Nausicaa (a Ghibli character), saved her country with what she learned studying in her secret basement lab! Although she lives in a world created by director Hayao Miyazaki, scientists having multiple roles are not unrealistic. Just as Nausicaa oversees a village and studies in a lab, researchers are often not just researchers; outside of the lab, scientists can be a parent, a model, an artist, a chef, an athlete, and so on. Unfortunately, only extreme personalities are associated with science in Hollywood (as in The Big Bang Theory). While narrow depictions of researchers can disinterest people from entering science, more encompassing (and perhaps a more relatable) images are more inspiring.
Representation in science is lacking. I didn’t think that my program is particularly diverse, but I’ve heard remarks of interviewees commenting on seeing a black grad student for the first time when they visited us. Even in San Francisco, POC and LGBTQA+ science faculty are sparse. The lack of diversity leads to unique and unnecessary difficulties for students and staff that eventually turn them away from the field. Dr. Brandon Taylor’s “Working In Science Was A Brutal Education. That’s Why I Left” describes his experience well.
Originally posted on Instagram April 3, 2020
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