Mayim Bialik Is the World's Coolest Geek

Actress Mayim Bialik plays the bright, only emotionally stunted scientist Dr. Amy Fowler on CBS's large giant smash sitcom The Big Bang Theory. In person, though, Bialik is charming, personable, and extremely decumbent to smiles. But she does share i very unique trait with her fictional version: a Ph.D.

In between her stints as the titular quirky teen on the hit 90s sitcom Flower, Bialik pursued a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Why would someone who merely finished working on a hit circulate Tv set sitcom shelve a budding (and surely lucrative) acting career for academic pursuits?

"It wasn't a financial decision, it was more than of an intellectual ane," Bialik explained when she stopped by PCMag'due south offices to shoot an episode of our Q+A interview series/podcast, The Convo.

"I wanted to be appreciated for what was inside my brain. I was never terribly comfortable with fame—I was on Flower from when I was xiv to 19. But three of my four grandparents were immigrants, so I was raised with a strong immigrant value of going to college and wringing the about out of the opportunities y'all have."

Later receiving her doctorate, Bialik did return to acting, eventually landing a function on The Large Blindside Theory. The show centers on a grouping of aspiring scientists who are big on book smarts, just not so much on common sense. This familiar portrayal of the social apprehending of scientists has understandably been known to irk those in academic circles.

"A lot of people do say that we perpetuate the stereotype of nerds and geeks. To exist quite honest, I know a lot of people who are like these characters. My character Amy is based on a couple of female professors I had and felt a tremendous fondness for," Bialik said. "Also, I happen to find charismatic and charming a lot of things that mainstream society does not. So I tend to gravitate towards nerds and geeks."

Personally, equally someone who interviews a lot of scientists and academics, I've establish the socially awkward stereotype to be apt in many cases. Simply just every bit with the general population, there is a wide range of personalities, and I've encountered most equally many who were reflexively confident and personable.

Currently, the bandage of Big Bang is under contract for another 2 seasons, but since no non-animated sitcom is destined to run forever, might Bialik's post-Bang plans include a render to academia?

"I've been on Large Bang Theory for vii years, and so it's been a while since I've taught neuroscience. I do teach a moderated neuroscience course for my sons who are 8 and 11. One time yous've had this sort of public presence, y'all tin can't go dorsum to teaching in a higher setting or something."

I pointed out that noted academia-loving player James Franco has managed to teach a college class at the height of his fame. "I think it might be distracting. Also, I recollect being a woman in science and already having a footling flake of a challenge equally women do—historically—of beingness as represented and respected in these fields, information technology might brand it extra difficult to walk off of a TV screen and into a lecture hall."

The rest of the chat delves into her new book Girling Up, which makes science accessible to tween and teen girls; her lifestyle site Grok Nation; going to boxing with trolls online; overcoming feet; and her beloved of top-shelf Scotch. Watch in the video above or listen below.

The Convo is PCMag's interview serial hosted by features editor Evan Dashevsky (@haldash). Each episode is broadcast live on PCMag'south Facebook folio, where viewers are invited to ask guests questions in the comments. Each episode is posted on our YouTube page and available every bit an audio podcast, which y'all can subscribe to on iTunes or the podcast platform of your choice.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/feature/15653/mayim-bialik-is-the-worlds-coolest-geek

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