Pro tip #3: Keep trying to be a good person

Science is a human activity.  The universe cares not if we study its splendor.  Humans study facets of the universe because we are curious, and because some of the things we find have great practical value.  Fundamentally, science is done by humans for humans (and perhaps also for our animal and plant friends).  As such, much of making scientific progress involves interaction with fellow beings.

Human strengths and foibles play as much a role in science as in any other context involving more than one human.  This may be a surprise to some people.  A popular stereotype is that science is done by introvert loners who totally shy away from contact with others.  While some scientists fit part of the stereotype (hello, fellow introverts!), this is not actually how we make progress by and large.  It takes a village to investigate the universe.  Humans must interact to perform science.

A popular stereotype some scientists hold about themselves is that they are totally data-driven and objective.  This is not true.  Scientists hold the same types of biases that everyone else has, and are driven by the same emotions as non-scientists.  We have the same kinds of problems, and react to them in the same way, as non-scientists.  We are products of our culture.  We are human.

This means that how we do science is affected by our humanness.  We can act with great kindness to each other, work collaboratively to solve problems, and solve problems that are important to our society as a whole.  But we can also use our humanness to tear each other down.

This tearing down happens a lot, unfortunately, and tends to be aimed at those people who don’t have power.  A lot of bad (whether actively intentionally bad or unintentional badness—if you’re on the receiving end, it really doesn’t matter if the other person “meant” to be bad to you or were unintentionally bad.  Bad is bad) behavior occurs when people fear loss of status, and they take it out on people they perceive as threatening to rise up in the power hierarchy.  So, a lot of in-group/out-group dynamics.

In physics, this has always meant that women and gender minorities, Black and Brown people, those with non-straight sexual orientation, , those coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, people with disabilities, people from non-Western countries (with only a few exceptions), and especially people lying at the intersections of those identities, have been kept out.  Or heavily encouraged to leave.  We also see it play out in the academic hierarchy, where faculty act as gatekeepers and power-holders over students.

It will take a major cultural shift and systemic change to change this.  We have to have a new set of values, to not perpetuate bad behavior and instead foster a culture of actual real inclusion.

For me, change starts with myself.  I try to create space for people.  I try to advocate for those who have less power than I.  I try to do better and be better.  I try to create change in my corner of the universe.  I fail often.  I ask for grace, and I try again.  There is a long way to go, but I want to keep being better and making my field better, and hold myself accountable in a results-based framework.  I think about things in terms of research outcomes: intent doesn’t matter if your intent doesn’t match your outcomes.  So, I keep trying.