Harvard President Criticized Over Comments About Women's Performance in Science, Mathematics

AP ^ | 1-17-05

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I'd say Nancy Hopkins has a problem. I've seen it before. Maureen Dowd, ranting feminists and my ex-wife, among so many others. It's not pretty.

[ScottFromSpokane]

I like this guy more and more.

[Rodney King]

This guy sure turned out to be great. I was skeptical of him - being a Clinton crony and all - but he really tells it like it is. His best move wes when he let (I forget his name) the radical black professor leave Harvard by demanding that he actually produce research rather than just political tracts.

[LauraleeBraswell]

It is a proven fact that women and men's brains are wired differently. Men are more mathematically oriented.

Some people just have a problem with the truth.

[Capagrl]

"he kept saying things we had refuted in the first half of the day," said Denton

[ReadyNow]

Summers told the Globe he was discussing hypotheses based on the scholarly work assembled for the conference, not expressing his own views.

Poor Larry...he doesn't understand that it is TABOO to discuss hypotheses, evidence, and uncomfortable facts that skewer the false gods of liberalism.

[canuck_conservative]

Didn't that professor want to take time off to do a rap album?

[freespirited]

He also said more research needs to be done on the issues.

Right. The existing volumes of it entirely consistent with his words aren't enough.

[LibFreeOrDie]

More here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1322344/posts

[Indy Pendance]

You're right. When I was in engineering school, there were only 3 women obtaining a BSIE (I am a woman). There were more women in civil, mechanical and enviornmemtal, but the majority were men. I'd guesstimate about 15-20% were women.

[Pearls Before Swine]

His best move was when he let (I forget his name) the radical black professor leave Harvard by demanding that he actually produce research...

Cornell West, a thoroughly despicable character, as you'd know if you'd ever seen him on TV.

[ml/nj]

"It is so upsetting that all these brilliant young women (at Harvard) are being led by a man who views them this way," Hopkins said later.

I wonder if Hopkins has an explanation for the relatively poor performance of women at the game of chess when compared with men. Sure there are exceptions. Judit Polgar (who refuses to play in tournements restricted to women, I believe) is ranked 9th in the world. The second best woman is no where close to being among the top 100 players. (Note that linked ratings are from October 2004. Polgar has apparently been dropped from the current list due to inactivity.)

ML/NJ

[Red Phillips]

This is the problem with political correctness. You can't state plane truth that everybody knows to be true. Guess what. Little girls generally talk before little boys. Everybody knows this. Doesn't mean some bright and verbal little boys don't talk early, but on average girls talk first. Well guess what. Boys are better, on average, at math. Huh...See I said it. Because it is true. I'm sure the lady who left in a huff is very bright. I'm sure she is extremely mathematically gifted. But that doesn't change the averages. And the numbers get even more disparate, the higher up in the intellectual stratosphere you go. Guys are better at math on average and there are legions more male mathematical geniuses. Don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but look at male 700 SAT math vs. female.

If you have an observation such as there are many more males at the elite math schools, then objective science would lead you to have at least two possible explanations. One, and the more natural assumption at that, is that it is biological. The other is that it is social. The egalitarians can't accept the first explanation so they reject it out of hand. It does not fit with their world view. It most be the second and we must all be brow beaten to change it. Anyone who has two or more children of the opposite sex, figure out very quickly that males are different than females. Everyone know this. Only ideologues like Ms.(Dr?)Hopkins refuse to accept it. And I suspect, down deep she knows it too. That why she gets so defensive.

[joesnuffy]

Truth.. not just the first casualty of war... also the first casualty of academia..

imo

[Tacis]

Summers and all of Harvard must know that one can never be wrong in a blue state if you always blame evil white men for EVERYTHING!!!

[LibFreeOrDie]

A critique of Nancy Hopkins' earlier complaints against MIT:

http://www.uaf.edu/northern/mitstudy/

[Unam Sanctam]

When it comes to issues of women and homosexuality, there is no freedom of speech for divergent opinions on American campuses. Mr. Summers should know better.

[Malesherbes]

I agree with Rodney. I had little use for Larry Summers when he was Bubba's Treasury Secretary, but he's making a mark at Harvard. He not only "dissed" the Black Sudies program but even suggested that ROTC at Harvard might be beneficial. Now this.

[Malesherbes]

Well, I meant Studies not "Black Sudies," but maybe I was right the first time.