By Kristy Puchko | Twitter | August 26, 2016 |
By Kristy Puchko | Twitter | August 26, 2016 |
UPDATE: The Internet fooled us again! @DrNeilTyson is actually a parody account. We’re very embarrassed, BUT Parody NdT’s point about sexism in STEM fields still stands. The original post can be read below.
American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is many things, all of them wonderful. He’s a modern geek icon who’s helped make loving science as cool as geeking out over superheroes. He’s an outspoken advocate for expanding NASA’s space program and the opportunities therein. Plus, he’s a force to be reckoned with on Twitter. So when a Twitter account claiming to revel in the “The Lighter Side of Science” made a sexist joke becuz women astronauts be cray-cray (amirite?), Tyson schooled the handle hard.
Here’s how it went down:
First woman on the Moon:
— SciencePorn (@SciencePorn) August 24, 2016
"Houston, we have a problem."
What?
"Never mind"
What's the problem?
"Nothing"
Please tell us?
"I'm fine"
.@SciencePorn Haha, it's funny because women did all the calculations that actually got men to the moon
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) August 24, 2016
.@SciencePorn It's funny because any show of potential weakness by a woman is savagely pounced on and used against her
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) August 24, 2016
.@SciencePorn It's funny because for 20 years, women were rejected out of hand as astronaut candidates
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) August 24, 2016
.@SciencePorn It's funny because women in STEM are mocked and abused. Sexual harassment is rife in astronomy grad programs, for example.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) August 24, 2016
.@SciencePorn It's funny because the pursuit of science and knowledge is the greatest, most noble pursuit in human history and yet-
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) August 24, 2016
.@SciencePorn -for the vast majority of history, half of our species' minds have been barred from this great adventure. In summary: haha
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) August 24, 2016
And one more lesson:
H/T Samira Salma