Scientists Are People Too

I have this t-shirt.

I like the shirt, even though it sends the wrong message. In fact, I wore this shirt while teaching my Physics for Elementary Education Majors course (using Physics and Everyday Thinking). Not sure how we starting a discussion about my shirt, but the conclusion we reach was that it was wrong. It should say "come closer, we are all going to do science".

This is the problem. All too often, students (and all sorts of people) think of science as something that scientists do. This is similar to thinking that only professional singers should sing or only artists should draw. I think we should stress the idea that these (art, science, literature...) are all things that humans do. All humans should practice these things and participate in them. I am sure I have used this quote before, but it is awesome:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Robert A. Heinlein

Yes, someone will probably rightly point out that we (as humans) do need some specialization. I can't fix my own teeth and I can't make all my own movies. But this shouldn't stop us from at least having a basic idea how to do these things.

While I am in rant mode, let me bring up one other point - the mad scientist theme. I will no longer participate in any events that promote or use "mad scientists". You know what I am talking about. Dress up with a lab coat, glasses and crazy hair. Oh, maybe you should add some dry ice in water for smoke and bubbles, yeah - that would do it.

It is a big problem. What happens if you do a google image search for "scientist"? I know everyone gets slightly different google results, but here is what my first hits look like:

In case you can't tell, of all those images, one is a tea pot and 4 show a woman. All of them are wearing a white lab coat (except for the tea pot). Of these first 40 images, 5 show an obviously "mad scientist" and 13 show something very similar to Einstein (but not mad). So, this is the perception of the general public. Scientists are THOSE people, but not me.

Oh, and I have nothing against white lab coats. However, this too promotes the idea that you have to have specialized equipment and clothes to be a scientist. Not true (sure the lab coat helps a lot if you are working with chemicals or in a room that is WAY too cold).

Why couldn't I search for "scientist" and get an image like this:

In fact, it would be nice if that same image came up when I searched for "artist".

Perhaps the most important thing I am trying to say is that scientists are people too. Also, people are scientists too.