Shamed Nobel laureate Tim Hunt ‘ruined by rush to judgment after stupid remarks’

[Toni]

Toni,

According to the university they did try to ask him about this position;

UCL sought on more than one occasion to make contact with Sir Tim to discuss the situation, but his resignation was received before direct contact was established.

It was absolutely unprofessional and unethical for them to discuss the situation with his wife prior to discussing it with him, particularly as an ultimatum seems to have been issued: resign or be fired.

Are we sure that the university official did not tell his wife to contact them immediately and he will have to explain why he said these things and if it is not satisfactory enough he university will take steps against him?

What I've said,repeatedly, is that there seems to be more to this incident than we know about. However, I stand by my position that to issue an ultimatum via spouse is unethical and unprofessional and certainly not what one would expect from an organization that purports to hold the highest ethical standards.

Reaction was so much because women scentists had to put up with such jokes and way of thinking all the time; the last thing they expected was that someone invited to a scientist convention specifically encouraged to have more women in science would tell them that they cry and labs should be gender segregated implying they are not as good as male scientists. Hunt is not required to be perfect at all times, but he should have remembered where and when he was speaking.

Working in science, and with many friends, including female friends, in science and in academia in general for many years, I am well aware of sexism that exists in these areas.

One of the reasons I find the organizational reaction to be so far out of proportion to what was reportedly said is exactly what was reportedly said. It pales in comparison to remarks I heard directed towards myself which is indeed mild compared with what some of my friends have had to deal with.

Moreover, having read only the quotes, and not heard them spoken, other context is missing. Were these comments uttered as a condemnation of women and the issues of women in laboratory science? Or were they simply romantic and ill advised, uttered in an ironic or self deprecating tone?

James Watson was forced to retire as Chancellor of Cold Spring Laboratory after one comment too many. Matt Taylor unequivocally apologised on TV, though he also burst into tears.

Watson had a long and well documented history of making many outrageous comments which were sexist and racist and disrespectful towards various groups. He was particularly nasty about Rosalind Franklin, to whom he owed his greatest discovery. Yet, he was nearly 80 before he was forced to resign.

Taylor was embarrassed, but not asked to resign. Wearing a shirt depicting cartoon renderings of scantily clad women to a press conference representing a scientific institution is apparently less outrageous than making a vaguely sexist and romantic comment about women. Of course, Taylor is much younger.

 

[hinduwoman]

Barbos:

That's not a proper reaction. Proper reaction is no reaction.

Why?

I don't follow social media, so I don't know, but it all started with women using that thing to shun the guy.

How is he being shunned? he was being made fun of and told not to be so idiotic; but h has also got lots of defenders.

Yeah, and women can't outgrow twenties.

If this was 1920's most of the women would have though this to be a very sensible statement.

 

[Axulus]

New info is coming out that the comments were clearly meant to be ironic, a poor joke that was meant to be in jest and not in any way meant to be taken seriously:

He wrote: 'This is the transcript of Sir Tim Hunt's speech, or rather a toast, as precise as I can recall it: 'It's strange that such a chauvinist monster like me has been asked to speak to women scientists. Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry. Perhaps we should make separate labs for boys and girls?'

According to the official, Sir Tim immediately said after: 'Now seriously, I'm impressed by the economic development of Korea. And women scientists played, without doubt an important role in it. Science needs women and you should do science despite all the obstacles, and despite monsters like me.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...branded-chauvinist-monster.html#ixzz3dxRQY9TJ

 

[Togo]

This isn't new information.

Tim was making a joke, in poor taste. This is widely acknowledged.

There have been principally three reactions.
The first is widespread mockery of his remarks, mainly from female scientists. I don't have a problem with that. If Tim can make jokes about female scientists, female scientists can make fun of him.
The second is that the university asked him to resign his honorary post. That was almost certainly an overreaction.
The third is a great deal of discussion about the reaction to his speech.

What I don't understand is why the discussion is about then public's reaction, who for the most part have been mocking but mild, rather than his employer's reaction, which seems rather shameful. Surely the problem here is not the public's reaction to Tim, but rather the university's reaction to the public.