Sometimes All You Can Do Is Breath

Ok so at this point I've had two people roll up to me in manual wheelchairs, well, one of them was somebody pushing somebody who was nonverbal at the time, but it still counts. They asked me why I had zip ties around my tires.

It's winter where I'm living and we have really bad snow. And the snow plow people are really bad at their jobs probably because there aren't snow plow people who clean sidewalks. As a solution I got to thinking about how I could increase the traction on my wheels. And the most redneck thing I could think of was taking a bunch of zip ties and tying them around my wheels. They last surprisingly long, and work surprisingly well. It's basically the same premise as chains for your tires during the winter.

I chose to space them out pretty evenly so there's about one for every spoke. You could probably do more or less depending on how many you want and how much traction you get but I wouldn't go more than three per spoke. I realize that it's a bit later in the winter, and I probably should have made a post about this sooner, but I came up with it about a week ago. So please share this, even if you're not disabled, because there are tons of people I know who are stuck in their houses because they can't get around in the snow. A pack of zip ties costs about $5, which compared to $200 knobby snow tires is a big save, and if you want to invest you could get colored zip ties.

I recently graduated with a BS in physics. I was one of three women who graduated that year out of 20 students.

The Conversation

Female physicists aren't represented in the media – and this lack of representation hurts the physics field

The trailer for ‘Oppenheimer’ fails to include female physicists, which is indicative of a broader media trend that, if reversed, could lead

Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, 2023, depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. But while the Manhattan Project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of many accomplished female scientists, the only women seen in the movie’s trailer are either hanging laundry, crying or cheering the men on.The only women featured in the official trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ are crying, hanging laundry or supporting the men.

As a physics professor who studies ways to support women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – fields and a film studies professor who worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, we believe the trailer’s depiction of women reinforces stereotypes about who can succeed in science. It also represents a larger trend of women’s contributions in science going unrecognized in modern media.

Lise Meitner: A pioneering role model in physics

The Manhattan Project would not have been possible without the work of physicist Lise Meitner, who discovered nuclear fission. Meitner used Einstein’s E=MC² to calculate how much energy would be released by splitting uranium atoms, and it was that development that would prompt Einstein to sign a letter urging President Franklin Roosevelt to begin the United States’ atomic research program.

Einstein called Meitner the “Madame Curie of Germany” and was one of a pantheon of physicists, from Max Planck to Niels Bohr, who nominated Meitner for a Nobel Prize 48 times during her lifetime.

Meitner never won. Instead, the prize for fission went to Otto Hahn, her male lab partner of 30 years in Berlin. Hahn received the news of his nomination under house arrest in England, where he and other German scientists were being held to determine how far the Third Reich had advanced with its atomic program.

Of Jewish descent, Meitner had been forced to flee the Nazis in 1938 and refused to use this scientific discovery to develop a bomb. Rather, she spent the rest of her life working to promote nuclear disarmament and advocating for the responsible use of nuclear energy.

Meitner was not the only woman who made a significant contribution during this time. But the lack of physics role models like Meitner in popular media leads to real-life consequences. Meitner doesn’t appear as a character in the film, as she was not part of the Manhattan Project, but we hope the script alludes to her groundbreaking work.

A lack of representation

Only around 20% of the undergraduate majors and Ph.D. students in physics are women. The societal stereotypes and biases, expectation of brilliance, lack of role models and chilly culture of physics discourage many talented students from historically marginalized backgrounds, like women, from pursuing physics and related disciplines.

Societal stereotypes and biases influence students even before they enter the classroom. One common stereotype is the idea that genius and brilliance are important factors to succeed in physics. However, genius is often associated with boys, and girls from a young age tend to shy away from fields associated with innate brilliance.

Studies have found that by the age of 6, girls are less likely than boys to believe they are “really, really smart.” As these students get older, often the norms in science classes and curricula tend not to represent the interests and values of girls. All of these stereotypes and factors can influence women’s perception of their ability to do physics.

Research shows that at the end of a yearlong college physics course sequence, women with an “A” have the same physics self-efficacy as men with a “C”. A person’s physics self-efficacy is their belief about how good they are at solving physics problems – and one’s self-efficacy can shape their career trajectory.

Women drop out of college science and engineering majors with significantly higher grade-point averages than men who drop out. In some cases, women who drop out have the same GPA as men who complete those majors. Compared to men, women in physics courses feel significantly less recognized for their accomplishments. Recognition from others as a person who can excel in physics is the strongest predictor of a student’s physics identity, or whether they see themselves as someone who can excel in physics.

More frequent media recognition of female scientists, such as Meitner, could vicariously influence young women, who may see them as role models. This recognition alone can boost young women’s physics self-efficacy and identity.

When Meitner started her career at the beginning of the 20th century, male physicists made excuses about why women had no place in a lab – their long hair might catch fire on Bunsen burners, for instance. We like to believe we have made progress in the past century, but the underrepresentation of women in physics is still concerning.

Diversity as an asset to science

If diverse groups of scientists are involved in brainstorming challenging problems, not only can they devise better, future-oriented solutions, but those solutions will also benefit a wider range of people.

