Naturally Obsessed, the film
Must you be obsessive-compulsive to become a scientist? Naturally Obsessed, a new film made by Richard Rifkind and Carole Rifkind and filmed at Columbia University during a three year period, is about how scientists are made. It's hip and fun, featuring a Flaming Lips song as a good luck charm chosen by the lab for achieving good images of a protein crystal, and pickle juice as a mystical key ingredient for getting a good crystal in the first place. The combination of good luck charms and pop culture with hard thinking and hard work rings true for many of us.
On the whole, the film is unique in its effort to show an inside view of life as a graduate student-I don't know any other attempt at this, and I think that part is great. The film focuses on three graduate students in a lab with an untenured male PI. All three students go through various ups and downs. We repeatedly experience the dramatic crescendo of expectation hoping that the experiment worked, followed by the embarrassment and depression when months of work yielded negative results.
But along the gender lens, the documentary is disappointing. [spoiler alert: key plot points revealed here]. There is only one woman who is followed closely in the film: Gabe Cubberly. She says, after her decision to drop out, "I've given up independence for productivity. That's the definition of a PhD, an independent scientist. I can drop that in a heartbeat."
Anyone see something tragic in this?-in these words being uttered by the only woman in the whole documentary? I think that's a particularly unfortunate message.
What do you think? Is it fair to criticize a film for things that the film makers never expected when they began (like the woman quitting the PhD program)?
I think Gabe didn't chose her words carefully but I don't see anything tragic about her comment. I think she has given up independence in exchange for regular doses of success and achievements. She used the word "productivity" but I don't think she meant that independent scientist aren't productive, nor do I mean to say that independent scientists don't regularly feel success. But it was clear from her little time on screen, that she wasn't feeling any of the rewards of academic science, so before losing all her love for science, she jumped ship to a different genre of science. When I compare her situation with Kil's, I'd have to say she came out on top. Kil's final interview seemed more like he was finishing the PhD just to finish, not because he actually wanted to do anything scientific with it. Plus, by pursuing his degree, he completely lost track of anything non-lab-related, ie, his relationship. So yes, Gabe dropped out, but is that worse than Kil, who stuck with it but lost his love for science in the process?
I love Irene's comments that she had a lot of help and that she fell in love with science. I believe that happens to a lot of us, and it's a much better description than obsession, in my view.
cheers,
Laura
I agree with Irene, both men and women can find the intensity shown in this film unattractive.
Female Biology Professor
I have known many people like Gabe and they have been both female and male. Gabe's lack of a support group outside the lab itself may have hastened her choice to leave. I did have a lot of support from my husband, my female (and male) friends, and my Mom who offered to babysit, clean my house, or do whatever was necessary for me to finish. One doesn't quit especially when everyone is cheering for you. Of course along the way, I fell in love with science. Maybe some one will make another film like this and have a strong fascinating woman Ph.D. scientist be the main focus. There are a lot more stories to be told.
If you haven't seen the film, just click on the title in my message above (it's in red, indicating it's a link). That will take you to the film's web site where you can view the movie online if you missed it on PBS.
cheers
Laura
I think it's OK for the woman to go into the biotech world and continue working in science, in fact it's better by far than wasting all of her science knowledge. I just hate the idea that no woman who makes it through the PhD appears in this movie. It sounds like it's expected to have the woman change her mind and settle for a less elevated career. I'd like to see a woman go all the way through; many of us did get science PhD's after all! And for sure, those who are assistant (or associate or full) professors are productive as hell! I agree.
It's nice that Gabe thinks she can be more productive after leaving the PhD program. But those of sweating away here as junior professors are productive as hell! I don't like the dichotomy her comment sets up (though innocently).
