Many scientists report feeling under siege under the specter of the new administration.
President Donald Trump has expressed anti-science rhetoric, including a belief that the “concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese” and a flirtation with vaccine conspiracy theories.
Anti-science cabinet picks like former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson and Scott Pruitt, who sued the Environmental Protection Agency 13 times as Oklahoma attorney general, have done little to quell fears.
But it’s also a reflection of American attitudes in general.
Part of the disconnect is that most Americans don’t appreciate scientists because they don’t personally know any or really understand what they do, according to wildlife ecologist David Steen.
“Someone was giving me a hard time about how my work wasn’t worth doing,” Steen told The Verge. “I’m there for science communication, so I try to understand it from their perspective.”
So Steen introduced himself on Twitter:
The sentiment caught on.
Over the weekend, scientists posted on Twitter pictures of themselves at work with the hashtag #ActualLivingScientist, which Mary Roblyer created in response to Steen’s introductory tweet.
Many women added the hashtag #DressLikeAWoman, a response to reports that Trump has gendered expectations for his employees’ attire.
Here are a handful of scientists introducing themselves and describing the vital work they do:
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