Telling Women's Lives

Luke Vith-Reader Response 3/20

When reading through the interview with C. Megan Urry I was interested at first in seeing the scientific side of the article and how astronomy has taken off in recent years. Once I finished reading the article I was very excited to learn about the new technology and possibilities within the astronomical industry, however, I was more shocked to hear about the sexist issues that Urry had to face when going to her conferences and the ban that was put into effect in order to allow for a more friendly and professional environment. First of all, I thought that this ban was a very good idea especially when you have younger women who are new to the field and are trying to get their first taste of the science industry as a whole. If they are constantly showing up to work and to these large conferences being slightly scared or worried then they are not receiving their full education potential and their work is essentially useless. Then, when reading further into the article it was made clear that the issues aren’t related just to the astronomy and science industry but across all industries as a whole. This is something that I found troubling because it would be terrible to be nervous when walking around the office on a daily basis and I wouldn’t want anyone to have to deal with this. After reading the Pollack article as well it was clear to me that the stigma of science being a man’s industry should be changed if we want to see more progress within the industry itself. While this may take some time because it has been such a historically entrenched belief, because throughout the years many people have looked at the industry as a male’s industry, I believe that it is essential in order to continue these advances in science and women to contribute just as much as men.