• Of the Air (cele/celes)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    12 hours ago

    For anybody having difficulty reading the text:

    Anti Acknowledgements

    There have unfortunately also been people who have been less than helpful in my journey here. I wanted to acknowledge those too, because I know I am not unique in this experience.

    No thank you to the physics study association that made me sing songs about how women couldn’t study physics without sleeping with the professor, the day I stepped into university life. No thank you to the 5th year physics student that decided to assign me a ‘stripper name’ within the first minute of meeting me in the physics coffee corner in my first year. No thank you to the technician that was responsible for onboarding me on the use of the cluster in my third year who raised his eyebrows and asked me if that meant I was some sort of “computer girl”. No thank you to the senior researcher that sent me utterly inappropriate texts after a conference, then proceeded to ‘apologise’ months later by telling me they had not been meant for me anyway so “no hard feelings remain hopefully”. And no thank you to him for attending every conference I’ve been to since. No thank you to the people who told me that it was “surprising” that I was doing a PhD since I was a girl. No thank you to the man who mistook me for a coffee lady at a conference, and after having to correct him two times that I did not work there, responded with “you should consider it”. No thank you to the researcher that asked me what I was wearing underneath my outfit during a conference. No thank you to the physicist who declared to a room full of other physicists that biologists “don’t know how to design an experiment”. No thank you to the people who have called me scary instead of strong and intimidating instead of intelligent. And finally, no thank you to the executive board of the TU Delft, whose knee-jerk reaction to being held up to a mirror about the social safety at the university, was to sue the party holding up the mirror instead of looking at the problems they highlighted.

    I wish I could tell you this has all made me stronger somehow but in reality it has only shattered my confidence. You have made me feel like I do not belong in science and I cannot forgive you for that.

    -Rachel

  • Seeker of Carcosa@feddit.uk
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    15 hours ago

    Bravo to the exceptional bravery on display here. I’m sure the majority of PhD graduates, including myself, wish they’d had the gumption to name and shame the suppressing factors contributing to a toxic academic environment. Reading this makes me kind of appreciative that my troubles were only administrative mismanagement and an inexperienced supervisor.

    Also what the hell is up with TU Delft? It’s only partway through March and this is the second time this year that I’ve seen a PhD candidate publicly call out the institute.

  • PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca
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    16 hours ago

    This sounds like the University of Ottawa. Watching physics professors sexually harass the few women in our class was disgusting.

    • Nalivai@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      It’s sad that she decided to channel her experience into transphobia, as if punching down will somehow make up for all the punches she got.

    • AES_Enjoyer@reddthat.com
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      7 hours ago

      Love the part on the video where essentially she says “I was given my first research position thanks to a grant for women. Also, there should be no research grants for women”. Piece of shit.

      • Darkmoon_UK@lemm.ee
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        5 hours ago

        To be clear, you are criticising Sabine for saying there should be no research grants for women? If so, you perhaps misinterpret her meaning?

        If I know Sabine at all from her videos, she would have meant that in an equal world, grants aimed specifically at either sex should not be necessary.

        That’s quite different from a “raise the drawbridge” stance - but I’m a casual viewer, so please be kind while putting me right, if warranted.

  • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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    14 hours ago

    No thank you to the physicist who declared to a room full of other physicists that biologists “don’t know how to design an experiment.”

    That’s just what physics does to your brain. They’re all like that.

    • PixelPinecone@lemmy.today
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      7 hours ago

      Hey, not all of us! Physics was humbling in my experience. Had the exact opposite effect.

      I did exceptionally well at a top physics university, and still felt stupid all the time.

      It took getting my ass handed to me to wipe that veneer off my perceived awesomeness and realized I’m doing this cause I love it. Why would I think down on anyone else doing what they do cause they love it?

      And I sure as hell came to realize that there’s people better at biology than I am at physics.

      That said, lots of physics people are high on their own supply. So, not discounting the reality of physics dickheads that are in abundant supply.

    • melpomenesclevage@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      11 hours ago

      yeah. the rest of this seems like serious grievances, but physicists saying dumb arrogant shit to other scientists about not being ‘real’ fields seems like blaming water for being wet.

      • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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        10 hours ago

        It’s almost a punchline. ‘Fuck sexism, harassment, repression, and those god damn smug-ass physicists!’

  • NotLemming@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    Normalise this. In the past women would have been accused of being unprofessional to have called men out like this. That’s the only reason why every woman doesn’t do it.

  • AidsKitty@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    Never let the actions of others dictate your future. If you have a goal never never give up.

    • 野麦さん@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      15 hours ago

      Spoken like a true man. I’m a victim of sexism in STEM, now resigned to finish my degree in Japanese rather than deal with the awfulness that is men in Engingeering.

    • Zacryon@feddit.org
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      16 hours ago

      Simpler said than done. Of course I agree with you, but we need deeper changes in our society, in our behaviour as people. If you get told time and time again, that you’re worthless, can’t achieve anything etc. that’s going to leave a mark. Sure, encouraging to not let that dominate one’s thoughts is a useful skill. But it shouldn’t be necessary in the first place.

      • Damaskox@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        You can also have a chance to get out of such a negative surrounding, connect with people that respect you and do actions that raise your self esteem (back).