Trigger Warning : scientific jokes about c. elegans hurt marginalized says AHNA SKOP

you think Trump or Trudeau lives in a bubble separated from the reality of minimum wage life ? : meet  AHNA SKOP

Along with fruit flies, yeast and e coli bacteria, the humble little round worm c elegans is what scientists call a model organism : a standardized living being you can buy off the shelf around the world, secure than scientists anywhere else can replica your efforts exactly and can not dismiss your results as unique only to a rare variant.

Like people everywhere, scientists who champion each of these popular models must compete against other model organisms and others projects for scarce money : grant monies.

When they fail to get a grant, scientists like to vent by making jokes about one or other of the other competing model organisms.

No harm done - right ?

Until 2020, this year of the Woke and of the Karens.

(If you hate reading about anymore Karens, do not read any further.)

One scientist went - hammer and tongs - against anyone who found round worm jokes funny.

She saw it as a form of micro-aggression.

Because jokes about the little round worm were actually a symbolic stand in for indirect aggression against all sorts of marginalized humans, leading to a bystander effect when these groups are directly attacked.

Like herself.

Ahna Skop certainly ticks a lot of ‘marginalized humanity’ boxes.

Disabled with EDS, low income, indigenous (East Coast Cherokee), Middle Eastern (Lebanese), East European (Ukrainian), female. (This to quote her Twitter micro bio.)

Did I forget any more marginalized boxes ?

Oh yes : PhD, tenured, associate professor, famous research university...