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Challenging Gender Bias In Science Through 'The Bearded Lady Project'

A sample photo from the project.
Kelsey Vance
/
The Bearded Lady Project
A sample photo from the project.

Picture a paleontologist, digging in the dirt for evidence of human-like creatures who lived long ago. What does that paleontologist look like? A guy, maybe?

The years of women working in the sciences have still not overthrown the longstanding view of scientists as men. Lexi Jamieson Marsh and Ellen Currano, filmmaker and paleontologist respectively, decided they had enough.

And what began as an offhand remark turned into the basis for The Bearded Lady Project--a film and photography project and now a book--depicting women paleontologists with fake facial hair.

The co-creators visit to talk about changing the perspective of scientists, and how the concept caught fire.

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The Jefferson Exchange is Jefferson Public Radio's daily news program focused on issues, people and events across Southern Oregon and Northern California. Natalie Golay is the program's senior producer, Charlie Zimmermann is the assistant producer, and Mike Green hosts the show.