--- title: Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt Makes Sexist Speech at Global Conference description: His remarks about women in science, made at the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, have provoked outrage canonical: https://time.com/3915617/women-science-tim-hunt-nobel-sexist/ author: Alissa Greenberg article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-10T08:52:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2024-01-24T14:01:06.000Z og:title: Nobel Scientist's Sexist Remarks Provoke Outrage og:description: Tim Hunt was addressing the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul og:url: https://time.com/3915617/women-science-tim-hunt-nobel-sexist/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf40fdb46016fec77/698853d8cd6848a4ac0a047a/tim-hunt-nobel-controversial-comment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Tim Hunt Nobel prize winner og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Nobel Scientist's Sexist Remarks Provoke Outrage twitter:description: Tim Hunt was addressing the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf40fdb46016fec77/698853d8cd6848a4ac0a047a/tim-hunt-nobel-controversial-comment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Nobel Scientist Just Made a Breathtakingly Sexist Speech at International Conference > Sponsored content. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. by [Alissa Greenberg](https://time.com/author/alissa-greenberg/) ## Alissa Greenberg Updated: Jan 24, 2024 2:01 PM UTCPublished: Jun 10, 2015 8:52 AM UTC  English biochemist, the Nobel-prize winner Sir Richard Timothy 'Tim' Hunt in Hungary in 2012. English biochemist, the Nobel-prize winner Sir Richard Timothy 'Tim' Hunt in Hungary in 2012. Csaba Segesvari—AFP/Getty Images by [Alissa Greenberg](https://time.com/author/alissa-greenberg/) ## Alissa Greenberg Updated: Jan 24, 2024 2:01 PM UTCPublished: Jun 10, 2015 8:52 AM UTC Renowned scientist and Nobel prize winner Tim Hunt [told a room](http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/10/nobel-scientist-tim-hunt-female-scientists-cause-trouble-for-men-in-labs) full of high-ranking scientists and science journalists Wednesday that the trouble with “girls” working in science is that “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, who was speaking at the World Conference of Science Journalists in the South Korean capital, Seoul, went on to say that scientists should work in gender-segregated labs, adding that he hoped not “to stand in the way of women,” the _Guardian_ reports. Hunt, 72, won the 2001 Nobel prize in physiology and medicine for his work on protein molecules and their role in cell division. He was knighted in 2006. The Royal Society, of which Hunt is a fellow, quickly tweeted a message distancing itself from Hunt’s remarks, writing that the comments “don’t reflect our views” and later adding, “Science needs women.” Hunt later [tried to apologize](http://qz.com/424329/nobel-laureate-says-shockingly-sexist-things-about-girl-scientists-kind-of-apologizes/) on BBC Radio 4’s Today: --- > “” --- Perhaps unsurprisingly, Twitter responded with outrage. Sabine Dittrich, an infectious-disease researcher based in Laos, wrote: > [](https://twitter.com/SabineDittrich/status/608535624388182016) Lynn Schreiber, who runs a “girl-positive” online magazine, said: > [](https://twitter.com/LynnCSchreiber/status/608535442082951168) And mechanical-engineering Ph.D. student Aaron Mifflin added: > [](https://twitter.com/aaron%5Fmifflin/status/608533139133227008) The ratio of women to men in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) careers has remained persistently low despite initiatives around the world promoting science education for young girls. Women hold only 25% of American STEM jobs, according to a 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce. \[[_Guardian_](http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/10/nobel-scientist-tim-hunt-female-scientists-cause-trouble-for-men-in-labs)\] ### Life Before Equal Pay Day: Portrait of a Working Mother in the 1950s  Jennie Magill with her family in the background. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Working mother Jennie Magill shopping with her children at the super market. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie and Jim Magill in the kitchen. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill and family in the kitchen. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Wifely kiss is Jim's reward for helping with the dishes. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill at work. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Companionable lunch with the girls from store is lots better, says Jennie, than a sandwich in solitude at home. "Through Jennie's friends at work," says Jim, "I've met a lot of people I wouldn't have met otherwise." Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Her work is a source of pride to Jim. "She' has done a terrific job. And when I tell her about my work she doesn't brush it off." Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Going home, Jim always picks Jennie up at Carson Pirie Scott branch. The ride home is a chance to talk without domestic distractions. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie and Jim Magill coming home from work. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Taking over the family reins when she gets home, Jennie holds Jackie, 2, who tests cake which he "helped" housekeeper Sophia Flewelling (left) to bake. Sophie runs household smoothly while parents are gone. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill and family. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill ironing with her daughter. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill with her children. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill comforting her crying daughter. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill with her children. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill reading a story to her children. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Bill-paying is disagreeable, but it reminds them of how well they live because Jennie works. "It's nice not to have that lost feeling," says Jim. "Now when we see a piece of furniture we want, we buy it." Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Jennie Magill kisses her children goodbye. 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