--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to change the way people look at…" description: "\"We have to change the way people look at scientists. Today, they are the nerds, the geeks. Instead, we want some of the cool kids to say, 'Hey, this is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/mae-jemison-9290_change_we-have-to-change-the-way-people-look-at_1439098.jpg" --- # We have to change the way people look at scientists… ![“We have to change the way people look at scientists. Today, they are the nerds, the geeks. Instead, we want some of the cool kids to say, 'Hey, this is all right.'” quote by Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/mae-jemison-9290_change_we-have-to-change-the-way-people-look-at_1439098.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/mae-jemison-9290_change_we-have-to-change-the-way-people-look-at_1439098.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/mae-jemison-9290_change_we-have-to-change-the-way-people-look-at_1439098.jpg) > “We have to change the way people look at scientists. Today, they are the nerds, the geeks. Instead, we want some of the cool kids to say, 'Hey, this is all right.'” [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We need to reshape public image of scientists from nerdy to cool, making science appealing to broader audiences. **In simple terms:** Make scientists seem cool and relatable. Key Takeaway Promote positive science role models. Themes representation perception STEM outreach Mood inspirational optimistic Type educational advocacy When to use this quote - school curricula - media campaigns - community events - mentor programs Key Concepts cultural shift identity media influence Questions to Reflect On - How can media portray scientists differently? - What role do schools play in reshaping images? A Different Perspective Changing perception may face entrenched stereotypes and lack of resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Cool kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cool-kid/) [Geeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geeks/) [Nerds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerds/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [Eventually, the nerds and the geeks will have their day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/eventually-the-nerds-and-the-geeks-will-have-their-day/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [I think it goes without saying that a lot of big horror fans are just nerds and geeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-hammett/i-think-it-goes-without-saying-that-a-lot-of-big-horror-fans-are-just/) [Kirk Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-hammett/) > [We look down on our scientists if they engage in outside consultation. We implicitly promote the ivory tower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/we-look-down-on-our-scientists-if-they-engage-in-outside-consultation/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [If you look at the scientists who really make a difference, they think boldly. They're not afraid to question what they see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-wilson/if-you-look-at-the-scientists-who-really-make-a-difference-they-think/) [Taylor Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-wilson/) > [I always hated high-school shows and high-school movies, because they were always about the cool kids. It was always about dating and sex, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/i-always-hated-high-school-shows-and-high-school-movies-because-they/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“Nerds always say they don’t give a shit about popularity; but—not having friends sucks. I never liked quote unquote cool kids, personally—I thought they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nerds-always-say-they-don-t-give-a-shit-about-popularity-but-not/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [All this fashion stuff - who's cool now - is just a bigger version of the cool kids versus the nerds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/all-this-fashion-stuff-who-s-cool-now-is-just-a-bigger-version-of-the/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [“It’s Nerd World,” Peabody said. “Or Geek Galaxy. I can’t decide which because it’s full of nerds and geeks.” “It’s Nerd World in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/it-s-nerd-world-peabody-said-or-geek-galaxy-i-can-t-decide-which/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [“He wore a tiny turquoise stud earring I always associated with Dungeons and Dragons types. Men who own ferrets and think magic tricks are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/he-wore-a-tiny-turquoise-stud-earring-i-always-associated-with/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Reading books makes you smart, so if me reading makes me look like a nerd or a geek, then I am proud to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shar-rae/reading-books-makes-you-smart-so-if-me-reading-makes-me-look-like-a/) [Shar-rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shar-rae/) > [“Thanks. Seriously, you must have better things to do with your life than waste it on the hopeless?' 'I've already learned Parseltongue. What else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-hodkin/thanks-seriously-you-must-have-better-things-to-do-with-your-life/) [Michelle Hodkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-hodkin/) > [I think there's been a major shift in grass roots media because of the Internet and because the geeks and nerds rule the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-gray/i-think-there-s-been-a-major-shift-in-grass-roots-media-because-of/) [Erin Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-gray/) > [“Hackers, makers, programmers, engineers, nerds, techies — what we’ll call “geeks” for the rest of the book (deal with it) — we’re a creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-potter/hackers-makers-programmers-engineers-nerds-techies-what-we-ll-call/) Jeff Potter > [“For Oscar, high school was the equivalent of a medieval spectacle, like being put in the stocks and forced to endure the peltings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/for-oscar-high-school-was-the-equivalent-of-a-medieval-spectacle-like/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The tech industry used to be home to a disproportionate number of misfits and weirdos. Geeks. Nerds. People who needed to know how machines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/the-tech-industry-used-to-be-home-to-a-disproportionate-number-of/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) ## More by Mae Jemison > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Science provides an understanding of a universal experience. Arts provide a universal understanding of a personal experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/science-provides-an-understanding-of-a-universal-experience-arts/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [One Hundred Year Starship really is about the idea that is we pursue an extraordinary tomorrow; we'll build a better world today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/one-hundred-year-starship-really-is-about-the-idea-that-is-we-pursue/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-stayed-in-the-astronaut-program-until-1993-people-ask-me-why-i-left/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I was thinking as a little girl growing up that I would be there. When I look at whether we can go to Mars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-was-thinking-as-a-little-girl-growing-up-that-i-would-be-there-when/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/never-be-limited-by-other-people-s-limited-imaginations/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Once I got into space, I was feeling very comfortable in the universe. I felt like I had a right to be anywhere in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/once-i-got-into-space-i-was-feeling-very-comfortable-in-the-universe/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [There is a fascination with the idea that one has 'seen someone else do something' before one can achieve it. Maybe that's true in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/there-is-a-fascination-with-the-idea-that-one-has-seen-someone-else/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [The drills we do, where you're telling kids to memorize things, don't actually work. What works is engaging them and letting them do things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/the-drills-we-do-where-you-re-telling-kids-to-memorize-things-don-t/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Some people say they feel very small when they think about space. I felt more expansive, very connected to the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/some-people-say-they-feel-very-small-when-they-think-about-space-i/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I wanted to be a professional dancer for a period of time, and I did a lot of dancing and choreography and got paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-wanted-to-be-a-professional-dancer-for-a-period-of-time-and-i-did-a/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Sometimes people ask me how difficult the astronaut program was, but being in Sierra Leone, being responsible for the health of more than 200…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/sometimes-people-ask-me-how-difficult-the-astronaut-program-was-but/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [In space, you need to exercise your heart since it's not pumping blood around at the same rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/in-space-you-need-to-exercise-your-heart-since-it-s-not-pumping-blood/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I think we know how to do Mars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-think-we-know-how-to-do-mars/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I believe the biggest impediment we have right now with going to Mars is public commitment. More people need to see themselves as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-believe-the-biggest-impediment-we-have-right-now-with-going-to-mars/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) [Explore all 73 Mae Jemison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to change the way people look at scientists. 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