This week is all about stereotypes and in particular geek culture. Nowhere is this typified more than the television show The Big Bang Theory. Brilliantly written and acted by five characters: roommates Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, two physicists employed at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech); Penny, a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's equally geeky and socially awkward friends and co-workers, aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali.

So in real life, what do female astrophysicists look like. Do they look like Amy Farrah Fowler, who is the pseudo part-time girlfriend of Sheldon or do they look Penny, the gorgeous girl next door type. In our society we have quickly stereo-typed intelligent people as plain and unattractive and beautiful people as devoid of intelligence. This is pervasive in the thousands of blonde jokes that have been circulated for an eternity.

What if our stereotypes are wrong? Have we judged people according to our stereotypical view of intelligence and beauty?

This week we have a model that breaks all the stereotypes and would be just at home at Caltech in the astrophysics department or in the photography studio. Introducing Katie Buitendyk who has a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. (minor in music; cello)

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