The Future of Women vs Men in STEM: Technology and Creativity

The Buzz 1: “In a study of 34 rhesus monkeys, males strongly preferred toys with wheels over plush toys, whereas females found plush toys likable. It would be tough to argue that the monkeys’ parents bought them sex-typed toys or that simian society encourages its male offspring to play more with trucks…The role of culture is not zero. The role of biology is not zero.” (stanmed.stanford.edu) The Buzz 2: “Estrogen is an asset…A new study from music researchers has found that women are engaged in creative fields like art, music and literature at higher rates than men. (www.rollingstone.com/ ) The Buzz 3: “If we could follow the brain journey of a baby girl or a baby boy, we could see that right from the moment of birth, or even before, these brains may be set on different roads. Toys, clothes, books, parents, families, teachers, schools, universities, employers, social and cultural norms – and, of course, gender stereotypes – all can signpost different directions for different brains.” (theguardian.com) We’ll ask returning guests, STEM women Alison Morgan, Cali Bird, Louisa and Sandra Estok for their take on The Future of Women vs Men in STEM: Technology, Passion, Creativity – Part 2.