GE ran a female empowerment-themed ad during the Oscars that raised a thought-provoking question: what if female scientists were revered in our culture as much as celebrities?

The spot, by BBDO New York and directed by Nicole Holofcener at Bob Industries, imagines what would happen if Millie Dresselhaus, the first woman to win the National Medal of Science in Engineering, was treated like Angelina Jolie or Kim Kardashian: people would want to take selfies with her, she'd appear on glossy magazine covers, photographers would pap her having lunch, there'd even be an emoji of her face -- and of course, her lectures would be sold out.

It's a fun idea to go with, but with a serious message: that GE is building a world in which this might be possible, with a goal of 20,000 women in technical roles by 2020.