Another day, another witch hunt.
Tim Hunt: white, old, male, heterosexual. Let’s face it, burdened with the afore-mentioned attributes, he really stood little chance against the politically correct bruisers of the left-leaning media outlets. Without pause for reflection (or research), these fanatical, pious media outlets have made it their mission to destroy another esteemed scientist’s reputation and career. And for what? To fight a moral crusade for the underprivileged masses? Or, as is more likely the case, to sell a few more papers using sensationalist headlines.
The slanderous debacle began when Connie St. Louis, a UK academic, tweeted some of Tim Hunt’s “controversial” comments. Adding her own slant to the message, she began her first tweet with a question: “Why are the British so embarrassing abroad?” As Connie is British, maybe she can answer this prejudiced question herself.
The Nasty, PC Backlash
St. Louis went on to offer a damning list of remarks that the Nobel Prize-winning scientist had uttered during a conference in Seoul, South Korea. According to St. Louis, as part of Hunt’s chauvinist tirade, the highly-respected biologist is said to have called for gender-segregated research laboratories, before going on to label female scientists a bunch of soppy crybabies:
“Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them, they cry.”
St. Louis served up the following rhetorical: “Really, does this Nobel laureate think we are still in Victorian times?”
Of course, the allegations of sexism ignited a storm on various social networks that were quickly picked up by the mainstream media. A flurry of, all-too-predictable, PC headlines were sent off into the digital sphere, including the following cookie-cutter rhetoric:
Guardian: Nobel scientist Tim Hunt: female scientists cause trouble for men in labs
Telegraph: Dimbleby resigns: You wouldn’t defend racism. So stop backing sexist scientist Tim Hunt
Buzzfeed: Nobel Prize Winner Makes Shockingly Sexist Remarks At Journalism Meeting
The list of dubious, uncritical opinion pieces seemed never ending. Shortly after, the punitive measures taken against Hunt would see him forced out of a number of honorary positions; the media’s tireless efforts cost Hunt his place at the University of College London, the Royal Society, and the European Research Council.
As part of a BBC Radio 4 broadcast, Hunt issued a public apology for the incident. But it was all too late. Tim Hunt - a man once celebrated for his pioneering efforts in understanding cell division - was kicked out of academia, branded a relic of the past, and spurned by the very institutions that should have supported him. It was a sad day for science, and an even sadder day for common sense.
According to Professor Mary Collins, Hunt’s wife, the hysteria-fuelled debacle caused him to slide into despair: “Tim sat on the sofa and started crying. Then I started crying. We just held on to each other.”
Hunt’s Comments Were Taken Out Of Context
The dismal picture painted by St. Louis, now, appears to be in serious contention. As reported by The Times, Hunt’s words were taken out of context. An anonymous EU official, who had gone with Hunt on the Seoul trip, provided a more accurate account of what Hunt had said. According to the official, Hunt joked about falling in love with women and making them cry. This remark was made after he had said (again, jokingly) that his comments would make him look like a “chauvinist monster.”
During the second part of Tim’s speech - a section that St. Louis, very tellingly, omitted to mention - Hunt admitted that his opening introduction was part of an ironic joke. He went on to say, “now, seriously…”, clearly demonstrating that his words were made in light-hearted fashion.
There’s another important detail St. Louis neglected to mention in her disparaging tweets: Hunt was giving a speech at an event hosted by a body that represents Women’s Science & Technology Associations. Any sound-minded person must ask themselves the following question: Would hunt really make mysogynist remarks, in all sincerity, to an audience that was predominately female?
Hunt concluded this part of his speech with another joke, encouraging the attendees to chase their careers in the various fields of science, “despite monsters like me.”
The EU official noted that there was no awkwardness in the room, describing Hunt’s speech as “warm and funny.” And, to complicate matters further, St. Louis’ own trustworthiness and reputation have been called into question.
So, now that the joke has been spelt out, in no uncertain terms, where do we go from here? Even if you don’t think the joke was funny, or you perhaps believe it was made in bad taste, would this really constitute a sackable offense? Where were the disciplinary hearings? Where was Hunt’s side of the story? Why did nobody take the time to gather the testimonies of other attendees? None of these questions were even asked, let alone answered, because UCL, et al., simply responded, in knee-jerk fashion, to the toxic reports of the media. A sad sign of the times.
The Scientific Community Responds
These new revelations sparked outcry among members of the scientific community, who rallied to Hunt’s defense. In doing so, they criticized the media’s insensitive, heavy-handed and research-lite approach to reporting.
Renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins described the media hubbub as a “feeding frenzy,” before demanding an apology from the media. “Without wishing to join a reverse witch-hunt to root out the individuals responsible, I can’t help hoping Sir Tim will receive an apology,” Dawkins told The Times.
He also issued the following tweet: “Leaked transcript: Tim Hunt joked against himself as a ‘sexist’, then said ‘Now, SERIOUSLY … science needs women.'”
Meanwhile, Brian Cox said he should not have been forced to leave his positions at UCL and the Royal Society. Cox said it was lamentable that such a valued scientist had been hounded out of his position by “Twitter mobs,” describing the situation as “wrong and disproportionate.” Cox’s sentiments were echoed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, who called for Hunt to be reinstated.
In the aftermath of the backlash, Hunt took the opportunity to thank hundreds of female scientists for offering him their support.
“My inbox is now bulging with touching emails from young women scientists who have been kind enough to write and thank me for inspiring them and helping them on their way,” Hunt told the Observer. “It has also been of great comfort to me to see many women at the top of science testifying for my record in supporting women scientists.”
Among those in support of Hunt is biologist professor Ottoline Leyser, physicist Dame Athene Donald and physiologist Dame Nancy Rothwell. Donald said people should not judge a man by his “stupid, offensive remarks,” but based upon his contributions in the fields of science, and in advancing the careers of the young.
“Speaking personally – and I have sat on a variety of committees with Tim over the past 5-6 years and got to know him quite well – I have seen no evidence to suggest that at any previous point in his career has he done or said anything to indicate a sexist man at heart,” concluded Donald.
Eight Nobel Prize winners also leapt into the fray. The group - among which was Sir Andre Giem and Avram Hershko - roundly condemned hunt’s unfair treatment at the hands of ideological fanatics and do-gooders. “So much for the freedom of expression by the very people who should be guardians of academic freedom,” stated Andre.
UCL has now come under considerable fire for the missteps that it made in handling the affair. One can only hope the institution recognizes its grave errors and reinstates this esteemed researcher.
