Woman Loves Science, Astounds Facebook

[mokes310]

Women in science are less shocking than doctors in hospitals.

Is that where doctors live? I thought their natural habitat was the golf course?

On topic: Is it really that amazing that people are that surprised that a woman is doing this? One need only look at our institutions of power to realize that gender equality isn't quite realized yet.

 

[Lilani]

Thank you again Internet for reminding me of the collective stupidity of people. I don't know what's worst, that some people thought she was a male, that some people were shocked she wasn't a male or that people felt they had to post their shock that she was not a male.

And if Yahtzee told everyone he is actually a lady people would not be shocked at all right?
If you use a name that is predominantly used by one gender people will take that as a given, and if their reality gets shattered down the line they might be a little shocked by it.

But hey when the sexism flamewars need fuel might as well chuck it on the pile.

I think I see what you're getting at here, but your analogy doesn't work well because at this point we know as a fact that Yahtzee is a male. He identifies himself as one and frequently refers to it. So yes, it would be a surprise, because it contradicts what we are absolutely certain of.

In this case, however, the people who were shocked had made the assumption on their own that the owner of the account was male. They assumed the gender and stuck with it because they hadn't seen any evidence to the contrary, and if they did search for any evidence at some point they would have quickly found it was a female. The only information to be contradicted is whatever unfounded assumptions they made.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I think I'm at the point now where people being surprised over stuff like this isn't surprising to me anymore.

Just a 'sigh' and move on to the next article. :/

In this case, however, the people who were shocked had made the assumption on their own that the owner of the account was male. They assumed the gender and stuck with it because they hadn't seen any evidence to the contrary, and if they did search for any evidence at some point they would have quickly found it was a female. The only information to be contradicted is whatever unfounded assumptions they made.

Well, to be perfectly fair they didn't know it was a 'she' that was blinding them with science.

...

I'll get my coat, the door is over there, right?

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Well, her name is Andrew.

I've never heard of a women named Andrew.

But a women who "fucking loves science", who cares? Idiots that's who.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Ok, first, the fact that people are surprised that a woman can love science, disappoints me. Why wouldn't there be some science loving women out there? Science can be fucking awesome!

And secondly, this song was what instantly popped into my head when reading that headline:

 

[AlexWinter]

Like... 90% of the "I Fucking Love Science" shares that show up on my Facebook Feed are from women... What I really find strange is that people find it so strange that women can "fucking love science"...

This.

I actually had to stop for a moment after I read this and try and remind myself why it is women aren't supposed to fucking love science. I'm completely baffled. When exactly was it that women... What difference does it make if... I can't... What?

My brain's shut down.

OT: I'm not surprised that she's a woman because it kind of came through in her posts. I am surprised that this is news though. And I don't mean that in a cynical way just that I didn't realise she was that big.

At least I hope she's big. Otherwise this is weird. Is every girl that does a STEM subject and has a blog going to get press coverage? That's not really... I dunno... Is that helping?

 

[Daveman]

The main person that reposts them that I know is a she. Not even remotely surprised. Most of the posts are quite irritating.

I think it is supposed to be about how people are so surprised that she is a woman. That people either automatically assumed she was a man beforehand, or that they are all telling her how hot she is, or hot it is that she is a scientist.

In fairness, I think women being scientists is quite sexy, probably wouldn't tell them though over the internet.

If anything I'd like everyone to realise that people can still like things like I fucking love science and clearly be absolute morons, thinking that she surely must be a dude. I find their posts equally irritating as my friends who share bloody bible quotes in their statuses. Basically, being fond of science or being an atheist is not evidence of that person being at all intelligent.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

Ummm...here's hoping it doesn't lead to wide-ranging societal improvements?

no, no, that's counter-jinxing, that won't work.

 

[rayen020]

ummm... How did people not know she was a woman? I been subscribed to IFLS for while and knew when i subscribed. While IFLS isn't that great for actual scientific discoveries and such does have some fun quotes and interesting pictures. Biology/the universe/geology have actual scientific content to learn from. Actually pretty much any scientific field put into facebook will bring up a page with interesting stuff about that field.

 

[grigjd3]

It... ...wasn't... ...obvious?

 

[antipunt]

This is news?

>_>

<_.<

 

[TrulyBritish]

Isn't it more likely that the name 'Andrew' is a boy name and so the assumption that Andrews is male a natural one to make?

I'd always assumed the page was run by multiple people. More surprised that it's controlled by one person than that it's a woman.

Would be, except Andrews is clearly a surname because of the S at the end. Like, I've never met anyone with the first name Michaels or Reynolds or whatever; the S almost always denotes a surname.

I did assume it was multiple people too, though. Give the seemingly endless barrage of images, I'd figured there was a company of the motherfuckers working round the clock.

Except it isn't Andrews though, the article states her name is Elise Andrew, no 'S'. And seeing as she is always referred to as "Andrew" it's unlikely to be a simple spelling error.
No I've never actually heard of this group or this woman in any memorable context, but I can see why people might be confused if she always referred to herself as simply "Andrew", because as you said a surname is more easily identified with a 'S' on the end.
I do find it a bit concerting that peoples reactions aren't "Huh, so she's a chick? Never knew" as opposed to actually commenting/tweeting/screaming-at-the-mirror "OMG ANDREW FROM IFLS IS TOTALLY A GURL!"

I was expecting much more from this thread, I thought it was going to be some angry rant at how people think there are no female scientists.

 

[SurfKansas]

I thought her name was Andrew Elise (rather than Elise Andrew). So, my confusion on her gender was less about pre-conceived notions of gender roles, and more about misreading an name.