There has been enough talk already about "Imposter Syndrome" among astronomers. It is basically the feeling that one should not be in the field because everyone else is more qualified/smarter etc and one is going to be found out any minute. It is something most critical thinking people suffer from.
Or should...I'd see it as a sign of psychopathy if one didn't...
But here I want to note something that (maybe) predominantly affects men in Astronomy because of the way society is still structured. As soon as one has a family, i.e. actual "dependents", people who depend on you for everything (talking about kids, cats are not people), men tend to get a bit more competitive/serious about their job.
It's "provider syndrome". YOU are SOLELY responsible for these wee ones to have enough diapers/food/playstations to consume. Also: please fight off all predators.
Since the last item is not really on the list, society implicitly assumes you can't do things like parent (I mean the bar would be subterranean if it were any lower), all the pressure is to "provide".
Funny enough this is not actually in many points of peer-to-peer contact (like the issues we keep hearing about that women in STEM face, I mean oh boy) but it is deeply ingrained in our culture.
For example, no one would take a male postdoc serious if he opted for an 80% contract (I mean that is just negotiating a paycut right? Macho culture at work).
But the funny thing is: the pressure really IS on. With the physical demands of kids and the fun ways postdoc positions *rarely* seem to come with work visa/opportunities for spouses, the male postdoc *is* the provider in a competitive field. It reminds me of the T-shirt that says "if the zombie apocalypse comes, I'm tripping you". Probably. The kids will get away.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Sunday, December 7, 2014
The Dust in Nearby Galaxies Workshop in memory of Chad Engelbracht
This week I went to Tucson for the workshop on "Observations of Dust in Nearby Galaxies - a workshop in memory of Chad Engelbracht" (link).
It was organized by Joannah Hinz. She's cool. She invited me to give talk! My first invited talk on dust in galaxies, a topic I've been working on since grad school! So. very. cool. For the longest time, I was scrambling to get the finances for the trip. Then Karl Gordon ok'ed to pay for my flight using our NHEMESES Herschel program's NASA funding! Wooo! I got to go!! Flying in just after Thanksgiving and I got back in time for Sinterklaas. Joannah even let me stay with her! Told you she's cool.
The reason we had the workshop as dust in nearby galaxies was the topic Chad Engelbracht was most interested in. He worked on the Spitzer Space Telescope and produced a lot of very good work with it. Almost everyone had a funny Chad story in their talk. Often involving Quake.
So this was the guy who got Tim Pickering so hooked on that game that he installed it on the UNIX system in Groningen...
I met Chad a few times and we worked on two SINGS papers together. Like most people at the workshop already said and I will reiterate: he was a kind and competent person. I remember him being encouraging on a paper that was slowly turning into a bit of a monster. I presented the results at a conference in Rome (where I met Joannah for the first time as well) and I used the "spherical cow" example. Someone used it as well at the workshop! I immediately wanted to find that talk and specifically that slide. It's not on my laptop. too many computers ago.
He was a kind person (well except in Quake) with a sucky disease. Chad will be missed.
It was organized by Joannah Hinz. She's cool. She invited me to give talk! My first invited talk on dust in galaxies, a topic I've been working on since grad school! So. very. cool. For the longest time, I was scrambling to get the finances for the trip. Then Karl Gordon ok'ed to pay for my flight using our NHEMESES Herschel program's NASA funding! Wooo! I got to go!! Flying in just after Thanksgiving and I got back in time for Sinterklaas. Joannah even let me stay with her! Told you she's cool.
The reason we had the workshop as dust in nearby galaxies was the topic Chad Engelbracht was most interested in. He worked on the Spitzer Space Telescope and produced a lot of very good work with it. Almost everyone had a funny Chad story in their talk. Often involving Quake.
So this was the guy who got Tim Pickering so hooked on that game that he installed it on the UNIX system in Groningen...
I met Chad a few times and we worked on two SINGS papers together. Like most people at the workshop already said and I will reiterate: he was a kind and competent person. I remember him being encouraging on a paper that was slowly turning into a bit of a monster. I presented the results at a conference in Rome (where I met Joannah for the first time as well) and I used the "spherical cow" example. Someone used it as well at the workshop! I immediately wanted to find that talk and specifically that slide. It's not on my laptop. too many computers ago.
He was a kind person (well except in Quake) with a sucky disease. Chad will be missed.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Chad Fest Day 0
The conference in memory of Chard Engelbracht is happening tomorrow.
Thoday is T-0. I visited Steward observatory and chatted to people during beer+pizza at the infamous 1702 restaurant. Now I finally know what Fish is on about.
Met up with Tim Pickering again. He was one of Chad's friends in grad school. In general the meeting has a bit of "boys back together" feel to it.
Meanwhile Joannah Hinz has been awesome in helping me. For example, she dropped me at El Target for my US shopping! All the while picking up people from the airport and organizing this conference. Oh and I get to stay in her guest bedroom too! Awesome.
Thoday is T-0. I visited Steward observatory and chatted to people during beer+pizza at the infamous 1702 restaurant. Now I finally know what Fish is on about.
Met up with Tim Pickering again. He was one of Chad's friends in grad school. In general the meeting has a bit of "boys back together" feel to it.
Meanwhile Joannah Hinz has been awesome in helping me. For example, she dropped me at El Target for my US shopping! All the while picking up people from the airport and organizing this conference. Oh and I get to stay in her guest bedroom too! Awesome.
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