Individuals’ lived experiences affect their perspectives – for example, over two centuries ago, mathematician Ada Lovelace imagined applications far beyond what the original inventors of the computer intended. Similarly, women today are more likely to focus on applications of quantum computers that will benefit their communities. Additionally, physicists from Global South countries are more likely to develop improved stoves, solar cells, water purification systems or solar-powered lamps. The perspectives that diverse groups bring to science problems can lead to new innovations.

Our intention is not to disparage the “Oppenheimer” movie, but to point out that by not centering media attention on diverse voices – including those of women in physics like Meitner – filmmakers perpetuate the status quo and stereotypes about who belongs in physics. Additionally, young women continue to be deprived of exposure to role models who could inspire their academic and professional journeys'

Had a wonderful interaction with a Jimmy John’s deliver guy. Was sitting in my car in a parking lot when a Jimmy John’s delivery guy walked in front of my car. He pointed to the front of my car, looked up, and gave me a thumbs up. It took me a second to realize, but my front plate has a picture of the triforce.

Spite is a valid motivator

What is life if you never fall out of a spinny chair

If peaceful protests were banned then we would be heading to a point were revolution is necessary quickly. I might be too pedantic about what I mean by rioting. I really mean rioting as more breaking into stores and homes, lighting stuff on fire without concern for safety, involving people who don’t want the be involved (not police or lawmakers or people in those positions of power. Like the random person who was walking down the street at the time). I’ve always been a bit specific about words (like ramifications and consequences don’t mean the same thing). So that’s why I said the Jan 6 RIOT and the George Floyd RIOT. To me the riots are different than the protests and perpetrated by a different group of ideas and often members or nonmembers with more extremist views. Most people won’t riot.

I can see what you mean though about my language suggesting that rioting and anything associated with rioting is bad so maybe the logical step is to ban protests. It’s not something I would have picked up myself so thank you for pointing it out.

I wonder how the prevalence of revolution stories in our (United States) literature and media (hunger games, divergent, etc.) has introduced the idea that revolution is the first thing to do when a system is broken. How has that idea convinced people that rioting may be the correct thing to do (Capitol riot, George Floyd riots, etc.)?

I've always wondered if God is a little like clay. People can shape God into what they need. Some people need a rake, some a vase, others a lamp. People who shape the same object come together as a religion, but no one’s vase has exactly the same details. No one’s rake is the same length. The stronger your belief the stronger your tool. You always can change your tool. Clay is malleable, and you can change shape. Maybe if you already fired it you need to grab more clay to make a new tool, but there is an abundance of clay for you to work with. And maybe you will keep a piece from your rake to decorate your new vase, because even changing faiths doesn’t mean you leave everything behind.

America tends to not care about collectives of people. Like, a lot of people were antivax because they didn’t care enough about others, but in other countries that put families, groups, and others first that wouldn’t fly. You’d have a duty to get vaccinated to protect others whether you care about protecting yourself or not.

Which actually explains a lot of strict lawn practices in neighborhoods and stuff. Suddenly the decision of others affects YOUR property value (even if that is stupid and silly and most people love seeing gardens). So there’s strict rules so that no one being individualistic can affect you cause the USA doesn’t care about groups of people.

That’s rambly but maybe it makes sense. I’m sure there’s a better way to put it. But strict HOAs and city ordinances protect the collective from individuals in a country that doesn’t have a culture of caring for the collective. It’s for stupid reasons and all. A garden doesn’t hurt anything and actually helps but remember this is a country that has awful pollen (I literally live in a place nicknamed the pollen capital of the world though it isn’t on the list for 2022. Yeaaaa) because they only planted male trees (of species that have male/female categories) because city planners didn’t want fruit/nuts everywhere on the sidewalk.

not to sound crazy or anything but the fact that HOA's and city ordinances about how you can manage your garden and yard exist is so insane to me. you're supposed to spend your life doing thankless back breaking work so you can own a house with a yard—which you are forced to manage to an exacting, generic, hostile aesthetic appearance according to others preferences, even if it makes the space useless to you?

You can't even have a vegetable garden. or plant a tree. or plant fucking flowers. in YOUR OWN YARD that you paid for and own? this is the american dream?

Want to learn something new in 2022??

Absolute beginner adult ballet series (fabulous beginning teacher)

40 piano lessons for beginners (some of the best explanations for piano I’ve ever seen)

Excellent basic crochet video series

Basic knitting (probably the best how to knit video out there)

Pre-Free Figure Skate Levels A-D guides and practice activities (each video builds up with exercises to the actual moves!)

How to draw character faces video (very funny, surprisingly instructive?)

Another drawing character faces video

Literally my favorite art pose hack

Tutorial of how to make a whole ass Stardew Valley esque farming game in Gamemaker Studios 2??

Introduction to flying small aircrafts

French/Dutch/Fishtail braiding

Playing the guitar for beginners (well paced and excellent instructor)

Playing the violin for beginners (really good practical tips mixed in)

Color theory in digital art (not of the children’s hospital variety)

Retake classes you hated but now there’s zero stakes:

Calculus 1 (full semester class)

Learn basic statistics (free textbook)

Introduction to college physics (free textbook)

Introduction to accounting (free textbook)

Learn a language:

Ancient Greek

Latin

Spanish

German

Japanese (grammar guide) (for dummies)

French

Russian (pretty good cyrillic guide!)