Harvard President: "Differences Between The Sexes" Explain Why Fewer Women In Math And Science

Lawrence H. Summers, president of Harvard University, has come under fire for comments he made regarding women. Speaking at an economic conference, Summers stated that differences between the sexes account for the lack of women that succeed in math or science. He further questioned if discrimination played a role in the disparity. Several people in the audience walked out and a majority of the other speakers said that they were offended by the remarks.



I have no doubt that a resignation will be pending. This guy managed to offend everybody with his remarks. The best excuse given was by the organizers of the conference which explained that they wanted him to be provocative and that he was there as a economist, and not as the president of the University. At any rate I think he provoked his way out of a job.



[edit on 17-1-2005 by Banshee]

He is full of Sh...........it, ok, that is not true my daughter is very good in maths and sciences and that is why she is majoring in it, and by the way is plenty of girls in her college that are also in her classes with her.

By the way she is an A student.

This kindof confirms my general opinion of academics in general (I may be considered on one my dual masters is finished but thats another story). They simply should not be allowed to speak in public with the aid of a preapproved skit. They have no clue as to how or why the real worl functions.

You knwo FredT, is something wrong when a Girl can not get anywhere in society when she has brain, smart women in our society are discriminated at.

And you know how bad it is when the "Harvard President" comes out publicly and make a statement like that.

Isn't it pretty much established fact that males generally do better in math and science (left brained activities) and females do better in English and the arts (right brained activities)? Of course these are only generalities.

This guy sounds like a real creep. I saw this earlier today and just shook my head.

Wonder if he'd sing the same tune if a female doctor saved his life after an illness or injury? Medicine is a science, after all.

I certainly hope at least a sincere public apology is forthcoming, if not his resignation.

Sheesh.

BOSTON - Lawrence Summers' bluntness has earned him both enemies and admirers in several top Treasury Department jobs and now as president of Harvard.

He's rarely been one to apologize for his directness — until this week. Summers has spent much of the last few days saying sorry following a tumult over comments he made at a conference on women in science that he thought were off the record.

Summers insists his remarks about possible biological differences in scientific ability between men and women have been misrepresented — that he wasn't endorsing a position, just stating there is research that suggests such a difference may exist. But his words have sparked wide discussion on Harvard's campus and a string of angry calls and e-mails.
Sorry

I use to work in a lab and we had plenty of female employees, roughly a 2:3 ratio.

Truth be told, i attended university for electronics engineering and out of 205 course students divided into 4 classes only 6 of them were females, yes a grand total of 6 women. If you know electronics, it heavily comprises of math/science equations.

Just throwing my two cents in there that i collected along the paths of life.

Originally posted by syntaxer
I use to work in a lab and we had plenty of female employees, roughly a 2:3 ratio.

bah thats nothing, im a nurse. the ratio is 100 to one