If Nobel laureate Tim Hunt thought he had "trouble with girls" distracting him in the lab before, he must be glued to Twitter now with all of the #DistractinglySexy photos coming in of female scientists at work around the world.
Hunt, a 72-year old biochemist and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, explained at the World Conference of Science Journalists in South Korea on Monday that girls are simply too tempting and tearful to be in the lab.
"Let me tell you about my trouble with girls," Hunt said. "Three things happen when they are in the lab: You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them they cry."
Hunt has since apologized on BBC Radio, but his expression of regret seemed to have more to do with the fact that he got slammed for his comments than anything else. After apologizing for his remarks, he told the BBC that it was "a very stupid thing to do in the presence of all those journalists."
He even went on to say, "I did mean the part about having trouble with girls," and explained how disruptive "emotional entanglements" with female lab members have been to his work in the past, according to the BBC.
Ladies of science swiftly mounted their response on Twitter to show Hunt how right he was. The photos they have shared of themselves wearing protective gear, picking through animal guts, and examining poop are nothing short of irresistible.
Female scientists are practically walking around naked at work.
Yes I know I am #distractinglysexy in my Level A PPE. The suit totally flatters my curves. pic.twitter.com/LUb5nXx9yO
— Geeky Girl Engineer (@gkygirlengineer) June 11, 2015
The outfits they wear simply invite ogling. Thigh-high boots? Clearly inappropriate for doing science.
Could waders be considered #distractinglysexy? pic.twitter.com/F4apY1p70R
— Nadia Richman (@Platanistidae) June 12, 2015
No one can ignore a seductive look like this one, especially not with the romantic smell of fish guts in the air.
Try not to fall in love with this #DistractinglySexy photo of me with lionfish guts. pic.twitter.com/CPQaKQzCK3
— Dr. Christie Wilcox (@NerdyChristie) June 11, 2015
And everyone knows that cheetah poop is an aphrodisiac.
Nothing like a sample tube full of cheetah poop to make you #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/tdBTLRos4p — Sarah Durant (@SarahMDurant) June 11, 2015
Even if they are distractingly sexy, at least some of them were smart enough to find some innovative ways to cope with their other shortcomings, like crying too much.
Best part of being a marine ecologist? No one can tell you're crying underH2O. Though wetsuits are #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/tX5cFmeFgm
— Angee Doerr (@andoerr) June 11, 2015
Photo: GrrlScientist | Flickr
