What do children think when they draw a scientist?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Math Is Hard
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around children's perceptions of scientists, particularly how they depict them in drawings. It explores the stereotypes associated with scientists, including their appearance and characteristics, as well as the cultural influences that shape these perceptions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that children often draw scientists with exaggerated features such as wild hair, lab coats, and coke-bottle glasses, reflecting a stereotype from a bygone era.
  • Others suggest that the portrayal of scientists in cartoons influences children's perceptions, often depicting them as mad scientists similar to Einstein.
  • A participant mentions that children might also visualize various creatures when thinking of scientists, indicating a broader imagination.
  • There is a humorous exchange about the appearance of scientists, with some participants jokingly agreeing with the mad scientist stereotype.
  • Some participants express skepticism about children's understanding of scientists, with one stating that kids are "stupid," while another counters that wisdom can come from children.
  • References to online images of scientists are made, with participants discussing how these images may reinforce certain stereotypes.
  • One participant mentions a similar study regarding children's perceptions of mathematicians, noting that they are often seen as old and grumpy.
  • There is a playful debate about the attractiveness of mathematicians and scientists, with references to actors portraying these roles.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of agreement and disagreement regarding the stereotypes of scientists. While some acknowledge the common perceptions, others challenge these views or suggest alternative interpretations, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a variety of assumptions about children's understanding of science and scientists, as well as the influence of media on these perceptions. There are unresolved questions about the accuracy of these stereotypes and how they may differ across cultures or contexts.

  • #31
Ivan Seeking said:
I disagree. I think this is what scientists are really like and the problem is that no one wants to admit it.
:biggrin:
Well, Zz can vouch for me...no coke bottle glasses (no corrective lenses of any variety actually), my hair only sticks up when the air is really dry and staticky (or after getting off a roller coaster), and I'm only tempted by blue drinks, not green bubbly ones. :biggrin: Of course I could be the extraordinarily special exception to the rule. :-p
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #32
zoobyshoe said:
Yeah, whereas they actually look like this:
http://home.nc.rr.com/ringosoft/scientist.jpg
[/URL]

Wooooo hot stuff :!) :!) :!) :!)

That offers still up there moonbear :wink:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #33
Math Is Hard said:
oh, I didn't realize we could count actors and actresses who play mathematicians as actual mathematicians. In that case, David Krumholtz is one cute mathematician!
http://wwwimage.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/images/cast/num_bio_krumholtz.jpg
:!) :!) :!) :!) :!) :!) :!)
Really? I don't find him very cute at all, actually. Though, one of my best friends is married to a mathematician (well, she's a mathematician too...sort of...she got her master's, but chose to be a stay-at-home mom) and he's definitely good looking...I suspect the glasses were getting close to being coke-bottle thickness prior to the Lasix though. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #34
cyrusabdollahi said:
He looks Gay.

According to http://www.tv.com/david-krumholtz/person/1240/biography.html" :

He is currently dating actress Vaness Britting.

Sorry, Cyrus :frown:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #35
Butt Pirate. Don't believe what you read.
 
  • #36
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #37
My favorite heartthrob scientist - David Deutsch. I even have an e-mail from him. :!) :!) :!) :!) :!) I think he is SO CUTE! And SO SMART! :!) :!) :!)

deutsch2005eq.gif


deutsch2am.jpg
 
  • #38
>>>>>>>>>>Silence<<<<<<<<<<<<< woooshhhhhh wind blows by. Thats one sexy comb over he's got going for him.
 
  • #39
Who is the chick in the picture evo :confused:
 
  • #40
:bugeye: :eek: Remembers what mom said, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." :bugeye: As they say, there's someone for everyone.
 
  • #41
Evo said:
My favorite heartthrob scientist - David Deutsch. I even have an e-mail from him. :!) :!) :!) :!) :!) I think he is SO CUTE! And SO SMART! :!) :!) :!)
Ahh! So that's your type! Now I know what to look for for you. He's definitely "geeky-cute".

But then there's Alex.

Alex, Alex, Alex. *sigh*

filippenko_lecturing.jpg

Alex Filippenko, University of California at Berkeley
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology

I've seen him lecture a couple of times and he's incredible. Once we were both standing at the back of the auditorium and he smiled at me. :!)
*sigh*
 
  • #42
David Deutsch - the brains behind Quantum Computing. You don't recognize him?

