"…there’s a lot of staring. And also some rock nuzzling. It gets weird."
May 10, 2018 10:54 PM Subscribe
Science is mostly about white people staring, usually at colored liquids, but also sometimes at chickens and grass — at least, according to stock photos. So real scientists on Twitter are posting their favorite representation fails with the hashtag #BadStockPhotosOfMyJob.
The "timing grass growing" is not totally different from stuff I did in grad school... #mostboringtimecourses
posted by en forme de poire at 11:26 PM on May 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 11:26 PM on May 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
LMAO'd at quite a lot of those and then this thread popped up and now I'm angry and sad not at all surprised.
posted by jklaiho at 11:33 PM on May 10, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by jklaiho at 11:33 PM on May 10, 2018 [12 favorites]
So I looked up my job using "inventory management stock photo" and had trouble explaining to Google that the word "stock" is a homograph. It gave me a NOPE INVENTORY AND STOCK ARE SAMSIES answer. PS Stop be redundent in your searches, meatbag.
posted by Brocktoon at 1:14 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Brocktoon at 1:14 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
To be honest, some of these jobs look like fun. Way more fun than I've ever had at work, actually.
If you need me, I'll be in my dark room with code projected on my face solving difficult problems.
posted by tommasz at 4:58 AM on May 11, 2018 [15 favorites]
If you need me, I'll be in my dark room with code projected on my face solving difficult problems.
posted by tommasz at 4:58 AM on May 11, 2018 [15 favorites]
My job consists of moving the red, yellow, and blue fluids between containers (pH reference 4, 7, and 10 is what they invariable use).
The red stuff in the flat flask is probably some variety of cell culture reagent (DMEM?). No idea what the more pale liquid is in two of those photos.
I am increasingly convinced, through recent experiences, that no marketing team/photographer comes into a lab with their own colorful liquids because they think we all just have them.
Which, to be fair, basically every lab has the red, yellow, and blue pH standards. We just aren't only using those day in, day out.
posted by Slackermagee at 5:27 AM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
The red stuff in the flat flask is probably some variety of cell culture reagent (DMEM?). No idea what the more pale liquid is in two of those photos.
I am increasingly convinced, through recent experiences, that no marketing team/photographer comes into a lab with their own colorful liquids because they think we all just have them.
Which, to be fair, basically every lab has the red, yellow, and blue pH standards. We just aren't only using those day in, day out.
posted by Slackermagee at 5:27 AM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you're a hardware engineer do you get circuit diagrams projected on your face?
posted by XMLicious at 6:03 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 6:03 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
I know of one company that wanted to use their actual staff instead of stock photos (due to cost, maybe?) but didn't want to pull actual lab staff ('cause they're busy, you know) so instead chose photogenic non-lab staff, posed with lab equipment...but no PPE....and in non-lab appropriate ties, jewelry, hairdos, etc. "Beautiful but dumb" memes abounded.
posted by beaning at 6:26 AM on May 11, 2018
posted by beaning at 6:26 AM on May 11, 2018
The pipette with no tip and gloves two sizes too large is KILLING me. WTF?
posted by Sophie1 at 6:30 AM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Sophie1 at 6:30 AM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
I don’t know if I have hand skin thick enough to work in electronic component soldering
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:32 AM on May 11, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:32 AM on May 11, 2018 [7 favorites]
And the comment section is an interesting experiment into projecting expectations/experience onto the photos. Older smiling man leaning over too close and touching upper arm of younger woman = "Mansplaining/creepy vs thanking/educating/asking her"
posted by beaning at 6:43 AM on May 11, 2018
posted by beaning at 6:43 AM on May 11, 2018
True story, in two labs now I have had to be essentially an extra in the background looking sciencey while someone filmed something with my PI. I like to think that my fake science was more realistic than this, but on the other hand I didn't have a ring light and a pristine white backdrop.
posted by en forme de poire at 7:38 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by en forme de poire at 7:38 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
In retrospect it was a giant missed opportunity to troll my bosses by either doing ridiculous scenery chewing in the background or sneaking in secret messages like "I'M BEING HELD AGAINST MY WILL SEND HELP, ALSO WE'RE OUT OF YEAST PEPTONE CAN SOMEONE ORDER IT"
posted by en forme de poire at 7:41 AM on May 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by en forme de poire at 7:41 AM on May 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
People love coloured liquids. When I did grad school, in a molecular biology lab, I agreed to be filmed a few times for local news etc. They always wanted me to pipette colourful liquids back and forth. Most of the liquids I actually worked with were clear, but that's far less interesting to film, I guess.
posted by randomnity at 7:52 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by randomnity at 7:52 AM on May 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
... omfg that stock image of a guy sipping from and/or kissing a graduated cylinder.
