a.j. jacobs - Jezebel

posts about #ajjacobs more →


What Can We Learn From Men Who Claim They Have "Learned"? (Hint: "That They Need To Be Schooled" Is Not That Off)

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

sphinx404
11/03/08

In reply to
I do not understand why people elevate celebrities who have some experience in a scientific field

or who have a bachelors degree in a scientific subject (bachelors degrees are fairly worthless) and even go

so far as to call them geniuses, when those who chose to stay in a field and have advanced degrees do not automatically

get this label of being highly intelligent. I do not understand this. It's similar to the way in which some teachers

have admiration for the kids who never do the homework yet still pass the exam, and sometimes give them more credit

for being intelligent than they do the kids who did the homework, passed the exam, and still would have passed the exam if they

hadn't done the homework. I guess this is just another example of anti-intellectualism and pro-intelligence.
Reply

sphinx404 was starred sphinx404 was unstarred

eff it...let's get a taco.
11/03/08

In reply to
Also, Isn't Geena Davis really smart. I remember reading that she is a mensa brainiac a few years back.
Reply

Saltine
11/04/08

@musetta82: yep
Reply

Saltine was starred Saltine was unstarred

Jack_Burton
11/03/08

In reply to
Even though I live ~400 mi from LA, I like those odds.
Reply

Jack_Burton was starred Jack_Burton was unstarred

newscience
11/03/08

In reply to
That "Math Doesn't Suck" book actually drove me crazy. I think it's super patronizing to sell math to girls via examples from cooking and shopping. That said, if it gets more women into math and science, I'm all for admitting that the ends justify the means. The book just really rubs me the wrong way.
Reply

newscience was starred newscience was unstarred

ucelluccia
11/03/08

@newscience: Doesn't that position kind of imply that cooking and shopping are things girls should avoid, then? Like, I haven't ever heard an easier way to "get" percentages than to compare it to shopping. And you know what? Her books are fun and lightly written, and they're entertaining in a way math textbooks aren't. So if they work, who cares what examples she's using?
Reply

ucelluccia was starred ucelluccia was unstarred

TheOtherJen
11/03/08

In reply to
Esquire is crap. Their 75th anniversary issue (the one with that stupid blinking sign) listed the 75 most influential or greatest somethingorother people of all time and only SEVEN were woman. Yes, I know its a men's magazine, but COME ON.

Love that dress though.
Reply

TheOtherJen was starred TheOtherJen was unstarred

GiannaTrypticon
11/03/08

In reply to
1) It makes my eye twitch that we have to have book to make math look "Sexy" for girls to be interested.
2) This reminds me of the "groundbreaking" article I read on CNN a couple months back that almost sent me to the hospital with an aneurysm that stated, *shockingly* that girls were JUST as good as boys in math. REALLY!? *deep, calm breaths* I will not allow myself to go on about it.
3) Women must still be exploited as "sexy teachers"/"mathematicians" with Palin up-dos, lots of cleavage and pencil nibbling in order for men to read about them being smart?! Really?! Ugh, there goes another spike in blood pressure.
4) As a female biochemist working on yet another degree in computer science, I just want to say...I don't go to work dressed like a sex kitten, and I don't need to crawl on my male coworker's crotches to get noticed or have my opinions taken seriously.

Reply

GiannaTrypticon was starred GiannaTrypticon was unstarred

remedios
11/03/08

In reply to
Her equation for getting a date doesn't quite work (but I'd blame Esquire, not her).

Chances of getting a date with Danica McKellar = 3(integrity) + 2(wit) + 3(passion) ÷ (miles you live from L. A.) + (# of bad habits) + 85

Since the division only applies to passion / miles, the equation has the person adding in bad habits as increasing likelihood of a date. I doubt that was the intention.
Reply

remedios was starred remedios was unstarred

Jack_Burton
11/03/08

@remedios: Egad... You are right!

I think the correct linear notation might be:

÷((miles you live from L.A.) + (# of bad habits) + 85)

I'm not a big fan of math, but have been using it more in programming lately...
Reply

Jack_Burton was starred Jack_Burton was unstarred

JinxyMcDeath
11/03/08

In reply to
My best friend went to HS with Natalie Portman. My BF (who is now a doctor) was a year ahead of her in HS, and yet Natalie was in her SENIOR AP CALCULUS class as a Junior. She apparently aced it. And that's a huge reason why I love her.
Reply

