Scientific American Man

June 10, 2010 at 2:57 pm (Rants, Science) (Feminism, journalism)

I have childhood memories of my grandfather’s large collection of Scientific American magazines, dating back to 1917. My mother eventually convinced my father that storing them in the garage was not the best use of that space, so those delightful drawings and earth-shattering discoveries are long gone from my grasp. Instead, I’m left with the current Scientific American, which, apparently, doesn’t much like science. Or, at least, it aims to put the “man” in it.

In true credit to the fact that putting a woman in charge doesn’t make something feminist, the publication is now under the editorial eye of Mariette DiChristina. I don’t know how she plays into the mess that is columnist Jesse Bering, the recipient of the venomous waves I’m emitting from my mind.

I really do like that he purports to take a new approach to science, integrating methods that the rigors of science have worked hard to crush. Much of this is the work of feminism, arguing that there isn’t one absolute truth or dominant narrative, and to insist that there is one is to crush alternatives. That said, it boggles my mind how he can be so hateful towards women.

He’s currently under fire for his evolutionary psychologist’s perspective on women and their periods, but, while he’s reaching into territory that might intrigue and bring more women to science, he does it an way that reinforces the “chicks need not apply” mantra. This is not our story. I just want to point to the smart responses that this has elicited, most notably from Elysia.

I get it.. this guy is an attention seeker, whose science is wacky and biased, but the question persists: why does he write for Scientific American?