Humour
Christmas this year was a blessed relief from political campaigning. Brexit and Transgender Politics have threatened to take over my life over the past two years, but last week I averted myself from politics. That’s not a trivial exercise when, 90 days from a possibly cataclysmic exit from the European Union, our political leaders still appear to be wishing for a miracle.
Firstly, an admission, this isn’t part 13; it’s the first piece I’ve written on the subject, though my telecoms provider did supply me with enough material for a dozen articles when I changed my name four years ago. That process was relatively painless, though my enthusiasm waned rapidly. Eventually, however, only two organisations eluded me: the Land Registry and the delightful people who supplied me with telephone and broadband.
What can be done to increase the number of women in physics? This question keeps committees busy and researchers funded, but the solution seems as elusive as squaring the circle. Four years ago, however, I did my bit: I transitioned from male to female. As this also meant that the number of men in physics was simultaneously reduced by one, it was, as they say in football, a “six-pointer”.
Debbie Hayton