Emily Heydon
@emilyheydon.bsky.social
Philosophy PhD student @ Buffalo 🦬 | California transplant | recovering homeschooler | thinking about niche construction theory and Bayesian games | 💜🏳️🌈⛸🌎🌿
back in 2019 I only got through half this guy’s book before giving up. I only learned about his Internet personality much later
November 16, 2025 at 1:42 PM
back in 2019 I only got through half this guy’s book before giving up. I only learned about his Internet personality much later
Reposted by Emily Heydon
In the lab I was in 100 years ago, the major prof stripped an assistantship from one of the female PhD students who made a big discovery. She presented at a major conference & the room was a buzz around her at the end. My prof was not amused. She ended up having to transfer to another lab to finish.
November 16, 2025 at 2:21 AM
In the lab I was in 100 years ago, the major prof stripped an assistantship from one of the female PhD students who made a big discovery. She presented at a major conference & the room was a buzz around her at the end. My prof was not amused. She ended up having to transfer to another lab to finish.
I’m glad you have found peace. I am rather isolated where I am now, but much happier.
November 16, 2025 at 2:38 AM
I’m glad you have found peace. I am rather isolated where I am now, but much happier.
Similar issue for me. My current dept was the only one that wanted to take a chance on me. My old dept was “prestigious” and full of the kind of people who’d do you dirty if you pissed them off. Somewhat understandably people don’t jump at the chance to try to wash their laundry
November 16, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Similar issue for me. My current dept was the only one that wanted to take a chance on me. My old dept was “prestigious” and full of the kind of people who’d do you dirty if you pissed them off. Somewhat understandably people don’t jump at the chance to try to wash their laundry
I’m sorry to hear that. I got run out of my last dept and spent several months wondering if my career would be over
November 16, 2025 at 2:28 AM
I’m sorry to hear that. I got run out of my last dept and spent several months wondering if my career would be over
…the people around them (who might have less knowledge of the particular research topic) might chalk these odd interactions up to “he’s just trying to be helpful and guide her.” Except it isn’t guiding, it’s trying to convince her she’s incompetent
November 16, 2025 at 2:26 AM
…the people around them (who might have less knowledge of the particular research topic) might chalk these odd interactions up to “he’s just trying to be helpful and guide her.” Except it isn’t guiding, it’s trying to convince her she’s incompetent
not wrong, but there’s something particularly sinister about the use of hierarchies in academia to justify this particular type of bad behavior from people at the top. If the grad student is regarded as just a “trainee” and the man is assumed to know what he’s talking about by virtue of his status
November 16, 2025 at 2:24 AM
not wrong, but there’s something particularly sinister about the use of hierarchies in academia to justify this particular type of bad behavior from people at the top. If the grad student is regarded as just a “trainee” and the man is assumed to know what he’s talking about by virtue of his status
exactly the type of shit I’m talking about. Pure sabotage
November 16, 2025 at 2:22 AM
exactly the type of shit I’m talking about. Pure sabotage
Reposted by Emily Heydon
It makes a mockery of those of us who were taught that hard work is what yields the greatest rewards, whose parents sacrificed everything so we could go to school... to be told to look up to people like *this.*
November 16, 2025 at 12:01 AM
It makes a mockery of those of us who were taught that hard work is what yields the greatest rewards, whose parents sacrificed everything so we could go to school... to be told to look up to people like *this.*
Reposted by Emily Heydon
Oh I'm pretty sure this scenario is more or less why my sister doesn't have her PhD in theoretical astrophysics. She stopped at a masters because her mentor was harrassing her and when she said no he dropped her.
November 16, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Oh I'm pretty sure this scenario is more or less why my sister doesn't have her PhD in theoretical astrophysics. She stopped at a masters because her mentor was harrassing her and when she said no he dropped her.
been pulling a lot of weeds this year
November 16, 2025 at 2:05 AM
been pulling a lot of weeds this year
see also: the men who can’t let their female mentee outshine them, which results in a need to constantly talk her down, talk over her, slander her reputation, and minimize her in every way, with the hope that the woman will eventually either give up and leave academia or accept her “lesser” status
If women are underrepresented in STEM, it's at least partly because men like this offer mentoring, then embarrass themselves by assuming their mentees must be into them, then decide the best solution is to cut ties, which sends the signal to other faculty that the mentee must not be good enough.
November 16, 2025 at 2:04 AM
It’s not that I’m opposed to luxuries. It’s just the ephemeral nature of it
November 14, 2025 at 11:13 PM
It’s not that I’m opposed to luxuries. It’s just the ephemeral nature of it