Women do physics – but you wouldn't know from 'Oppenheimer'

Christopher Nolan’s film “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, portrays the development of the atomic bomb. But while many female physicists made headway in nuclear science and were a part of the Manhattan Project, the trailer doesn’t depict many women – and none of the women in it are doing physics.

Turns out, “Oppenheimer” isn’t the only movie to neglect representation of women in physics. When I spoke with two experts from the University of Pittsburgh, Carl Kurlander and Chandralekha Singh, they were hard-pressed to name even one example of popular media that appropriately represent female physicists.

“Our intention is not to disparage the ‘Oppenheimer’ movie, but to point out that by not centering media attention on diverse voices – including those of women in physics – filmmakers perpetuate the status quo and stereotypes about who belongs in physics,” write Kurlander and Singh. “Additionally, young women continue to be deprived of exposure to role models who could inspire their academic and professional journeys.”

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