything
        Reply |
      • 2 3
        There's a negative spirit. It transcends any context. There's a deep hatred that will only get in the way of the endeavor of science. You may dismiss it now, but it won't go away. Humanity as a whole is too closed minded. Groups within will still be able to produce spectacular results. We must protect them.
        Reply |
    • 7 8
      How do we indicate our support for Tim Hunt?
      Reply |
      • 7 8
        Why the hell would you want to? In industry we are working like hell to encourage women and girls into stem subjects. Not because it is PC, but because they are good at it AND WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
        Then along comes Tim...
        Reply |
      • 3 4
        Spot on Tony. In a long career in scientific and professional work I worked with many clever and ambitious women as colleagues and bosses. No problem whatsoever, can't understand what all the fuss is about. Although I have to confess that professional admiration once or twice perhaps came close to falling in love a little … but aren't we all human? Of course we need all the talent we can get in the STEM subjects, there are so many problems in the world that will only be solved though rigorous application of the scientific method. There is a lovely post today on the BBC website with a picture of Marie Curie "so glad she was able to take time off from crying to discover radium and polonium". Tim Hunt's remarks were crass, stupid and offensive - confirming yet again that high intellect and achievement aren't always correlated with common sense. But at the same time I am a bit uneasy at the sense of a media witchunt going on around him.
        Reply |
      • 1 2
        Do you have a shortage of QUALIFIED PEOPLE or QUALIFIED WOMEN/GIRLS? If the scientific/technological industry is so keen on solving the varied problems in the world it should not give two hoots about the gender of its professionals. Whomever is interested man or woman should be given equal opportunity to work in the field. This hooray about encouraging and fast tracking women/girls into STEM is a pathetic strategy and would only reinforce the idea that such fields are somehow unbecoming of women and that a few chauvinistic, unenlightened men kept the door firmly closed on them - and thus the special treatment.
        Reply |
    • 2 3
      Our human race must A.S.A.P. start exploring the outer space. These activities will absorb energy both of men and women. Both sexes will realize they are friends and partners, they will learn to feel respect of each other. All men and women (those who have got balls) will get all opportunities for the happy, full, real life. All sissies, like me though I am a man, will stay in the Earth. As to the professor, he`s been bullied in vain, why should we make a new sakharov, the dissident from the old good professor?
      I think we have to form a kind of Femininer Councils whos mamebers, most respected, wise and resonable old ladies could settle down the conlict like that in a human way. What`s been done with the professor is stinky, improper practice. He is not Adolf Hitler, after all.
      Reply |
      • 3 4
        "Both sexes will realize they are friends and partners, they will learn to feel respect of each other."
        Seriously, a male sexist Nobel laureate is out and a female sexist nobody stays in. It's on...
        Reply |
    • 1 2
      What is it with these liberal arts, non-science professionals always crying for humanity, women rights, and this Oabam Fabian New World Order?
      Let me re-phrase this question, what part of gullible do you American voters not understand?
      Reply |
    • 2 3
      this whole fiasco has had precious little to do with real grass roots feminism has been 99.9% political & moral highgrounding... another great day for the PCarthyites... #flyawaytim
      have absolutely no problem with the #distractinglysexy backlash but strange how we are asked to view that as harmless good fun... #doublestandards
      Reply |
    • 3 4
      The Korean female scientists and engineers were "utterly ruined" by the remarks? Only two possibilities here. Either Korean female scientists are pretty fragile beings to be "utterly ruined" by such remarks, or the writer is sexist thinking that supposedly highly educated Korean women would be "utterly ruined" by the remarks.
      Just sayin'
      Reply |
    • 6 7
      Have followed this thread off and on today and have been appalled by the problem some folks seem to have in accepting that we women are intelligent human beings in our own right.
      Reply |
    • 6 7
      Looks like "Connie St Louis, who directs the science journalism program at City University" got her 15 minutes of fame.
      Reply |
      • 2 3
        abso-****-lutely... PCarthyism is truly having a heyday... #selfrighteous #insufferablysmug #witchhunt wins the day yet again... what the hell he was only Nobel laureate...
        extraordinary the number of commentators who have clearly neither read what he actually said nor listened to the above video...
        Reply |
    • 6 7
      This man is a complete prat. He was making a speech at something called the World Conference of Science Journalists.
      Leave aside (if we can) the sexist content of his speech and what we find is that an apparently intelligent human being (indeed, a Nobel laureate) chose to deliver the speech he did in front of an array of journalists, yes, JOURNALISTS, without for a second thinking that a speech of a controversial nature might conceivably see the light of day in the world’s media and lead to him having to consider his position. (Seemingly without even thinking that the speech might stir controversy in the first place.)
      He also made this speech in the full knowledge that he’s living in the 21st century – as was the audience to whom the speech was delivered.
      You can think anything you like. But if you don’t recognise that your views are sufficiently out of kilter with the modern world to the extent that airing them in a public forum may lead to serious consequences, then Nobel prizewinner or not, frankly, you’re a bit of a nobhead.
      Reply |
      • 3 4
        I suppose, he's not as politically correct as he should've been. At the same time, political correctness of the media and the public is very much a USSR-style. It almost seems as though if you don't condemn the poor guy, you are with him.
        Reply |
      • 4 5
        My point isn’t about political correctness. It’s about a man who appears to be stuck in a 1950s time warp and who hasn’t cottoned on to what’s appropriate in a public forum in the 21st century.
        And I don’t think we, or Tim Hunt, are living in a “USSR-style” society as you’ve implied. In a USSR-style society you wouldn’t be allowed to open your mouth in the first place (unless it was to parrot the party line).
        Whereas in our kind of society, Tim Hunt said what he said, but then took the consequences of saying it.
        Reply |
      • 4 5
        "Whereas in our kind of society, Tim Hunt said what he said, but then took the consequences of saying it."
        I suppose, he wasn't taken around the corner and shot in the head or locked in the psychiatric ward, but he's copped it all the way.
        I agree that he might be still in the 50s, but such a public outcry is IMO completely unjustified: he didn't discriminated against women, he didn't abuse them etc.
        He is punished for his words, which I, frankly, don't even find offensive. Silly, perhaps. As I said earlier, there are plenty of single-sex schools, and the society doesn't find that offensive. What's the problem with the poor guy?
        Reply |
    • 3 4
      I don't get it - there are boys and girls only schools, and nobody jumps up and down, even though the basis for that "segregation" is the same as the one "proposed" (jokingly) by Hunt.
      Is there any evidence that he was standing on the way of his fellow female scientists?
      Reply |
      • 5 6
        "Is there any evidence that he was standing on the way of his fellow female scientists?"
        No.
        This is the Guardian. So the world must be cleansed of white males...
        Reply |
      • 2 3
        But these are adults: he is in effect saying that in a serious workplace adults of different genders cannot work together (God knows what he makes of gays, lesbians, transgender, intersex people etc). One of those groups he refers to as being children (i.e.girls).
        Reply |
      • 0 1
        He was talking about his experience. This is legitimate. These are his feelings. Why can't he express them?
        The rest is your imagination - he never said anything about gays, lesbians etc.
        Has he ever stood on the way of women in science? If he did, it is terrible. If he didn't, all of the accusations against him are simple censorship.
        Reply |
    • 2 3
      Let us adjourn this battle of the sexes and conclude that Sir Tim, a run of the mill Nobel prize laureate emoting his internal struggles with love, sex, and women, lost. And that feminism won.
      And let us bury the hatchet by having makeup sex tonight with our adversaries.
      Reply |
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