> It's also not clear why they included a picture of him playing guitar with a caption about his band...
There is a bit of a push at the moment, and has been for a while, to show that scientists and other technical types are normal people too, not just the stereotype anal retentive hyper-dedicated socially disconnected Asperger afflicted geniuses. You'll often see a little bit of information about the people in question that is ultimately completely irrelevant to the science/tech being discussed.
If it does help break down the stereotype a bit then it is a good thing: many kids are put off science in part because of such things.
You are right, someone reading articles about scientists, or about startups might come up with "they're all a bunch of hipsters nowadays". IMHO that's pretty bad, because it renders the creative but eccentric or reclusive scientist as someone who doesnt even fit in the scientific circles anymore. Here's how Peter Thiel puts it:
"the political people who are nimble in the art of writing government grants have gradually displaced the eccentric and idiosyncratic people who typically make the best scientists. The eccentric university professor is a species that is going extinct fast"
Yea, seems to be going in the opposite direction. Pop culture like tv shows Big Bang Theory and Silicon Valley are showing that it's actually cool to be geeky or into tech and startups.
You have to do it when you want to reach "general public" which is far-from-science type of individuals who refer to themselves as "not interested in politics, space and that kind of stuff. I'm interested in people and events that directly affect me today". These personal life descriptions helps them started. Shows quality of journalism actually.
The "I'm scientist but I'm cool also because I play guitar" is a really unfortunate message. Specially when you think in all young scientists that need to have a second job (unrelated) to keep their job as university associated teachers. Those things always remember me the Poochie satire in the Simpsons.
Comments
> It's also not clear why they included a picture of him playing guitar with a caption about his band...
There is a bit of a push at the moment, and has been for a while, to show that scientists and other technical types are normal people too, not just the stereotype anal retentive hyper-dedicated socially disconnected Asperger afflicted geniuses. You'll often see a little bit of information about the people in question that is ultimately completely irrelevant to the science/tech being discussed.
If it does help break down the stereotype a bit then it is a good thing: many kids are put off science in part because of such things.
You are right, someone reading articles about scientists, or about startups might come up with "they're all a bunch of hipsters nowadays". IMHO that's pretty bad, because it renders the creative but eccentric or reclusive scientist as someone who doesnt even fit in the scientific circles anymore. Here's how Peter Thiel puts it:
"the political people who are nimble in the art of writing government grants have gradually displaced the eccentric and idiosyncratic people who typically make the best scientists. The eccentric university professor is a species that is going extinct fast"
Yea, seems to be going in the opposite direction. Pop culture like tv shows Big Bang Theory and Silicon Valley are showing that it's actually cool to be geeky or into tech and startups.
Is this satire?
You should know by now that all of HN is a parody of itself.
You have to do it when you want to reach "general public" which is far-from-science type of individuals who refer to themselves as "not interested in politics, space and that kind of stuff. I'm interested in people and events that directly affect me today". These personal life descriptions helps them started. Shows quality of journalism actually.
The "I'm scientist but I'm cool also because I play guitar" is a really unfortunate message. Specially when you think in all young scientists that need to have a second job (unrelated) to keep their job as university associated teachers. Those things always remember me the Poochie satire in the Simpsons.