Oh, and did I mention that this GOD of Quantum Computing took the time to send me a nice e-mail?

Born in Haifa, Israel, David Deutsch was educated at Cambridge and Oxford universities. After several years at the University of Texas at Austin, he returned to Oxford, where he now lives and works. Since 1999, he has been a non-stipendiary Visiting Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, where he is a member of the Centre for Quantum Computation at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University.

@@@@@@@@@@

Edge of Computation Science Prize 2005
In 2005 I received the Edge of Computation Science Prize for “individual achievement in scientific work that embodies extensions of the computational idea — the design space created by Turing. It is a 21st Century prize in recognition of cutting edge work — theoretical, experimental, or both — performed, published, or newly applied within the past ten years”.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Award on Quantum Communication 2002
In 2002 I received the Fourth International Award on Quantum Communication for “theoretical work on Quantum Computer Science”.

This was presented at the Sixth International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing. A transcript of the talk Physics, Philosophy and Quantum Technology (PDF file here) that I gave at that conference has been published in Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing, Shapiro, J.H. and Hirota, O., Eds. (Rinton Press, Princeton, NJ. 2003).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visiting Professorship at the University of Oxford
Since 1999 I have been a non-stipendiary Visiting Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, where I am a member of the Centre for Quantum Computation at the Clarendon Laboratory.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Paul Dirac Prize and Medal 1998
In 1998 I was awarded the Institute of Physics' Paul Dirac Prize and Medal. This is the Premier Award for theoretical physics within the gift of the Council of the Institute of Physics. It is made for “outstanding contributions to theoretical (including mathematical and computational) physics”.


The citation reads:

“For pioneering work in quantum computation leading to the concept of a quantum computer and for contributing to the understanding of how such devices might be constructed from quantum logic gates in quantum networks.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Distinguished Fellowship of the British Computer Society
In 1998 I was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship of the British Computer Society. This is awarded “to members of the computing profession who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of computing”. Normally there can be no more than 15 such Fellows at anyone time.

Recipient of the 2005
$100,000 Edge of Computation Science Prize

"For individual scientific work, extending the computational idea, performed, published, or newly applied within the past ten years"

DAVID DEUTSCH'S research in quantum physics has been influential and highly acclaimed. His papers on quantum computation laid the foundations for that field, breaking new ground in the theory of computation as well as physics, and have triggered an explosion of research efforts worldwide.

His 1995 paper, "Conditional quantum dynamics and logic gates" (with A. Barenco, A. Ekert and R. Jozsa) was an important step in clarifying what sort of physical processes would be needed to implement quantum computation in the laboratory, and what sort of things the experimentalists should
 
Last edited:
  • #43
Or perhaps you prefer Joao Magueijo for VSL.

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3015/10000158939ic.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #44
Evo said:
Or perhaps you prefer Joao Magueijo for VSL.
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3015/10000158939ic.jpg
[/URL]
ooOOooh! We really need to get back to work on our Men of Physics calendar! What ever happened to that? Think of what a great service we would be doing for science by combatting those stereotypes mentioned in my OP. Maybe we could even get a grant to produce it!:smile:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #45
Just when I thought threads couldn't get any stupider...


*sigh*
 
  • #46
Math Is Hard said:
ooOOooh! We really need to get back to work on our Men of Physics calendar! What ever happened to that? Think of what a great service we would be doing for science by combatting those stereotypes mentioned in my OP. Maybe we could even get a grant to produce it!:smile:
Oh, yes, we need to get started on that again. :!) :!) :!)
 
  • #47
I post this post to also tell you that I am sooo excited and happier when I could say what I should say..You might not believe :-p :-p :-p
 
  • #48
Evo said:
Oh, yes, we need to get started on that again. :!) :!) :!)


Do they have to be PhDs? Can undergrads pose? :biggrin:
 
  • #49
franznietzsche said:
Do they have to be PhDs? Can undergrads pose? :biggrin:
Definitely undergrads.:!) :!) :!)
 
  • #50
Evo said:
Or perhaps you prefer Joao Magueijo for VSL.
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3015/10000158939ic.jpg
[/URL]
Now that's getting a bit closer to my type. I think I go for the guys who just dress geeky...the engineer types. :biggrin: (Let's see who notices that one.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #51
Nothing at all, like a hide and seek game in which the hider 'hurah hurah..' like very 'old' kids or much lower. But it's fun right ? :wink:
 
  • #52
I'll be finishing my bachelors in physics this semester and will be heading for graduate school in mechanical engineering...and to top it off, I go to a school SATURATED with geeks and nerds, so you would think I have the nerd-geek thing going.

