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Stereotypes… Just as the world wants movie stars to produce drama and glamour, it wants scientists to stick to their stereotypes too. Don’t think so? Let’s do a quick survey.

(By the way, did you notice some of the media’s comments on the recent cheering at CERN? Duh!)

I have done a lot of experimenting with all sorts of Twitter (and other new media) accounts in the past two or three years and noticed that the more impersonal my science tweets are, the more followers I get.

(The above gear is not to cut us off from other people but to protect us against potential harmful effects of chemicals.)

(This is a scene staged for a stock photo. In reality, the chemicals and the scientist’s hands – which would likely be gloved – and part of his arms would probably be in a fume hood.)

When I mention that I have just done my taxes or am wrestling with a computer file, I lose followers. And then there are those who probably are very disappointed that I am not a tree hugger, but that is a different story, and may be related to me tweeting up support for Save Our Seabirds in Florida from time to time.

What does science mean to other people?

I think many non-scientists romanticize science, like they romanticize movie stars and musicians. They want the scientific discoveries to be grand and sexy (and all of the scientists anything but, except a few of the women, but those are expected to behave like shy virgins, of course). They see scientists either as mad and evil or shrouded saints looking for the holy grail. Neither is realistic, but the latter – science as a glamorous activity – is much more common.

I see remarkably many big science tweeters cater to that need for bling (costume jewelry that looks good on the outside but isn’t worth a thing) and drama. I see big announcements, and then I click to find nothing of scientific substance.

I may find an artist impression or an ordinary article that has been over-dramatized. Vague possibilities become certainties in headlines, and it’s not (just) the wretched “uneducated” science writers who do that, but some of the science biggies. Maybe this helps people to see that science is not about big glamorous discoveries, but somehow I doubt it.

So I got curious. I just did a quick search on Twitter, on the word “science”. This is what I found, on the first page.

• 1. @yelling_bird: MURDER IS SCIENCE FOR ANGRY PEOPLE
• 2. @algore: VA Attorney General should stop politicizing science http://bit.ly/bcs4oT #climate

  (Yes, a verified account.)

• 3. @woot: $69.99 : Mystery Science Theater 3000 12 DVD Package with Limited Edition Figurine http://www.woot.com
• 4. @roulettedude: How Your Diet Can Make You Older: Did you know that the food you eat could be prematurely ageing you? Science has http://url4.eu/5btg6
• 5. @Nemessssis: Posted a new song: “In the Name of Science” http://soc.li/UqWKCEa
• 6. @Nemessssis: Posted a new song: “In the Name of Science” http://soc.li/UqWKCEa
• 7. @RisqueBehaviors: when people act like they know science. STFU and stop spreading pseudo-scientific claims w/o checking your sources. Idiot. -em
• 8. @fiverrisimo: emilysem will teach you something science related for $5. http://fiverr.com/70372
  

  This one lead me to a brilliant discovery. The things people will do for a fiver! Of the ten “related gigs” offered, four had to do with religion, and three with science.

  1. I will let you be part of a social experiment for $5
  2. I will buy a pair of shoes for a child in need for $5
  3. I will do something for $5
  4. I will research the science topic of your choice for $5
  5. I will pretend to be your boss at work for $5
  6. I will help you LEARN the Word of God quickly with lesson 1, The Books of History, the Pentateuch, for $5
  7. I will answer an Bible Question for $5
  8. I will find you 10 scientific peer reviewed articles on your topic of choice for $5
  9. I will pray for you with two friends for 30 min for $5
  10. I will use the money to teach children the word of God. for $5

• 9. @besteoffers: Amazing Science Discovery – Making Science Fun For Kids. – 75 Attention Parents Who Want To Their Kids T…http://bit.ly/cPv8W2
• 10. @chiemit: サッカー決勝と同時だ RT @mainichijpedit: 日本時間12日未明に「皆既日食」が観測され http://bit.ly/bTAbEA 場所は南太平洋の島々や～、和歌山大の方などがネット中継してくれるそうです！ http://bit.ly/5bEL3 ←楽しみ～
• 11. @mxgorge: @shreyaghoshal Receiving Honours at SERA BENGALI AWARDS 2010 at Science city Auditorium,Kolkata , 9 July ,2010 http://youtu.be/ygk-hCd9UAs
• 12. @Lystique: Vacaville children learn science while having fun at summer camp|Mix a thirst for science, zany interactive games .. http://oohja.com/xhF53
• 13. @eddietec: Top 10 Science Fiction Movies of the Decade, 2000-2009 http://is.gd/dmzvf
• 14: @callingallbrits: @BarackObama Wouldn’t it be wonderful 2 get a peek at the history of shred-its with respect to “Science” “fair” in the lesser colonies? #USA United States
• 15: @myallergy: #allergy Peanut allergy therapy not yet viable, say researchers: Desensitising those with peanut allergies is stil… http://bit.ly/aAAhw0
• 16: @tinapperez: Octopus Paul has thunder stolen by Mani the Parakeet – CSMonitor.com: http://bit.ly/cGAbE5 via @addthis #worldcup
• 17: @daiyori: 取材された様子。http//www.apple.com/science/profiles/maki http://tweetphoto.com/31828646
• 18: @RisqueBehaviors: OMG, I HATE it when people lie about science to try to “prove” a point: http://bit.ly/cJ73Kf
• 19: @IamNistha: nahi yaar !! listening to rocket science “I love the unknown”RT: @Rohitdass: @IamNistha Bend it like Beckham on Disney Channel.. Dekh lo
• 20: @eJamesDevereaux: I met an actress last night who told me she was well suited to work on Sci-Fi films becoz she was good at science when she was at school.

Of the twenty tweets listed above, only one appears to be about science. Most are about the mystification of science, including Al Gore’s (which becomes clear when you follow the link to his blog post, regardless of whether that civil investigative demand holds any merit or not). The remainder is largely about cashing in on the mystification or glorification of science. One tweet bears a link to the stereotype of the evil twisted scientist.

The mystification of science

It was a hot topic among women scientists about thirty years ago and clearly still is very much alive.

The mystification of science was one of the mechanisms that kept women out of science for so long. Women explained what they were doing too well. (Incidentally, I’ve read of a new trend that gets women earning most of the degrees soon and men falling behind in that area.)

The mystification of science is at work when a journalist submits a bogus paper to a journal, as a test, and finds it gets accepted. When it’s incomprehensible, it’s got to be very good.

The mystification of science was at work when someone told me that she knows all about string theory and that geology is a really dumb science (yes, it’s in your face, not esoteric) and it didn’t say much for me that I chose to study geology all those years ago. The same person also opens a window when she uses the microwave. Just in case.

The thirst for science

There is no such thing as a “thirst for science”. There is just plain old curiosity, about how things work, and tick, and tumble, and some of us are more curious – and more patient – than others. That’s all.

No evil mad(wo)men. No shiny saints. No more than in the rest of society.

Scientists are people with screaming parrots or barking dogs, laundry and dishes to do, and bills to pay, just like everybody else. And a lot of science is just like doing the dishes or mowing the lawn.

Tags: mystification, opinions, perceptions, religion, Science, SmarterScience

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 10th, 2010 at 12:02 pm and is filed under Science: Chitchat. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.