Blog post: ajb: The lifestyle of scientists; An ongoing study

Katarzyna Trzonek, a masters student at ?ód? university under the supervision of prof. Anna Matuchniak-Krasuska is working on a thesis comparing the image of scientists as portrayed on television with real scientists. She has decided to look at the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" and see how the portrayal of scientist there compares with reality.

Are we all just like Sheldon Cooper?

Portrayal

Many of the images created by the general media of scientists is not very flattering. In films for example, scientists are usually presented as "nerds" and socially inept or even worse they are the evil antagonist!

In part this must be due to the public awareness of science and indeed scientists. Science drives the technological advances of our modern world, but also it shapes our culture via the wider understanding of the Universe science creates. Science research is of social and cultural importance.

If the general public is not aware of the role of science and scientists in our modern world then how can we blame them for not recognising the largely false image in the media?

The Survey

Trzonek is conducting an online survey aimed at American scientists focusing on the lifestyles, as this appears to be the most difficult information to find. If you qualify, then please take the survey by following the link below.

Please note that the survey is confidential and should not take more than 15mins or so to complete.

If you have any further questions then they should be directed to Trzonek (tbbt.thesis@gmail.com) rather than me.

Dissemination

Trzonek's thesis should be interesting. The images of scientists that I see on television are not usually accurate, but I see some familiarity with my own environment. A such I await her analysis and will post here about it in due course.

Link

The lifestyle of scientists

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