While I admit I have wild looking hair, my attire isn't all that geeky.

You'll most likely catch me in flannel, jeans, and workboots and outdoors chopping wood...but I have a pair of leather pants as well, just to break away from the "country boy" image.
 
  • #53
Sting said:
I'll be finishing my bachelors in physics this semester and will be heading for graduate school in mechanical engineering...and to top it off, I go to a school SATURATED with geeks and nerds, so you would think I have the nerd-geek thing going.

Congratulations Sting!

So, do you expect your post rate to increase from one per year? :biggrin:
 
  • #54
Evo said:
Oh, and did I mention that this GOD of Quantum Computing took the time to send me a nice e-mail?

Does your scientist-worship have anything to do with being related to this gal?:


Copy_of_bridef5.jpg
 
  • #55
Two cute mathematicians that come to mind right off the bat are Hypatia of Alexandria and Florence Nightingale. Hypatia is considered the first important woman mathematician and Florence Nightengale's work with statistics revolutionized military health care.

I'm a little hesitant to piss off living mathematicians, but I can't resist mentioning Abigail Thompson. I think she's into bondage. :smile:
 
  • #56
Moonbear said:
:smile: As for photos being B&W vs color, sometimes that's just the department they work for choosing B&W so the new photos match the old ones up on some wall somewhere. I always think it's funny when departments never bother to update their photos, so some professor emertitus is still shown in his 30s with a goofy bow-tie on his suit.
Last year I visted the Physics Dept were I worked in the early 80's ... The same pictures of the profs and staff are one the door of the Dept office that were there 20yrs ago.. short a few who have passed away.
 
  • #57
yomamma said:
Just when I thought threads couldn't get any stupider...
*sigh*
Quoted for truth. :biggrin:
 
  • #58
JasonRox said:
They actually had a similar thing for mathematicians.
The result was that kids saw them as old and grumpy.
This is a major misconception and shows how far math education has fallen in public schools.

Scientists wear lab coats, coke bottle glasses, and suffer mental instability due to accidentally inhaling or ingesting chemicals from their lab.

Mathematicians aren't like that, at all, nor are they old and grumpy. They do tend to have lousy wardrobes, but compensate for it with their superior communications skills.

For example,
One time a student went up to John Von Neuman after a calculus lecture. ``Professor Von Neumann," the student said, ``I don't understand how you got the answer to that last problem on the board." Von Neumann looked at the problem for a minute and said, ``e^x." The puzzled student thought he had been unclear. ``I know that's the answer, Professor Von Neumann. I just don't see how to get there." Von Neumann looked at the student for a minute, stared into space, and repeated, ``e^x ". The student started to get frustrated. ``But how did you get that answer?" Von Neumann turned to the student and said, ``Look kid, what do you want? I just did it for you two different ways".

They also tend to appear disoriented.
After a few years at MIT, Norbert Wiener moved to a larger house. His wife, knowing his nature, figured that he would forget his new address and be unable to find his way home after work. So she wrote the address of the new home on a piece of paper which she made him put in his shirt pocket. At lunchtime that day, the professor had a inspiring idea. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and used it to scribble down some calculations. Finding a flaw, he threw the paper away in disgust. At the end of the day he realized he had thrown away his address. He now had no idea where he lived.

Putting his mind to work, he came up with a plan. He would go to his old house and await rescue. His wife would surely realize that he was lost and go to his old house to pick him up. Unfortunately, when he arrived at his old house there was no sign of his wife, only a small girl standing in front of the house. ``Excuse me little girl," he said, ``but do you happen to know where the people who used to live here moved to?" ``It's okay daddy," said the little girl. ``Mommy sent me to get you."
 
  • #59
``It's okay daddy," said the little girl. ``Mommy sent me to get you."
What an amazing story! I'd never heard that one.
 
  • #60
zoobyshoe said:
What an amazing story! I'd never heard that one.
Well, for one thing, the story is an embellishment. Years later, Wiener's daughter was asked about it and denied that he had actually forgotten her name. He did forget where his new house was.