Black hole photo: a giant leap forward for science, a massive step back for humanity

MIT researcher Dr. Katie Bouman played a leading role in taking the first photograph of a black hole. A photo of the 29-year-old Bouman taken while the black hole image was processing shows her with her hands clasped in front of her mouth, looking at the camera with a mixture of shock and excitement. It went viral— both a testament to the groundbreaking work itself, and a moment of victory for women in the sciences, whose contributions have long been ignored, downplayed, and erased. It was a giant leap forward for science, yet a massive step backward for humanity.

The bliss of the discovery didn’t last long as anti-feminist internet trolls latched on to the story and attacked Bouman with bitter criticisms. Angry trolls created fake social media accounts impersonating Bouman, and questioned her contribution to the project. When she said that she was part of a team who all worked hard to make the photo happen, they dug in deeper, suggesting she was only getting public attention because she was a woman, when men did all the real work. 

Unfortunately, this is the norm for women on the internet, women in politics, women on television, women in STEM, or women who become prominent in any way.
We now have the capacity to photograph a halo of dust and gas 500 million trillion kilometers from Earth, but evidently, we are not yet advanced enough to give credit and acknowledgement to a woman.

Highlighting these attacks is crucial in showing the depth and degree of virulent misogyny. Too many women know the feeling of being harassed, belittled, threatened, and demeaned. Too many women have, as a result, bowed out of competition, or never jumped into the ring in the first place. We are repeatedly told to keep our voices down, our work quiet, and our successes private.

Just as Bouman’s accomplishment is an inspiration to women and girls in the sciences, the very public attacks on her work should serve as a caution. Hostility from sexist trolls is overwhelming and cruel, but far worse is the pervasive, systematic sexism that undermines women’s success and recognition at every level.

Featured Image- Dr. Katie Bouman and her black hole image Photo courtesy of CNN