These are glad tidings, given that Lego has previously sustained complaints for sexist stereotyping<\/a> in its toys. I myself felt physically ill the last time I passed one of Lego’s horrid pink and purple collections aimed at little girls<\/a>. Having grown up with Lego back when it was just primary-colored bricks and I could play at architect instead of bikini-clad sunbathing bimbo, I felt that the company had left me, and probably many kids, far behind.<\/p>\n While all is not totally forgiven, I was cheered by this news. I also secretly wanted to own the collection, but assumed it would be too difficult to get a hold of.<\/p>\n This evening, as a wedding anniversary present, Richard surprised me (after a long, dispiriting and existentially tenuous day at work) with my very own box! <\/p>\n And it’s no exaggeration to say that I was as excited as an undergraduate lab intern trying on her first white coat. I can’t wait to assemble them all – a chemist, a paleontologist, and an astronomer. And I am especially excited by the accessories – check out these itty-bitty Gilson pipettors!<\/p>\n It was Richard who first noticed one of the best features of this ingenious set: the scientist heads are reversible, so you can have them display either a studious\/benevolent expression, or one that is considerably vexed at the nonstop vicissitudes of the scientific life. Just pulled an all-nighter, only to drop your beaker on the floor in the morning from sheer exhaustion? Just found out that your grant application was rejected – for the fifth time – or that Nature<\/em> wants you to do so many revisions that it would take approximately thirty years to satisfy the referees? No problem – there’s a scowl for every occasion. <\/p>\n And for that rare Eureka moment? A slightly skeptical twitch of a smile that almost dares not linger, lest the whole intellectual edifice come crashing down.<\/p>\n Genius.<\/p>\n Note added after publication: These Lego researchers have their own Twitter account!<\/a> Thanks to Hans Zauner<\/a> for kindly pointing this out.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What do you buy the female scientist who has everything? A few days ago I noticed a news clip in the London Evening Standard, mentioning that a new line of Lego featuring women researchers had sold out within hours of … Continue reading ![\"Women](\"https:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3922\/14675296097_801046a540.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"JoshLego\"](\"https:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3922\/14675151429_667c60ac2f.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nJoshua, enjoying some old-fashioned Lego bricks acquired circa the year 2000.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Women](\"https:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3899\/14675161940_62557d345e.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Women](\"https:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5557\/14838845696_e3d45fa0b9.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n