Hopping into the parrallel: A comment on "Womanspace"

Not being one to follow the not-so-important pages of Nature, I was sent the following article by my supervisor:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7366/full/477626a.html

For those of you who haven't read the infamous fictional article, it features a scenario where physicist Ed Rybicki and his friend are sent to the shops to buy school knickers for his daughter. The two are completely hopeless at the task and eventually fail. This inspires Ed to wonder how women seem to be so adept at finding what they are looking for (and more) without the man even noticing what was going on. He then suggests that women have the power to access parallel universes i.e. womanspace. Ed, throughout his piece of fiction, falls victim to stereotypical settings with seemingly sexist undertones.

The article was heavily criticised, with individuals opening accounts to berate Ed on his blatant sexism and calling for petitions to have editor, Henry Gee, thrown out of Nature. Blogs (such as the one below: Isis the scientist) similarly attack the author and editor and journal.

http://isisthescientist.com/2011/11/17/what-womanspace-really-looks-like-and-why-nature-can-suck-it/

As pitiful as"Womanspace" the article is as a piece of literature, I cannot help but feel that some scientists are just a little too touchy. In fact, the reinforcing of stereotypes and sexist undertones can be seen in Dr Isis' description of her blog, where she lists her very impressive credentials and her juggling of family and research and ends off with: "Also, she blogs about shoes. In fact, she blogs a lot about shoes." Is it ok because she is a woman? And women, of course, can juggle their priorities of career, babies and shoes (oh shoes!), as long as a man feels he can do the same and does not accredit this to supernatural powers or differences in the way men and women think.

I do not doubt that the most successful individual in many situations will be a white male. I also do not doubt that this has more to do with existing prejudices than it has to do with actual talent. But to suggest that the quasi-fictional story of a man shopping for his daughters knickers is what is spurring on this sexism is a little out of touch with reality.


Sexism is not caused by men alone, it is also caused by women. Women who sacrifice their jobs to raise a family, even though their job was meaningful to them. Women who use sex as a means to feeling loved. Women who allow their husbands to hit them so that they will not be alone or so that they will not be poor. Women who do nothing about these women. Not a silly middle-aged man and a sensationalist editor.