JinxyMcDeath was starred JinxyMcDeath was unstarred

the.bleach
11/03/08

In reply to
I saw her on Oprah and she just sort of blinked a lot. I admire her for allying herself with a good cause, but I have a feeling Blossom could out-genius Winnie any day.
Reply

the.bleach was starred the.bleach was unstarred

gold_gato
11/03/08

@the.bleach: ah, maybe she gets a touch of stage fright.. Oprah is a big show! If I were on, I'd probably blink a lot too, if only because I was mezmorized (sp) by Oprah's magic makeup..
Reply

gold_gato was starred gold_gato was unstarred

Penny
11/03/08

In reply to
Also, that photo really bugs me.
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

mepo - Robert Cornhole invented it
11/03/08

@Archetype: It is indeed annoying but when the alternative is Paris Hilton maybe we have to be a little more flexible, though it is hardly ideal and I feel something central is lost. She could have done 'pretty and intelligent' thing without verging on well the slutty school teacher, however.
Reply

girlgonemild
11/03/08

In reply to
Hidden celebrity geniuses! It's like the bizarro-world version of the mousy girl who, when you take the glasses off, is presto-change-o prom queen material!

If only putting on glasses and taking off the lipstick were all it took for me to wrap my head around calculus...
Reply

girlgonemild was starred girlgonemild was unstarred

BiBiVirtue
11/03/08

In reply to
If you pose with your tits out.....
Reply

BiBiVirtue was starred BiBiVirtue was unstarred

ucelluccia
11/03/08

@BiBiVirtue: ...you can't be good at math? Or successful? Or ... you have absolutely every right to do so? Or...you may have to field awkward questions?

What's the end of that sentence?
Reply

ucelluccia was starred ucelluccia was unstarred

BiBiVirtue
11/03/08

@ucelluccia: See above.
Reply

BiBiVirtue was starred BiBiVirtue was unstarred

ucelluccia
11/03/08

@BiBiVirtue: So...I am confused. Because she is an attractive girl, comfortable enough with her body to be photographed in "sexy" outfits, she should expect little to no respect from a magazine who interviewed who for the "smart women" article? And we should condone that? My oh my, all those trampy sluts with math degrees and successful careers...
Reply

ucelluccia was starred ucelluccia was unstarred

scullymurphy
11/03/08

In reply to
I think Duchovny might be a hidden celebrity smart guy. I don't know about genius, though...
Reply

scullymurphy was starred scullymurphy was unstarred

DoNotStalk loves Jason Bateman
11/03/08

@scullymurphy: I don't think it's hidden at all. Him or Jeff Goldblum, who I would happily pay to see in sexy librarian glasses, with a number two pencil sticking out of their mouths.
Reply

fizzyg
11/03/08

@scullymurphy: Personally I think genius is getting thrown around a bit haphazardly here. I don't doubt that these women are very intelligent, but earning a bachelors degree in a field and writing an honors thesis doesn't necessarily make you a genius.
Reply

fizzyg was starred fizzyg was unstarred

scullymurphy
11/03/08

@fizzyg: Right - a degree from an ivy league plus a successful acting career does not genius make!
Reply

scullymurphy was starred scullymurphy was unstarred

Penny
11/03/08

In reply to
So, only attractive women?
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

bowleserised
11/03/08

@Archetype: Esquire attractive too. Kudos to Danica, but I'm not sure this is the fourth wave of feminism...
Reply

bowleserised was starred bowleserised was unstarred

gold_gato
11/03/08

@Archetype: I definitely see your point, but this is where things gets sticky.. how does Esquire prove they've chosen less attractive women as well? By pointing out, hey this one's not that great, see we were fair!
Reply

gold_gato was starred gold_gato was unstarred

Penny
11/03/08

@gold_gato: Well, I didn't read the article. It could be that those are the two Esquire chose to list, it could be that Danika simply knows her audience.

My point had less to do with the fact that the women were attractive than the fact that no men were noted.
Reply

Penny was starred Penny was unstarred

63words
11/03/08

In reply to
Yeah, the questions are pretty lame, but in a way, I almost want to pass this article out with a note saying "SEE, BEING SMART DOES NOT MAKE YOU LESS PRETTY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE YOUR BOYFRIEND FEEL LIKE HE IS SMARTER THAN YOU - HE WILL STILL WANT TO BONE YOU EVEN IF YOU ARE AWESOME AT MATH OR POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF IT."
Reply

63words was starred 63words was unstarred

dancingteacups
11/03/08

@63words: I totally needed to hear that today. I'm crushing on this super smart guy and I feel the need to dumb myself down so he'll like me. I am trying to resist, of course. But it's scary how ingrained that kind of behaviour is.

Sorry for the inappropriate personal threadjacking.
Reply

dancingteacups was starred dancingteacups was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#ajjacobs

Jezebel

SUBSCRIBE TO Jezebel

What Can We Learn From Men Who Claim They Have "Learned"? (Hint: "That They Need To Be Schooled" Is Not That Off)

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment