Is there a gender imbalance on PF?

  • Thread starter Rach3
  • Start date
In summary, the conversation in the "Gender Specific Fears" thread on Physics Forums delved into the gender imbalance in physics and other sciences, with posters discussing their own gender and field of study. Some expressed surprise at the lack of female physicists on the forum, while others shared their own experiences as women in science and technology. The conversation also touched on the issue of online personas and how gender can be easily misinterpreted. Ultimately, the discussion highlighted the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the field of science and technology.

Who are you?

  • Total voters
    71
  • Poll closed .
  • #1
Rach3
A casual comment in the "Gender Specific Fears" thread made me think:

zoobyshoe said:
OK. Assuming NoTime is a guy (the odds favor that assumption at PF)
It suddenly occurred to me that I can't think of any physics girls on PF (I don't know any in real life, either.) Are there really none here, or are there some who are not very visible?

I mean the gender imbalance in physics is well known, it frequently comes up in Physics Today letters and such.

The poll attached asks (for those in college or beyond) - what your college major/postgraduate field/real world occupation is, and to which gender you belong. I'm not distinguishing among the other sciences/occupations because I don't think there are enough of us for those kind of subgroups.

:frown:
 
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  • #2
hint: i'll be famous when I'm dead.
 
  • #3
I'm still in school, but I want to be a physicist. So I'll just put physics down.
 
  • #4
Female in Other Science/Math

I'm in general science right now doing preprofessional requirements for Medical Laboratory Science, but if that doesn't work I will be majoring in Biochemistry.
 
  • #5
Male, non-science. I've never taken any kind of proper science course. In high school I had to take one course that was a catch-all introduction to physics, chemistry, and biology.
 
  • #6
Male, Math.
 
  • #7
Male, shmuck.

PS. better keep away from Marlon on this issue :rofl:
 
  • #8
My wife doesn't participate in PF, but she does have a B.Sc and an M.Sc in Physics, and an M.A.Sc in Material Science Engineering.
 
  • #9
cyrusabdollahi said:
PS. better keep away from Marlon on this issue :rofl:
I will just keep quiet.

marlon
 
  • #10
I work in physics at the moment, but I choose other science and math.
 
  • #11
Does science include medicine, engineering and technology, each of which may be considered applied science with varying degrees of applied mathematics? Otherwise, doctors, engineers and technologists, get thrown in the mix with non-scientists and lawyers (a class unto themselves :rofl: ).
 
  • #12
Yeah, what's an engineer? I'd never admit to being a scientist (less so a mathematician).

Astro, I think we're special.
 
  • #13
I'm a female in technology. And using my technical powers, I added a technical category. :biggrin:
 
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  • #14
brewnog said:
Yeah, what's an engineer? I'd never admit to being a scientist (less so a mathematician).

Astro, I think we're special.
And modest too! :rofl:

I am waiting for clarification before classification. :biggrin:

I would have put engineering and technology parenthetically with other science, as opposed to non-science meaning humanities, e.g. arts, literature, etc.
 
  • #15
Astronuc said:
I am waiting for clarification before classification. :biggrin:

I too will be waiting before I vote myself in... :cool:
 
  • #16
I don't think the female physicists of PF will weigh in here. I don't think I have ever seen them in GD.
 
  • #17
Math Is Hard said:
I don't think the female physicists of PF will weigh in here. I don't think I have ever seen them in GD.
I haven't either.
 
  • #18
lunarmansion said:
Well, I am back in college full time for a degree in Math and Physics after obtaining a degree in Philosophy and Classics. I have still a year and a half to finish my Math degree and three years ahead of me to finish my Physics degree, which makes three more years of full time college so I would not classify myself as in the Math or Physics cateogry until I finish my degree. Having finished all general requirements from my previous studies, I need to just finish the degree requirements for a second degree. As a female, I do think it is sad that not a lot of women like Mathematics and Physics. I only have one female friend that studies Physics and is about to begin her doctorate, and like me she finished a classics degree first.

Lots of school left.

Good luck with everything and hold on to that friend! :smile:
 
  • #19
Mech_Engineer said:
I too will be waiting before I vote myself in... :cool:

And what might your profession be, Mech Engineer?
 
  • #20
lunarmansion said:
Why should it matter if the people who post are male or female?
It makes a difference in the matter of cubercrushes. For example, there used to be a poster who always had a hot female avatar of one sort or another. Whe I found out it was a guy I felt I'd been distinctly mislead.
 
