Women scientists tweet #distractinglysexy side at work to hit back at Nobel laureate Tim Hunt's sexist comments

Women scientists have hit back at sexist comments made by British Nobel laureate Tim Hunt earlier this week, by posting pictures of themselves at work, along with the hashtag #distractinglysexy on Twitter. 

72-year-old Hunt, who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2001, reportedly told a delegates at a conference in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday: "Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticise them, they cry."

The comments led to him resigning from his position as Honorary Professor with the UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, even as he later apologised, saying he was being honest and had meant his comments to be light-hearted.

However, women scientists were far from amused at his comments saying that women scientists should work in segregated laboratories and have responded with pictures of themselves and famous women scientists that speak for themselves about their vital role at the workplace.

I'm really glad that Curie managed to take a break from crying to discover radium and polonium #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/txYVHoidK5

— Amy Remeikis (@AmyRemeikis) June 11, 2015

Thankfully, worker bees are all female, otherwise... #distractinglysexy #timhunt pic.twitter.com/22tjbahYRf

— Emily Remnant (@EmsyRemsy) June 10, 2015

It's just really hard working in a coed lab because I'm too distracting to the male scientists #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/9cZMUpy6TL

— Danielle Spitzer (@dspitzzz) June 11, 2015

In the field because I'm too #distractinglysexy for the lab. Took ages to find a pic where I'm not crying #TimHunt pic.twitter.com/xtHGGCYmZm

— Jennifer Pannell (@jennypannell) June 11, 2015

Filter mask protects me from hazardous chemicals and muffles my woman cries. Double win! #DistractinglySexy pic.twitter.com/5kYlm6SNud

— Amelia Cervera (@ameliacervera) June 11, 2015

Tears, laughter, romance, dirty dirty flotation: #archaeology makes me so hot right now #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/Ke2KtDAXZi

— Lorna Richardson (@lornarichardson) June 11, 2015

Still #distractinglysexy after a full day of cell culture. Didn't even cry this time, so proud! #HeyaTimHunt pic.twitter.com/RdAxxLJ1fY

— Lucie de Beauchamp (@lu_debeauchamp) June 11, 2015

Nothing like a sample tube full of cheetah poop to make you #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/tdBTLRos4p

— Sarah Durant (@SarahMDurant) June 11, 2015

Yes I know I am #distractinglysexy in my Level A PPE. The suit totally flatters my curves. pic.twitter.com/LUb5nXx9yO

— Geeky Girl Engineer (@gkygirlengineer) June 11, 2015

Planting this giant field experiment in the snow was probably the most #distractinglysexy week of my career so far. pic.twitter.com/bowL2vFdKg

— Maggie R Wagner (@GolfXrayEcho) June 11, 2015

Best part of being a marine ecologist? No one can tell you're crying underH2O. Though wetsuits are #distractinglysexy pic.twitter.com/tX5cFmeFgm

— Angee Doerr (@andoerr) June 11, 2015

I fell in love with the microcentrifuge... typical woman in the lab. #DistractinglySexy pic.twitter.com/JFXZPrjWgv

— Point Mutation (@Point_Mutation) June 11, 2015

Loving the #distractinglysexy response. How do our male colleagues cope when we look this hot doing science ;-) pic.twitter.com/WTD9w43pZB

— Ceri Lewis (@CezzaLew) June 11, 2015

#distractinglysexy I cried when #Ebola patients died or when got better.I have feelings & I deal w them.So should you pic.twitter.com/XYMh7ykT5o

— Elisabetta (@RunningPostdoc) June 11, 2015