Diane Halpern and Heather MacDonald: Or, On Women, Science, and Math (Again)

Friends,

I haven't exactly gotten over the whole-women-and-science-and-math-and-fairness-thing yet.
and apparently neither has the blogosphere. Allow me to sum up the comments that I've heard all over the place since The New York Times and Los Angeles Times ran the story: "See women can do math, too."

I quote none other than our own Diane Halpern of CMC Psychology. Here she is in Diversity Inc.:

"There's nothing in any of these data that would suggest that girls can't do math or aren't doing well in math," said Diane Halpern, a professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College who was not involved in the study.

More power to the many, many women who can do math, but according to Heather Mac Donald of City Journal, it isn't that simple. She writes,

Actually, the study, summarized in the July 25 issue of Science, shows something quite different: while boys’ and girls’ average scores are similar, boys outnumber girls among students in both the highest and the lowest score ranges. Either the Times is deliberately concealing the results of the study or its reporter cannot understand the most basic science reporting.

An interesting question to be sure. Another interesting question is whether or not Diane Halpern, who is quoted in the article even though she wasn't a part of the study, is qualified to talk on these matters and whether or not she can understand the basics of science reporting.

I couldn't even sharpen the pencils of one of my best female friends at Harvey Mudd. But we don't need women that can do math, we need people to do math and to suggest that there is some kind of bigotry against women in science is really quite odd. Men and women are different and that's necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I happen to think diversity is the spice of life. I just don't happen to think you should get a hand out or push someone else down for it.