Particle physicists are not happy with Alessandro Strumia. Last week, the particle physicist gave a talk at CERN claiming that men are innately better at physics research than women. Now, the high-energy physics community is pushing back.
The presentation, in which Strumia claimed that the reason there are more male physicists than female is because the men are 鈥渙ver-performing鈥�, and that physics was 鈥渋nvented and built by men鈥�, faced widespread and immediate backlash.
Many of Strumia鈥檚 colleagues, along with others both inside and beyond the field of physics, called the talk sexist and regressive and pointed out that it was particularly inappropriate to make such claims at a workshop specifically on women in high energy physics.
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Now, penned by a group of 19 physicists and signed by about 250 more of their colleagues states, 鈥淎s particle physicists, we are appalled by Strumia鈥檚 actions and his stated views on women in high energy physics.鈥� This group letter follows a CERN statement which called the presentation 鈥渉ighly offensive鈥� and suspended Strumia from his projects at CERN.
鈥淚t is clear to all of us that Strumia is not an expert on these topics and is misusing his physics credentials to put himself forward as one,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淭he thin veneer of scientific rigor with which Strumia鈥檚 talk began was followed by open discrimination and personal attacks, which we condemn unconditionally.鈥�
The letter goes on to refute individual points from the talk, noting that many of Strumia鈥檚 arguments 鈥� such as the idea that Marie Curie鈥檚 Nobel prize in physics in 1903 is evidence against discrimination 鈥� are biased, unscientific, or simply incorrect.
