High prevalence of science, technology, engineering, math and related in TG?

[popa910]

Singer and guitar player as well.  This seems to also go with math and science people.

Brian May, the guitarist for the band Queen got his astrophysics PhD in 2007!  I still am in awe of his success, being both one of the world's best guitarists and having successfully obtained a PhD in astrophysics (my Bachelor's degree in physics was hard enough, I can't imagine how much harder a PhD must be).

[JLT1]

Another PhD Chemist.  There are also two other chemists where I  work who are MtF.....

Already, given the number of chemists in the world, that is too many...

Something strange is going on..

Hugs

Jen

[Dena]

Amanda has an excellent idea.  Perhaps we can spawn a child board for STEM discussion.  As I am just a humble newborn on this site, I have no idea how this might be accomplished.  Any ideas?

I have the power to do that but not the authority. The decision to create a new board would be with Cindy or Susan.

[JoanneB]

I've had "The Knack" for about as long as feeling I should be a girl. Today I think it is great how well I get paid to have fun 

The prevalence of TG techie types has always fascinated me. I mostly concluded in some way, for me, it was an outgrowth of being TG. A search for a world that followed very clear cut rules. One that was ordered. One that when something wasn't "Right" from the spectacular failure mode. No "Grey" zone.

Part of being paid well to have fun is knowing there is a LOT of grey zone out there

[Seshatneferw]

You probably hear about trans women in the tech industry more often than cis women because cis women grow up being pushed away from that industry by today's society.

I suspect there's some truth to that, although it's not all the truth. Also, I've heard quite a bit more about cis women in STEM than trans ones.

Anyway, I guess I qualify too, although not completely: I've held post-doc faculty positions in both computer science and linguistics, before settling to the latter, and before that worked for quite a while in various programmer / sysadmin jobs (and also a brief stint as military officer).

Looking back, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have gone for this level of interdisciplinary weirdness if I had been born cis, either way: as a cis boy I'd likely have ended up as a pure computer scientist, perhaps a little more on the engineering side of the field; as a cis girl I might have ended up more clearly as a linguist, possibly with a minor in either history or psychology. Being trans, for me, has meant a bit of rebellion against established roles.

[Just Me Here]

A search for a world that followed very clear cut rules. One that was ordered. One that when something wasn't "Right" from the spectacular failure mode. No "Grey" zone.

That's exactly why I love science. I love how it all fits together into neatly ordered pathways, and if it doesn't, something else is going on. I love that and how it all fits together

[DarkWolf_7]

As a current college student it was really only my computer science class I noticed a few transwomen and just one cis woman in class full of males. I only encountered another transperson (which how many there are is a fair amount considering the size of my college) only a couple times in my biology classes.

My guess if there is any correlation it's because of socialization. A lot more ciswomen would go into STEM fields if they were treated the same way as men in regards to entering science related fields.

[Deborah]

My CIS daughter went to college and majored in Math.  So maybe it's in the genes?

[Michelle_P]

I've had "The Knack"...

Sis?  Is that you?   

I had "The Knack."  And yes, I built a ham radio system from an old tube radio, TV set parts, and other junk I took apart.   Age 12, I think.

I know the posters on this thread are a self-selected group, but damn, it's a little unnerving.

[Steph Eigen]

I was worked on a PhD in physical chemistry, changed fields and went to medical school, now do biomedical research and am faculty at a major research university.  Like Dilbert, I've got the knack:  I'm also a Ham Radio operator (Extra class) and have been building  electronics since I was a child.  As a derivative of this and my love for classical music and jazz, I build high end audio gear as well.

Many would consider these interests and activities "hypermasculine."  I do not.  Seems to me entirely independent of gender identification.

Hence, the thread.

[Michelle_P]

Sounds familiar... 

I also have an Amateur Extra license, am active with a local radio group, and in retirement, have started collecting and restoring 1960s kit amateur radios.  I'm currently working on a pair that were the object of my 13 year old nerdlust, but would have cost a fortune, far, far beyond my reach then.  Now, they were junk in the corner of someone's garage.  One looks and runs like new as of last week, the other will get there in the next 6 months unless life intervenes...

Working on this stuff keeps my hands busy and my mind off of... Other things.

[Steph Eigen]

Common theme, revisiting the classic stuff you wanted to have when a young  nerd, now can affort to renovate and enjoy.  I can't begin to tell you how many of these projects I've been through.  Rebuilt numerous Heathkits, Drake C-lines, Collins and EAC R-390A's, Collins S-line gear, and several more recent Yaesu transceivers such as FT-101's and FT-102's.  Now dabbling in SDR.

[JoanneB]

Sis?  Is that you?   

I had "The Knack."  And yes, I built a ham radio system from an old tube radio, TV set parts, and other junk I took apart.   Age 12, I think.

I know the posters on this thread are a self-selected group, but damn, it's a little unnerving.

I have my SB-102 sitting downstairs that I built after many years of dragging home TV sets on garbage day. In fact I never had to buy a TV until a few years ago when it came time to bite the bullet and get an LCD

[Michelle_P]

Oh, dear.  I had the thought of organizing a "Susan's Net", but it wouldn't last 5 minutes before it collected the usual jammers.  And giving out our call signs would be downright dangerous.  (Amateur call signs are easily mapped to names and addresses.)

It's nice to know that I'm not alone with this tech background and interests, though.  This is a wonderful forum.  Thanks, everyone!     

[V]

This thread is full of electrical and electronics nerds!
At least I'm flying the mechanical engineering flag here. Just spent a very nice day in my workshop fitting a DRO to my old lathe.

[DawnOday]

I have been in computers before the first PC came on line starting in 1969 at Yamaha. Cobol is a beatch. Later I learned Ramis, then SQL. Remember Prof's, basically the first email program, I learned code for that too. My first PC was a dual disk IBM with a rousing 64k of memory. I instigated an automated program that would allow the computer to discover substitution parts. We improved profit by 30%. Later I was a configuration analyst and I have done over 300 root cause investigations. The weird thing is I have no aptitude for math what so ever. I love to cook. I love to babysit. My wife is hoping hormones will make me want to clean the house. Ha ha. I am very nurturing by nature. Love to hug. take care of my babies. Heck I'm a walking, talking contradiction.

[DawnOday]

My CIS daughter went to college and majored in Math.  So maybe it's in the genes?

I have a hard time with 2X2 but my Son does it all in his head and he is seldom wrong even advanced math. I'm so jealous.  I know this is not in the genes as my dad was only capable of determining square footage. That's as advanced as he got.

[KathyLauren]

I have tinkered with elecrical and electronic devices all my life.  My first computer was a Heathkit H-11 that I built back in 1978.  My current project is a control system for the dome of my astronomy observatory.  I didn't like the one that I bought, so I cannibalized it to build one of my own design.

[Steph Eigen]

Incredible.  I've also  built multiple telescopes and done lots of night of astronomical observation starting in adolescence.  Kindred spirits here.

[KathyLauren]

Incredible.  I've also  built multiple telescopes and done lots of night of astronomical observation starting in adolescence.  Kindred spirits here.

Ha-ha!  Yes, nerds-R-us.    Here's my latest image: