Cientistas devem se vestir melhor?

Faço minhas as palavras do Cosma Shalize: roupas impõe respeito de um modo que manifestações verbais não o fazem. Aprofundando o argumento: roupas fazem parte de códigos não verbais e comunicação subliminar cuja profundidade e sutileza não compreendemos de todo (em especial cientistas nerds). Assim, talvez seja mesmo melhor começar a usar calça comprida em vez de bermudas aqui no departamento, camisas em vez de camisetas, sapatos em vez de tênis etc. Ou melhor ainda, alguma roupa bem fashion. Ou seja, parece que vou ter que ficar mais conservador e renunciar à liberdade de vestimenta típica dos físicos. E aguentar o calor de Ribeirão, mas... quem sabe compense. Tudo por causa dos estudantes, sempre os estudantes...

Academics are supposed to impart knowledge and skills to their students, to critique their work, to direct their intellectual and to some extent their moral development; in all these tasks they are supposed to exercise authority over students. They may also be called upon to supervise student or other employees, which is another exercise of authority. They will do so more effectively if they display the recognized external markers of high status and of seriousness, which includes dressing in certain ways and adopting certain demeanors. In fact, if they do this, their authority is more likely to be accepted as legitimate, leading to fewer occasions on which it must be explicitly insisted upon and made into naked acts of domination. Furthermore, academics are often called upon to represent their schools and/or their scholarly communities to the outside world, and this, too, will be done more effectively if they dress in ways which their audiences take to convey seriousness.