When we picture a scientist or researcher, a few clichéd archetypes usually come to mind: the man in the white lab coat with disheveled hair, the adventurous professor sporting a whip and a fedora, or perhaps the somber, brooding detective with supernatural powers of deduction. It’s a familiar gallery of characters; for decades, these were the primary archetypes reflected in our books, films, and television shows.
This narrow portrayal of science did more than just limit our imagination; it helped cement the idea that the laboratory was not a space for everyone. However, in the 1990s, one woman shattered that mold from our living room screens: Dr. Dana Scully.
Portrayed by Gillian Anderson in The X-Files, Scully was a medical doctor, a scientist, and an FBI agent. Skeptical, rigorous, courageous, and brilliant, she wasn't there as window dressing or a damsel in distress. She analyzed evidence, challenged hypotheses, and made critical decisions under extreme pressure. What seemed at the time like merely a well-written fictional character ended up having a profound and measurable impact on the real world—a phenomenon now known as "The Scully Effect."
The Scully Effect: From Fiction to Faculty
The Scully Effect refers to the influence this character had on how girls and women perceive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), directly impacting their decision to pursue these fields as careers.
In 2018, a systematic study proved that this impact was both real and statistically significant. The research, conducted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in partnership with 21st Century Fox and J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, surveyed over 2,000 adult women in the United States.
The findings were striking: women who watched The X-Files regularly held more positive attitudes toward science, showed greater interest in STEM careers, and were more likely to have studied or worked in these fields compared to those who watched the show sporadically or not at all.
Why Representation Matters
The visibility of women in science yields clear, positive outcomes. Women familiar with Scully’s character report that seeing a woman in such a role bolstered their belief in the importance of science. Furthermore, study participants noted that the character strengthened their confidence to excel in professions traditionally dominated by men.
This is more than just symbolic inspiration. Regular viewers were significantly more likely to consider, study, and ultimately enter a scientific profession.
But why does a fictional character carry such weight? From an early age, children often associate science and math with masculinity—a bias reinforced both socially and culturally. Seeing a competent, respected, and complex woman occupy a central scientific role helps dismantle that association and expands the horizon of what people believe is possible for themselves.
The Colombian Legacy: Our Own Trailblazers
In Colombia, discussing the Scully Effect also means recognizing our own local icons: the scientists, engineers, mathematicians, biologists, astronomers, and tech experts who, across diverse territories and contexts, are transforming how we produce knowledge and solve social, environmental, and technological challenges.
• Diana Trujillo: An aerospace engineer and a mission lead at NASA. Having arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant, she worked on landmark projects like the Perseverance rover on Mars. Her story shatters the myth that high-level science is unreachable for Latin American women.
• Ángela Restrepo: A pioneer in the study of tropical diseases and the founder of one of Colombia's most prestigious medical research centers. Her work did more than just generate data; it directly improved public health and mentored new generations of female researchers.
• Nubia Muñoz: An internationally renowned epidemiologist whose research on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) was fundamental to the development of vaccines that save millions of lives today. Her career proves that science transforms reality over the long term, even when that work isn't always visible in the daily headlines.
There are countless more women researching, teaching, and innovating in universities, labs, rural communities, and tech hubs across the country.
When a young Colombian girl sees a woman leading a space mission, investigating diseases, protecting biodiversity, or engineering solutions for her community, she realizes that science is a place for her, too—a place to inhabit, to transform, and to call her own.
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