NOVA S48E06 - Picture a Scientist / Search Engine Breakdown

Picture a Scientist: Women make up less than a quarter of STEM professionals in the United States, and numbers are even lower for women of color. But there is a growing group of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists, exposing longstanding discrimination, and leading the way in making science more inclusive. A biologist, a chemist, and a geologist lead viewers on a journey through their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from outright harassment to years of subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories to spectacular field stations, scientific visionaries, including social scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists, provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all.

Search Engine Breakdown: Why does a widely used internet search engine deliver results that can be blatantly racist and sexist? Two leading information researchers, Safiya Noble, PH.D. and Latanya Sweeney, PH.D., investigate their discoveries of hidden biases in the search technology we rely on every day, involving pornographic images and ads implying criminal behavior triggered by simple search queries. Both researchers share common concerns about how everyday online searches can reinforce damaging stereotypes and explore how technology can be made more equitable.