As an ordinary, unscientific member of the public, I feel outraged at the summary execution of Sir Tim Hunt by all those venerable institutions, fearfully cherishing their virtue and politically correct credentials.
He is and has been, presumably, a good and useful expert in his field and deserves respect for his achievements. He is an honoured private scientist, for heaven’s sake, and not necessarily a witty, public-performance artist in his use of English.
Sir Tim was perhaps caught off guard in being asked to say a few words and, like most of us, said something ill-prepared, ill-advised and unfunny. Prize the man for what he does best for humanity.
Paul Webster
Stratford-on-Avon
I suppose that one must sympathise with an eminent person who seems to have so much still to offer to the advancement of science. On the other hand, in spite of what he, his wife and his friends say, it is still hard not to ask oneself: “Where has Tim Hunt been all this time?”
Back in the day, we used to call them “silly old duffers”, but we were talking about people who were in their 60s, not those growing up during the 60s, who we assumed had had their brains liberated.
Colin Padgett
Gestingthorpe, Essex
Re Sir Tim Hunt’s forced resignation because of his remark that women should not be allowed in laboratories because they tended to be disruptive and prone to crying – if a woman scientist had remarked that men should not be allowed in laboratories because they were flirtatious and overbearing, would she have been forced to resign?
As a woman, I am very glad of equal rights for the sexes and know that there is still some way to go, but I nevertheless ask if it is possible that we have become just a little too sensitive, to the point where we can’t skate at all just in case the ice is thin?
Let’s not lose a sense of perspective and shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot, and for goodness’ sake may Sir Tim Hunt be begged to continue the invaluable work that he has been doing?
Eileen Noakes
Totnes, Devon
I have been following the Tim Hunt saga with interest and with a mixture of sorrow at seeing such a distinguished career ending so sadly over a few crass remarks and amusement at the witty online response of so many female scientists. Of course, the really damaging element in Hunt’s comments was “when you criticise them they cry” as this criticism, justified or otherwise, has been levelled at women in every workplace. This suggestion that women react with open emotion to criticism has long been a factor in holding women back and is an undoubted contributor to the glass-ceiling effect.
But my interpretation would be this: we are told frequently that women are in general more open with their emotions and men less inclined to express emotion and we are also told that this reticence is not good for men.
I have never bought into the idea that if a man is criticised at work, it will be sorted out with a matey pint at the pub or a bit of mutual cock-waving in the gents.
Very likely, men redirect their resentment at their subordinates or their families or they internalise it and express it in the form of stress-related illness, alcohol abuse, etc. Maybe rather than women trying to express less emotion, men should try to express more?
Helen MacFadyen
Peterborough
Tim Hunt believes: “There has been an enormous rush of judgment in dealing with me.” So now he knows how lots of women feel.
Ann Burgess
Lincoln
