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Science In Action: Reversing Systemic Bias Against Women Scientists in the Media

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Female scientists researching in laboratory.

15/02/2018 GMT

Reversing Systemic Bias Against Women Scientists in the Media

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Reversing Systemic Bias Against Women Scientists in the Media

Addressing the bias against women quoted in popular science articles

Systemic bias against women scientists in the media? How animals that change colour in the winter cope with climate change, and US science funding

Is there a systemic bias against women scientists in the media? When writing up scientific breakthroughs in The Atlantic Magazine, science journalist, Ed Yong noticed he was systematically quoting more male scientists than female in his stories. So he set out to investigate why, and redress the balance. Similarly, a study into the gender of authors in the big IPCC climate science reports also showed a much lower percentage of female authors. Is there an unconscious, systemic bias, and will increasing the percentage of women referenced change anything?

Colour-changing animals and climate change. 
There are 21 species of mammals and birds that change from brown to white in the autumn, ready to be camouflaged against the coming snow. These include the iconic Arctic hare, ptarmigans and Arctic foxes. However, not all individuals moult into a white winter coat – there’s no evolutionary advantage, if they overwinter in areas with little or no snowfall. But with climate change reducing the areas covered in snow in the northern hemisphere, how quickly are these animals adapting to their changing environment? And how much more important are the areas where both brown and white forms coexist?

Science Funding in the US
Roland is in Austin, Texas this week at the AAAS science conference, where he’s finding out about how US scientists are coping with President Trump cutting science funding. Are they looking to philanthropy to stop up the finding gaps?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Fiona Roberts

Photo:  Female scientists researching in laboratory.  Credit: Getty Images

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