Science it's a girl thing - FAIL?

Astronomer Dr Meghan Gray gives her view on a much-maligned video designed to promote science to girls. It caused an instant storm online... but why?
FYI: At the time of writing, the original video has been removed from YouTube, presumably in the wake of heavy criticism?

• Category

  Science & Technology

[hornick18]

If you want young people to get excited about science, have them watch VSauce. Enough said.

[thes0mething]

I am doing science because I love it. Its true that i was scared to start the course in the first place but seeing that video at that point would probably have had a negative effect on me. I dont want to be gloryfied because im a woman doing what i do, that was my main fear of starting my course. I just want to be treated the same as everyone else. That video just seem to make girls look stupid and not serious about what they are doing. Imagine this vid with males and "male stuff". Encouraging?

[thes0mething]

Damn, though you were one of those people who talked about how inferior women are. Im sorry

[Vaes Joren]

I think this is still the effect of what we used to have, where men would have to go out and work, and women had to stay home and cook. I do see that there is a change going on, and I am happy for that, but I think it may be a while until all the preconceptions are gone, and in all honesty, I think a campaign will not really help.

[RollinLikeABetch]

That's a common myth... Go to google scholar and search "pain tolerance men women" and you will find a number of scholarly articles whose claim is that men have a higher pain tolerance than women.

Not that it really matters... but get your facts straight and people might listen.

[RollinLikeABetch]

I don't know the context of this comment, but to add, women are more educated at the scholarly level than men by about 10%. They are also paid more ages 20-30 than their male counterparts (clearly from the advantageous position in education).

[thes0mething]

I believe the intelligence(scientific) is a result of your schooling. I believe schooling is a result of your culture. This being in the way that males are more drawn to higher education, but it is changing and more girls do as well. I don't personally care who wants to do what. Some people don't want higher education. But don't insult a girl's intelligence based on studies where there are a lot more things to consider.

[cody8111]

It has been proven that women have a larger pain tolerance, and on that one particular characteristic, women definitely win and there is no refuting that. Being socially intelligent isn't really a masculine nor feminine characteristic, Female celebrities are more attractive, but that is usually because of there sex appeal, so that doesn't even really count. On the sallery, that's a hardcore circular fallacy. You said "A=B, but that's only because A=B" with no proof as to WHY A=B"

[Thomas Hansen]

Is it? Women live longer on average, have the stamina to endure childbirth, tend to be more socially intelligent, better at remembering faces, etc. They may not make as much as us men, but that's probably because women on average only get paid 70% as much as a man for the exact same work. Your logic is what's "alien" to me.

[Thomas Hansen]

I agree. When it comes to gender/race issues I often ask myself how a unifying solution can arise from any agenda that singularly promotes a specific race/gender. Any special treatment well intended or not only creates an exception to the rule, when rules and laws should affect ALL of us equally. Merit is what really matters, and the most gratifying achievements are the ones that earned.

[fredde414]

I agree with this gentleman.

Together we would create beautiful, intelligent offspring.