  • #21
zoobyshoe said:
It makes a difference in the matter of cubercrushes. For example, there used to be a poster who always had a hot female avatar of one sort or another. Whe I found out it was a guy I felt I'd been distinctly mislead.
Was that MacTech? Didn't he state in his signature that he was male, but no one ever read it. I think Danger also thought he was a girl. :biggrin:

WHO KEEPS MOVING THE SMILIES?
 
  • #22
Evo said:
WHO KEEPS MOVING THE SMILIES?


Whinge whinge whinge. It's always about the "who keeps moving the smilies" with you female technologists. :tongue:
 
  • #23
Evo said:
Was that MacTech? Didn't he state in his signature that he was male, but no one ever read it. I think Danger also thought he was a girl. :biggrin:
Yeah, it was MacTech. Signature aside, it's really a form of transvestitism. Made me suspicious of all the apparent women for a while.

In other cases, not knowing means you have to resort to the awkward s/he. I also recall Mr. Robin Parsons having some sort of crisis when he decided to wonder if I was male or female.
 
  • #24
Well I am male. :biggrin:

I put myself in other science, since I do a lot of applied math and physics in my work - which primarily involves simulations of nuclear fuel and systems (predictive analysis), thermo-mechanical analysis, failure and root cause analysis, and modeling the impact of radiation on the mechanical and thermophysical properties of materials, and how materials perform in their intended environment under normal and abnormal transient conditions.


Anyway, as for women in science and technology, the NY Times published a commentary on this very subject.

Numbers Are Male, Said Pythagoras, and the Idea Persists
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/science/03comm.html

By MARGARET WERTHEIM
Published: October 3, 2006
When I was a physics major in the late 1970’s, my very few fellow female students and I had high hopes that women would soon stand equal with men in science. But progress has proved slower than many of us imagined. A report last month by the National Academy of Sciences documents widespread bias against women in science and engineering and recommends a sweeping overhaul of our institutions.
While there may indeed be subtle biological differences contributing to the scarcity of women in the top ranks of science, interviews make clear that many female scientists continue to experience both overt and covert discrimination. [This really pisses me off! :grumpy: ]

The academy’s report is welcome, yet there is reason to believe that when it comes to the mathematically intensive sciences like physics and astronomy, it is not just bureaucracies that stand in the way.

Female physicists, astronomers and mathematicians are up against more than 2,000 years of convention that has long portrayed these fields as inherently male. Though women are no longer barred from university laboratories and scientific societies, the idea that they are innately less suited to mathematical science is deeply ingrained in our cultural genes.

Gail G. Hanson, who discovered quark jets, says that when women are awarded prizes, they’re “often treated even worse.”

It's time to change those negative attitudes. :grumpy:
 
  • #25
zoobyshoe said:
It makes a difference in the matter of cubercrushes. For example, there used to be a poster who always had a hot female avatar of one sort or another. Whe I found out it was a guy I felt I'd been distinctly mislead.
You mean Saint?
 
  • #26
BobG said:
You mean Saint?
:rofl: :rofl:
 
  • #27
BobG said:
You mean Saint?
Not Saint. Despite his avatar, Saint always found an excuse to post pictures of himself, his wife, and his kids in every thread he started.
 
  • #28
I am female. I am pursuing my Master's degree in Physics.
 

1. Is there a significant gender imbalance on PF?

There is evidence to suggest that there is a gender imbalance on PF, with a majority of users identifying as male. However, it is important to note that this data is self-reported and may not be representative of the entire population on the platform.

2. What factors contribute to the gender imbalance on PF?

There are a variety of factors that may contribute to the gender imbalance on PF, including societal norms and stereotypes that discourage women from pursuing careers in science and technology, as well as potential biases in the hiring and promotion processes within the field.

3. How does the gender imbalance on PF affect the overall scientific community?

The gender imbalance on PF, and in the scientific community as a whole, can have negative effects on diversity, representation, and the quality of research. Having a diverse group of scientists with different perspectives and experiences is crucial for making progress and advancements in the field.

4. What steps can be taken to address the gender imbalance on PF?

One way to address the gender imbalance on PF is to actively promote and support the participation of women and other underrepresented groups in the platform and in the scientific community. This can include implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives, providing mentorship and networking opportunities, and addressing any biases in the hiring and promotion processes.

5. Is the gender imbalance on PF a common issue in other scientific fields?

Unfortunately, the gender imbalance on PF is not unique to this platform and is a common issue in many scientific fields. However, there are efforts being made to address this issue and promote diversity and inclusion in the scientific community as a whole.

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