Tinsley and Rutherford

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 14

Tinsley and Rutherford

Sir,—l wonder what appraisal articles “The Press” ran on New Zealand’s most illustrious scientist, Sir Ernest Rutherford? Whatever their content, we can safely assume that they were run as news, or features, or on a science page — not tucked way inside the paper on the Home and People Eage. Beatrice Tinsley’s genius was oused inside a woman’s body — New Zealand’s second most illustrious scientist is therefore domesticated and discounted. There is a wry feminist joke: “To be thought half as good as a man, a woman must be twice as good; fortunately, this is not difficult.” Not half as difficult, it seems, as teaching the news media not to discriminate on the bisis of gender. I wonder if Sir Ernests achievements would be so

well remembered if assessments of ids work and stature were relegated to the page reserved for recipes, fashions, decorating and the like? — Yours, etc., CHRISTINE DANN. January 15, 1986.