'Big Bang Theory' actress 'fell in love with the neuron' and hopes other girls will, too

Lexington Herald-Leader ^ | January 31, 2014 | Peter Baniak

[Bratch]

MOREHEAD — First, I'll admit that I went to see The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik speak at Morehead State primarily because I'm a fan of the show, in all its nerdy glory.

But as the actress who plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on the CBS comedy spoke to the large, attentive crowd in Morehead's Academic-Athletic Center, I found myself thinking about something other than the popular TV show:

I wish my daughter could hear this.

Of course, during her lecture, Bialik told the crowd about her experiences in Hollywood, as a child star on the 1990s sitcom Blossom, now as a key character on The Big Bang Theory. She talked about juggling her career and being the mother of two young sons. Much of her talk, though, focused on her real-life path to earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. As the child of two English teachers, Bialik gravitated toward the arts and humanities over math and science early in her educational life.

"I assumed I wasn't good at math and science," she said, "because the way it was taught to me didn't make sense to me."

She saw her math and science classes dominated by boys. The notion that math and science were subjects for boys was ever-present and reinforced.

That is, until a biology tutor sparked her own interest and passion for science in her teens.

"I never knew you could feel that way about science," she said.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It is the only comedy I watch. DH does not get it but I used to work with these kind of lab rats. They are cute, funny and occasionally clueless but there is a reason they are lab rats rather then head of the lab.

Everything came easy for them so they were able to loaf their way through school. Anything hard was "not fun" unless they could make a game of it.

Occasionally they would come up with something brilliant but as far as performance they never would match the steady churn of workable ideas their less flashy co-workers produced.

Now I have to say that not all of them were like that. There were an equal number that were both brilliant and hardworking but I don't think they would have made for interesting TV.

[nvscanman]

The average male compared to the average female IS better at math/science/engineering material. Male brains are wired
in a fashion that makes them better at this than females.
Just as the average female compared to the average male tends to do better in verbal skills. Are there exceptions?
Yes, quite a few in fact but that does not change fundamental biology. Males are better than females at many
things, females are better than man at other things. That’s
life and all the hand wringing, denial and hysteria about it not being fair or not being true is irrelevant....because noise does not change truth.

[ModelBreaker]

“The average male compared to the average female IS better at math/science/engineering material. Male brains are wired
in a fashion that makes them better at this than females.”

Not quite correct. The distribution of IQ in men has a higher standard deviation than for women. That means there are more really smart and more really dumb men (percentage wise) than women.

Once science and math get advanced enough, most people regardless of sex cannot do them well, or much at all. It takes really smart people to do them well. There are more really smart men than women, even though average IQ as between the sexes is almost identical. It also means that there are a lot more men in jail than women (jail tends to favor the really stupid).

[MacMattico]

That's awesome. My great Aunt graduated second in her class in 1918 and began working at a bank. She put herself through college majoring in finance and economics. I know that's not science but not thought of as “women's work” in 1918. She retired in the late 1970’s as a bank President.

I had many science teachers that were women. I didn't go into science but never felt like it wasn't a choice or I couldn't do it.

[nvscanman]

The distribution if IQ’s is different between men and women.
The ability to resolve and visualize spatial resolution is
different. The ability to plan and create complex structure is different. All of the above are different, but related.
The brains of males are different than the brains of females. This is due to hormonal influences during gestation. If you take 1000 men and 1000 women and give each of them the same test invariably the average score for the men will be higher than for the women on non verbal skills. IQ is only related to this phenomenon, a measurement if it...it’s not the driving force behind it, the physical structure of the brain is the driving force.

[OrioleFan]

But it would be pretty boring to watch them working at a desk for a half hour.

One of the funnier episodes was when Raj went to work for Sheldon rather than be deported. They stared at an equation for nearly half the show while the background music was "Eye of the Tiger." Everytime the cymbals crashed in the song, the director of the show switched to another camera angle.

[Mercat]

I was probably the last of the earlier generation. I’m in the oldest tier of baby boomers, born in early 1948. My mom had to quit working when she got married. My grandmother who lived with us never worked outside the home. So that’s how I grew up. I think that the change is good for most but sometimes wonder whether my mother and grandmother, strong women both, weren’t happier.

[TalBlack]

The move made in the 40’s re the life of Madame Curie put her first in her class in math and science. If true that was quite an accomplishment. I would take anything Hollywood said today with a huge grain of salt but back in the 40’s there wasn’t the PC we have today.

[sbMKE]

Tough sledding being a jew in Hollywood. Must be very lonely.

[MD Expat in PA]

I love the BBT. It is a comedy and very funny at times. It does not however depict real life or all the hard work scientists do but FWIW, I’ve known quite a few “nerdy” scientists and some of the characters on the BBT remind me of some of my RL friends in some respect; their love of video games, comic books, sci-fi movies and heated arguments over whether ST or SW was better, ST original or STTNG, Kirk of Piccard…LOL!

[ken5050]

Very, very old joke.......

First, a little prep is required...Hold your two hands palms facing each other, 3 inches apart..

Q: Why are women so terrible at math?

A: All their lives, they've been told that this is 6 inches..

[ops33]

Well said.

[xrmusn]

I can’t think of anything ground breaking Lenard has done.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =

In a word....

PENNY.

In THEIR world, it is equivalent to 5 straight Super Bowls, a Perfect MLB season, a P that averages 24 K’s per game, a batter averaging 2 HR’s per game etc...

[chimera]

I always thought Lise Meitner was about the smartest woman to have walked the Earth (never mind what the 'Rats say about Hillary). Anyone who can figure out nuclear fission as well as Auger electrons has got to have some deep convolutions.

That said, I have a serious late-life crush on Amy (Mayim). Amy is just geek chic. Sheldon better come around quick or someone else will nab her.

[bmwcyle]

[Hildy]

I take it you’re being facetious. Being a Jew in Hollywood is not lonely. Being a Jew who is actually proud of being Jewish is quite another.

[bravo whiskey]

my frau has a bs in math and in economics, attended university of chicago in economics for a bit before marrying me and got her mba while we were stationed in germany and she is pmi certified. different smarter than me who has a ba in german and a pair of associate degrees in drafting and graphic design. just have to watch how we approach a jigsaw puzzle to see we think differently. oh and both of us are really good cooks.

[jocon307]

TY, love that show!