Women in Science, with Summer Ash and Emily Rice (Repeat)

About This Episode

StarTalk All-Stars hosts, astrophysicist Summer Ash and astronomer Emily Rice, share their take on “Women Crushing It Wednesday” – reclaiming a sexist hashtag by celebrating women in STEM and examining the challenges women scientists face. To help them out, co-host Chuck Nice has picked an interesting assortment of fan-submitted Cosmic Queries, from the social to the scientific. And the first question he asks Summer and Emily is, unsurprisingly, about how to keep motivated in the face of sexism, ugliness and hurt after the recent election. You’ll hear how the underrepresentation of women and minorities in science is reflection of society as a whole, but that scientists can be tougher to convince of their own bias because they think they’re acting rationally. Explore the “leaky pipeline” that tends to lose women along the path from student to professor, influenced by gender bias among teachers, selection bias and even how women are more susceptible to getting discouraged by self-doubt than men. You’ll also find out how, in spite of trolling, the internet has actually led to more women in science finding communities of support. You’ll hear about the importance of mentors, especially in the light of underrepresentation in higher education, and the best ways to encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM. On the scientific front, Emily and Ash address the importance of scientific literacy, the challenge of climate change and climate science deniers, and what we know and don’t know about black holes, which, according to Summer, don’t suck.

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: Women in Science, with Summer Ash and Emily Rice (Repeat).