This past weekend the sequel to Marvel's blockbuster "Thor," "Thor: The Dark World," hit theaters. Those who have seen either movie know that Thor's love interest, played by Natalie Portman, is an astrophysicist named Jane Foster. There are too few women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and even fewer in physics specifically. To use the film's popularity to possibly encourage more girls to go into STEM careers, Marvel launched a contest that asked girls to meet local women in STEM careers and make a video about their experiences. The makers of the best videos would then be flown to Hollywood to meet Natalie Portman and several successful women in STEM fields. As someone who does outreach professionally I thought the contest left much to be desired both in terms of advertising and lasting effects. In some ways it was a wasted opportunity on Marvel's part, but more than that, I have seen women "scientists"
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