Canadian researcher Molly Shoichet wins L'Oreal/UNESCO For Women in Science Award

Because she's worth it.

Well played.

It's meant as more than a joke. I think it's ironic that L'Oreal is involved here.

Why? L'Oreal was started along the same idea that Florence Nightingale (aka "Elizabeth Arden") started cosmetics - as a safer alternative to the harsh chemicals that women were using as beauty products.

I only know them from their ads - a sexy woman purring how she's worth it. There didn't seem to be any mention of her academic achievements.

I guess having taken some chemistry has also exposed me to the history of the profession. I knew that not only was Florence Nightingale an accomplished nurse and responsible for the modern battlefield hospital, she was also an accomplished statistician. She saw that putting Mercury and Iron on their faces to add colour wasn't the best thing for women's health, when she started 'Elisabeth Arden'. Just as Eugène Schueller saw that the things women used to dye their hair were also dangerous when he started 'L'Oreal'.

Don't judge what modern capitalism has made of these institutions. Their beginnings are directly in line with awarding these awards to women who excel in the sciences.

Wow. Didn't know that. But I do choose to judge what modern capitalism has made of these institutions, as it has corrupted to many others. (Can you say Greenpeace?) When was this award instituted? Does it go back to the founding of the company, or is it just a pr ploy?

For the past 16 years.

http://www.loreal.com/Foundation/Articl ... Excellence

And:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Or%C3% ... in_Science

Pr ploy. Not that there's anything wrong with that, the woman still deserves the award. But my cynicism remains intact.

Since you hadn't heard of it, I'm thinking it's a PR fail.

The pr is not aimed at me.