War of the sexes --pinging to resident women FReepers. Bring your friends!!
I have three kids -- two daughters and a son. My son was better in math and science then my oldest daughter and a lot better than my youngest daughter but he didn't like either subject all that well but made good grades. He is now a graduate assistant at The University of Oklahoma in the English Department and will be getting PhD to become an English Professor specializing in the Renaissance era.
My youngest daughter hates math and science and is not very good at either while she is excellent in History and English and is a Journalism major because she loves researching and writing.
My oldest daughter had a tough time getting through College Algebra and the two required science courses she had to take in college but is great in English, History and was a Journalism Major.
The kid's Dad is an electronic engineer and excellent in math and science.
I am louzy and like my youngest don't particularly care for math and science. I am much, much better at the Arts side of Arts and Science.
Looks like my family is an example of the un-PC this guy is discussing.
His critics sound juvenile and annoying.
Cedar Dave has asked FR womenfolk to opine on this article.
Some of the differences are cultural influences...
It seems to me that Summers was trying to say that you cannot force enough women into an interest in science to have parity, but he said it so clumsily that I can't be sure.
My father was an engineer and a bridge designer. He loved numbers, facts, analysis. None of his daughters shares his love of numbers, but none of his sons do either - so, is it a gender thing, or just that genetically all 7 of his children were less right-brained than he was?
My daughter wants to study medicine, and I expect she'll do well. In my lifetime, women in medicine have gone from a small minority to a slight majority. If enough young women want to become scientists as want to become doctors, the parity will arrive. If they don't, it's a false goal.