??!?!???
posted by randomnity at 7:58 AM on May 11, 2018
??!?!???
posted by randomnity at 7:58 AM on May 11, 2018
"The Skeptical Business Analyst" 's eyebrow game is on point.
posted by RhysPenbras at 8:12 AM on May 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by RhysPenbras at 8:12 AM on May 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
"there are no #BadStockPhotosOfMyJob for software developers"
A rebuttal:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
posted by Foosnark at 9:06 AM on May 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
A rebuttal:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
posted by Foosnark at 9:06 AM on May 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
DoctorFedora: I don’t know if I have hand skin thick enough to work in electronic component soldering
I smelt the burning flesh as soon as I saw that one.
posted by clawsoon at 10:45 AM on May 11, 2018
I smelt the burning flesh as soon as I saw that one.
posted by clawsoon at 10:45 AM on May 11, 2018
I don’t know if I have hand skin thick enough to work in electronic component soldering
That could be an action or burst shot? ...when I did that, it took a few seconds for my brain to register the HOT HOT HOT!
posted by MikeKD at 3:51 PM on May 11, 2018
That could be an action or burst shot? ...when I did that, it took a few seconds for my brain to register the HOT HOT HOT!
posted by MikeKD at 3:51 PM on May 11, 2018
The good news, stock photos for "neuroscientist" actually show a fairly good representation of non-highly-sexualized women.
The bad news, apparently we explain the brain to our students by pointing at large diagrams of badly fractured... walnuts, I think? Carefully labeled to show left and right, of course, which we all know is The Most Important Thing About The Brain. Not sure this is the most effective pedagogical technique.
posted by biogeo at 7:04 PM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
The bad news, apparently we explain the brain to our students by pointing at large diagrams of badly fractured... walnuts, I think? Carefully labeled to show left and right, of course, which we all know is The Most Important Thing About The Brain. Not sure this is the most effective pedagogical technique.
posted by biogeo at 7:04 PM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
First of all, I love this.
Second of all, I know that all the chemistry stock photos are utterly ridiculous, but the one that drives me the most crazy is this one. Not only do you have a hydrogen-hydrogen double bond, but then each hydrogen has 2 more single bonds.
And of course, I always do classroom demonstrations without any personal protective equipment whatsoever, because if you wear gloves, then you wouldn't be able to see my perfectly manicured nails, obviously.
Also, I like that she tied her hair back (good ppe), but then completely defeats the purpose of tying her hair back by having it all falling over her shoulder.
But seriously, this is awesome.
posted by litera scripta manet at 9:02 PM on May 11, 2018
Second of all, I know that all the chemistry stock photos are utterly ridiculous, but the one that drives me the most crazy is this one. Not only do you have a hydrogen-hydrogen double bond, but then each hydrogen has 2 more single bonds.
And of course, I always do classroom demonstrations without any personal protective equipment whatsoever, because if you wear gloves, then you wouldn't be able to see my perfectly manicured nails, obviously.
Also, I like that she tied her hair back (good ppe), but then completely defeats the purpose of tying her hair back by having it all falling over her shoulder.
But seriously, this is awesome.
posted by litera scripta manet at 9:02 PM on May 11, 2018
Not my profession, but this stock photo of a classroom bugs me for the blackboard. What lesson is it that includes quadratic equations, trig functions, Einstein's relativity, the square root of 64, pulleys, a squiggly graph and a balanced see-saw?
posted by TheophileEscargot at 9:12 PM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by TheophileEscargot at 9:12 PM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Not only do you have a hydrogen-hydrogen double bond, but then each hydrogen has 2 more single bonds.
This is kind of like those two Victorian illiterate guys who forged antiquities covered with designs portraying what writing looked like to them.
posted by XMLicious at 10:31 PM on May 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is hilarious.
Totally reminds me of when I worked in a robotics lab. We had a single white chemistry lab coat hung by the door, that was only ever used when a journalist visited. Which they always insist that we wear. Because, you know, robotics lab.
Also reminds me of the photographer who spent more time asking about the background picture I had on my computer, than the giant robot I was standing beside. It took me several attempts to explain that, no, that was just a cool background photo and had absolutely *nothing* to do with our work...
posted by Arandia at 11:11 PM on May 11, 2018
Totally reminds me of when I worked in a robotics lab. We had a single white chemistry lab coat hung by the door, that was only ever used when a journalist visited. Which they always insist that we wear. Because, you know, robotics lab.
Also reminds me of the photographer who spent more time asking about the background picture I had on my computer, than the giant robot I was standing beside. It took me several attempts to explain that, no, that was just a cool background photo and had absolutely *nothing* to do with our work...
posted by Arandia at 11:11 PM on May 11, 2018
It's odd that doctors always have to have a stethoscope around their necks. Even specialties that rarely or never use them, like radiologists.
Note - this picture is described as "portrait of doctor standing near MRI scanner".
Please don't take metal objects near to an MRI scanner
posted by 1head2arms2legs at 6:59 AM on May 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Note - this picture is described as "portrait of doctor standing near MRI scanner".
Please don't take metal objects near to an MRI scanner
posted by 1head2arms2legs at 6:59 AM on May 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
What lesson is it that includes quadratic equations, trig functions, Einstein's relativity, the square root of 64, pulleys, a squiggly graph and a balanced see-saw?
Intro to Multiverse Design the Rube Goldberg Way.
posted by tilde at 9:04 AM on May 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
Intro to Multiverse Design the Rube Goldberg Way.
posted by tilde at 9:04 AM on May 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
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