Klischee Wissenschaftler. Sehen Physiker Wirklich Alle Wie Einstein Aus?

Scientist Clichés. Do All Physicists Really Look Like Einstein? Meet Simon and Marc. They're studying for their next physics assignment. Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity is part of this. How's it going, boys? You know what, Marc? I've always wondered why all theoretical physicists look the same. What do you mean? Everyone pictures Einstein, Newton, or Schrödinger. Can't you see the similarities now? That's true, but not everyone has to have the same mental picture of a theoretical physicist. How about we go out and ask people how they picture a theoretical physicist? That's not a bad idea. For me, a particle physicist looks like Harald Lesch. I think he's really good—he has that program on 3sat, doesn't he? He always explains everything so well. That's how I picture a nuclear physicist or a particle physicist. I picture a thin man of medium height with grey hair and glasses. I picture someone whose head is a bit in the clouds, and who has a beard. I know one, but he looks just like everyone else. My mental picture is a normal one. He should be pretty chill. I think of the man in the wheelchair, Stephen Hawking. And I also think of my former physics teacher. I think they [particle physicists] are very meticulous. A few are almost pedantic, maybe. I picture theoretical physicists being a bit older. They might look a bit untidy, but in their work they're very meticulous. This stereotype seems firmly established. Apparently so. But where does it come from? There's this stereotype of a theoretical physicist: male with unkempt hair, etc. Do you have any idea where this could come from? I think a lot of people don't know what theoretical physicists really do, and therefore they cling to images that are familiar to them—that of Einstein, for example. The stereotype always describes a man. People think women wouldn't be interested in physics. And in fact, there are very few women physicists. How would you explain this lack of interest? That's a question that I often think about, and I find it quite difficult to answer. But I do have a few thoughts on the subject. I could see people being socialized differently. When I look at children's Christmas presents, I notice that girls very often receive dolls. They're not encouraged to actively engage with FischerTechnik construction toys, for example. We learn a lot about physics in school, but I still can't imagine what a typical work day in the life of a theoretical physicist looks like. I think that communication between students and scientists should be improved. The things we're taught keep becoming more and more abstract. I'd like it if we could find a stronger link to everyday life. Hey Simon, what's up? You know what, Marc? More women should try going into physics. Things aren't always as they seem. OK, let's go to class.