This is a fascinating article, Dismissing Sexist Opinions About Women’s Place in Science, which includes an interview with Ben A. Barres, who was born a woman, but now is a man. Because of this experience, he has a particularly helpful opinion of sexism in science. And, no, kids, it didn’t end in the 1960s or 1990s.

Every question in the interview was interesting, and every answer illuminating. As I read, I thought, Aha! That’s what that happened! That’s what’s really going on!

Now, what does this have to do with spirituality? At the root of many religious traditions is the principle of justice and what goes on with women in science is fundamentally unjust. Also, note in the last question below, how women are complicit in this injustice.

An excerpt:

Q. Why do some people attribute differences in professional achievement to innate ability?

A. One of the reasons is the belief by highly successful people that they are successful because of their own innate abilities. I think as a professor at Stanford I am lucky to be here. But I think Larry Summers thinks he is successful because of his innate inner stuff.

Q. What about the idea that men and women differ in ways that give men an advantage in science?

A. People are still arguing over whether there are cognitive differences between men and women. If they exist, it’s not clear they are innate, and if they are innate, it’s not clear they are relevant. They are subtle, and they may even benefit women.
But when you tell people about the studies documenting bias, if they are prejudiced, they just discount the evidence.

Q. How does this bias manifest itself?

A. It is very much harder for women to be successful, to get jobs, to get grants, especially big grants. And then, and this is a huge part of the problem, they don’t get the resources they need to be successful. Right now, what’s fundamentally missing and absolutely vital is that women get better child care support. This is such an obvious no-brainer. If you just do this with a small amount of resources, you could explode the number of women scientists.

Q. Why isn’t there more support for scientists who have children?

A. The male leadership is not doing it, but women are not demanding it. I think if women would just start demanding fairness, they might get it. But they might buy in a little bit to all this brainwashing. They are less self-confident. And when women speak out, men just see them as asking for undeserved benefits.