Your Daughter's Science Role Model: A Cartoon Space Chimp

There's a reason girls and science don't mix: there's a role model shortage, especially in children's movies. The lack of ladies in STEM (science, technology engineering and math) fields is "troubling," reports The Washington Post's Anna Holmes. "According to a report released last month by the Department of Commerce, although females fill almost half of the jobs in the American economy, less than 25 percent of jobs in STEM fields are held by women." One reason ladies might shy away from geekier professions, argues Holmes, "there were no depictions of female characters involved in any sort of STEM career in children's movies." That's not quite true: the study Holmes cites out of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found three. So what exactly do these precious few role models look like?

Your daughter gets two choices: Astronaut or zany lab scientist.

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.