My friend Imogene is AMAZING. People can be terrible (read below) and it seems some never leave high school. . #Repost @biologistimogene • • • I’ve been in Houston for the last few days visiting family, and it’s a phenomenal reminder of what’s important. . Last week someone told me that the way I looked “watered down my message” in science communication. How shitty is that? In addition to being 100% not true, it made me think a lot about the bias and prejudice that many people, mostly women and especially underrepresented groups, face on a daily basis. The way you look, present, or what you enjoy is not a measure of your ability, and it certainly isn’t correlated with how well you do science. Period. . That’s why I started #StillAScientist- to show that regardless of what you look like, what you like, the quality of your science isn’t impacted. Whether dressed down or made up, I’m still a scientist. Yea I’m a scientist, but I’m also a person. Deal with it. . I love this community because we’re so ready to talk about these problems in an effort to dismantle this kind of narrow-minded rhetoric. Young people especially should never be told that the way they look impacts how others perceive them, and this is so incredibly true for those seeking to enter, or are training in, STEM fields. When we tell someone that they shouldn’t be X or they shouldn’t do Y, or that they are too much or too little of something, we are reinforcing the notion that aesthetics are more important than intelligence, passion, happiness, and intrinsic value, and I am 100% not about that life. . I’ve loved watching this hashtag explode with the diversity that makes science great: the scientists. I’ve loved watching my simple tweet turn something negative into something so positive, engaging, and just plain fun to follow! This hashtag is showing the world that scientists reject the stereotypes and bias that impact opportunities for so many, and honestly highlights how cool being a scientist (and a human) really is. I recommend checking out the hashtag, and if you feel so inclined, add your voice to the mix! . Why do you love science?