The Enigma Thread

[Edge]

Indeed there's still a bias about certain jobs having certain age/gender but I've noticed less and less "norms" anymore and a little more of a mixture.

 

[milagros317]

When I entered graduate school in 1972, only about 8% or 9% of the Ph.D. students in pure mathematics were women.
Almost 30 years later, at the turn of the millennium, it was up to 30%. But it has remained stuck there for the last 25 years.
I don't believe the cause is lack of quantitative ability. I believe it is cultural.

 

[kurchatovium]

Indeed there's still a bias about certain jobs having certain age/gender but I've noticed less and less "norms" anymore and a little more of a mixture.

Yes a little more mixture theses days. Guess I missed out on the hot chemistry girls.

 

[kurchatovium]

When I entered graduate school in 1972, only about 8% or 9% of the Ph.D. students in pure mathematics were women.
Almost 30 years later, at the turn of the millennium, it was up to 30%. But it has remained stuck there for the last 25 years.
I don't believe the cause is lack of quantitative ability. I believe it is cultural.

There is the illusion that people are not being forced out cause of gender or race. Of course sadly that does happen. Often is a just a matter of choice. Men and women like different things. A action film will likely have 60 to 70 percent men while a romantic comedy or musical will have like 70 percent women. Not everything in the world is sinister lol

 

[milagros317]

There is the illusion that people are not being forced out cause of gender or race. Of course sadly that does happen. Often is a just a matter of choice. Men and women like different things. A action film will likely have 60 to 70 percent men while a romantic comedy or musical will have like 70 percent women. Not everything in the world is sinister lol

Yes. Pure mathematics is like chess. Some women like it and some women are great at it, but most women don't want to put in the years of study to become the equivalent of a grand master. Why not? I am cynical enough to believe that it is because pure mathematics, like chess, doesn't pay very well.

 

[kurchatovium]

Yes. Pure mathematics is like chess. Some women like it and some women are great at it, but most women don't want to put in the years of study to become the equivalent of a grand master. Why not? I am cynical enough to believe that it is because pure mathematics, like chess, doesn't pay very well.

I see the same sorta stuff in chemistry. Women go more for biochemistry then physical chemistry. Both are difficult but in different ways. As for pay chemists and mathemetcians never earn what they should in my humble opinion lol

 

[milagros317]

Exactly. There are areas of applied mathematics, including computer science, which pay well. Maybe if I could send a message to myself at age 22, I would advise avoiding pure math. 😛

 

[kurchatovium]

Exactly. There are areas of applied mathematics, including computer science, which pay well. Maybe if I could send a message to myself at age 22, I would advise avoiding pure math. 😛

Amen to that my friend. Synthetic organic chemists get paid badly work long hours under dangerous conditions. Would have told my younger self FIND ANOTHER PROFESSION
Lol

 

[milagros317]

under dangerous conditions.

^^ That makes it worse than any job in mathematics.

 

[kurchatovium]

^^ That makes it worse than any job in mathematics.

I almost went into mathematics but they were a lot of strange profs at my school that liked to fail like over half the class. so I went to organic chemistry instead. Was strange I am the only organic chemist who took advanced mathematical physics and got an A in it.

All the sciences and math are hard. Everyone deserves more pay in my humble opinion.

 

[milagros317]

Sad to say, lots of difficult things don't pay well. This would include learning dead languages. (I had a colleague in Middle East Studies who told me that learning to read and translate ancient Aramaic took him three years and led to a few published papers. As we used to say, with a published paper and $1.50, you can ride on the subway. Subway fares have doubled since we used to say that. )

 

[kurchatovium]

Sad to say, lots of difficult things don't pay well. This would include learning dead languages. (I had a colleague in Middle East Studies who told me that learning to read and translate ancient Aramaic took him three years and led to a few published papers. As we used to say, with a published paper and $1.50, you can ride on the subway. Subway fares have doubled since we used to say that. )

Exactly right. Should have gone into acting where you can be as dumb as a bag of rocks and make millions. Sorry about your friend. I had a friend that translated Arabic for the military. He got paid poorlyi too. He use to answer arabic anti American graffiti in Arabic was really funny.

 

[Edge]

Yes a little more mixture theses days. Guess I missed out on the hot chemistry girls.

Even jobs like police, firefighters, mail carriers...when I was a kid you never saw women doing that job but now you do see a lot of it. I think it's good though.

 

[milagros317]

Exactly right. Should have gone into acting where you can be as dumb as a bag of rocks and make millions.

Yes, that can happen. You can also be a would-be actor and wait on tables in a NYC restaurant for years.

 

[kurchatovium]

Even jobs like police, firefighters, mail carriers...when I was a kid you never saw women doing that job but now you do see a lot of it. I think it's good though.

Yea I got no problems as long as people do their jobs right. 😀

 

[kurchatovium]

Yes, that can happen. You can also be a would-be actor and wait on tables in a NYC restaurant for years.

Waiting tables might still pay better then being a chemist lmao

 

[Edge]

Chemist don't make the big money huh Kurch 🙂.

 

[milagros317]

Waiting tables might still pay better then being a chemist lmao

Yes, in a fancy, fine-dining restaurant tips of 20% to 25% are standard and a waiter can make quite a good living.

 

[kurchatovium]

Chemist don't make the big money huh Kurch 🙂.

Never have. Most science professions don't pay well.

 

[kurchatovium]

Yes, in a fancy, fine-dining restaurant tips of 20% to 25% are standard and a waiter can make quite a good living.

Knew a guy was an engineer, quit engineering to be a parking valet at a fancy hotel. Made a ton more money. Lol

 

[Edge]

My mom tells me of a story when she was dating my dad they left a 2 cent tip because the service was so terrible...they didn't want to leave 0 because then they might just think they forgot. They wanted to make a point.

 

[milagros317]

My mom tells me of a story when she was dating my dad they left a 2 cent tip because the service was so terrible...they didn't want to leave 0 because then they might just think they forgot. They wanted to make a point.

I once saw a coin that said "0 cents" on one side and "the service stank" on the other side. Same purpose, it shows that you didn't just leave in a hurry and forget to tip. The guy who had the coin said he bought a role of 50 of them for $3.

 

[kurchatovium]

My mom tells me of a story when she was dating my dad they left a 2 cent tip because the service was so terrible...they didn't want to leave 0 because then they might just think they forgot. They wanted to make a point.

Wow that certainly does make the point lol

 

[kurchatovium]

I once saw a coin that said "0 cents" on one side and "the service stank" on the other side. Same purpose, it shows that you didn't just leave in a hurry and forget to tip. The guy who had the coin said he bought a role of 50 of them for $3.

Lol he must go to a lot of bad places to need so many of those coins

 

[Edge]

Overall though when I'm out eating I try to be polite to most of these people are working hard and I recognize their job is not easy especially the way some customers talk to them for no reason.