Physics career and guy with long hair?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers around the perception of personal grooming, specifically long hair and beards, in the field of physics. Participants assert that while historical figures like Isaac Newton had long hair, modern societal norms often favor shorter hairstyles for professional physicists. The conversation highlights that job performance is ultimately more important than appearance once hired, though initial hiring biases may exist based on grooming. Statistical observations suggest that the average hair length of physicists is shorter than that of the general population, potentially influencing gender representation in the field.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of societal norms in professional environments
  • Familiarity with historical figures in physics, such as Isaac Newton
  • Knowledge of hiring practices and biases in STEM fields
  • Awareness of gender representation issues in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the impact of personal appearance on hiring practices in STEM fields
  • Explore gender representation statistics in physics and other scientific disciplines
  • Investigate historical grooming standards among notable physicists
  • Study the psychological effects of appearance on professional perception
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, hiring managers in STEM, sociologists studying workplace norms, and anyone interested in the intersection of personal appearance and professional success in scientific careers.

PookDo
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Silly question I know but can you have a career as a physicist and be a guy with longer hair?
 
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Einstein had sort of "long" hair, though it was more of a fro. Hippie physics.
 
It's okay if you wear a leather skirt, like the guy in Placebo.
 
PookDo said:
Silly question I know but can you have a career as a physicist and be a guy with longer hair?
No. You can't be a nuclear engineer, either, especially if you have a huge beard.

https://www.physicsforums.com/member.php?u=15685
 
PookDo said:
Silly question I know but can you have a career as a physicist and be a guy with longer hair?
Ever seen a picture of Newton?
 
zoobyshoe said:
Ever seen a picture of Newton?

AHA! wasn't that a long wig?
 
HeLiXe said:
AHA! wasn't that a long wig?
Nope. He had very long, prematurely grey hair. He joked that his hair had turned silver from experimenting with mercury so much.

Good pic here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton
 
PookDo said:
Silly question I know but can you have a career as a physicist and be a guy with longer hair?

Nope. Most physics experiments involve high speed turbines which will chop your beard (and head) clean off. Even theoretical physicists can't have beards because then people confuse them for raving psychotics when they start talking about string theory.
 
  • #10
I have long hair and wtf am I reading?
 
  • #11
Having a job and having long hair and a beard are one thing. Once you're hired, they look more at your performance than your hair/beard.

Getting a job when you have long hair and a beard is a different thing. Since they don't really know what your job performance is like, they rely on shallower things.

But it is statistically true that the average hair length of people with careers in physics is shorter than the average hair length as a whole. In fact, that could be the reason more men have careers in physics than women - it's the hair that does it!
 
  • #12
wukunlin said:
I have long hair and wtf am I reading?

Aaaah, so that's the problem. The ability to read is inversely proportional to one's hair length. :smile:
 
  • #13
Pengwuino said:
Even theoretical physicists can't have beards because then people confuse them for raving psychotics when they start talking about string theory.
Theoretical physicists and string theorists are raving psychotics.
 
  • #14
BobG said:
Aaaah, so that's the problem. The ability to read is inversely proportional to one's hair length. :smile:

According to military standards I have to follow I should be an AMAZING reader then!
 
  • #15
BobG said:
Aaaah, so that's the problem. The ability to read is inversely proportional to one's hair length. :smile:

also explains why Buddhist monks shave all their hair off so they are... infinitely good at reading :eek:
 
  • #16
If you are very well groomed I think you could get a way with it.

Long hair on purpose as apposed to long hair as a result of not cutting your hair.
 
  • #17
actually, I think that mixes pretty well
 
  • #18
I'm a physicist and I had long hair (past my nipples) until recently. I also shave like once a month because I hate shaving. No one I work with seemed to care. The only people who complained were my girlfriend's parents, who said I looked homeless.
 
  • #19
Yeah, that is a silly question. Of course not!
 

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