I graduated from MIT in 1987 with a B.S. in physics. At that time, discussions with my fellow students revealed that sexism varied from department to department and professor to professor. In the School of Science, biology was widely acknowledged as the best department for women, and physics the worst. The School of Engineering was generally worse than the School of Science, though Computer Science was comparable. The worst department institutewide was Nuclear Engineering -- though this was largely blamed on a subculture of ex-Navy nukes; it was pre-Tailhook, remember.

Many older professors treated women with subtle contempt, but younger ones were generally unbiased -- at least when not in the presence of a biased superior. As these older professors have retired, the climate for women must have improved to the point that the women faculty could finally air complaints that no doubt had been festering for decades. So it is likely the report has a certain amount of bias. But any scientist worth his salt will tell you that "scientific objectivity" is a perfection to be sought but is never achieved in reality.

As to why women are underrepresented at the top levels of science and mathematics, I can only speak from personal experience. When I was 9, my teacher told me I couldn't do mathematics because I was a girl. I already knew him for a fool, but his statement undermined my self-confidence -- I stopped getting 100 percent right on every math test. On several other occasions, both teachers and fellow students made it clear that girls who did math were freaks of nature who really shouldn't exist -- and so they pretended I didn't. Few girls find the intellectual beauties of mathematics worth such a social price. I can only hope that girls today experience fewer such barriers.

-- Kat Daley

I am a woman with a Ph.D. in physics which collects dust on a shelf. I tend to agree with those who explain the lack of women in science as a consequence of the culture of science.

Frankly, I think scientific careers as conducted in the traditional institutions (universities, national labs, etc.) are the shittiest careers on the planet. Financial rewards are nonexistent. The lifestyle is stressful, constraining and not well rounded. Scientists degrade themselves daily by fighting like junkyard dogs with their departmental colleagues for scraps of recognition. They fight with colleagues from other institutions so that they might get a slight edge when they go begging (frequently) at the feet of the government for their pittance.

This system filters out humane, self-respecting individuals and turns the future of science over to assholes with abundant self-esteem issues. And then their antisocial, aggressive behavior is hailed as the magic touch necessary to advance science. Whatever.

I now work as an engineer in a corporation that promotes teamwork with one's colleagues, healthy competition with other corporations and cooperative development of standards to advance the industry. We innovate and produce high-quality products. It rules.

-- Ladye Wilkinson

How comforting it is to know that when Phyllis Schlafly's reactionary carcass is finally laid to rest, Cathy Young will be poised to assume her frilly pink mantle.

-- Beth Sundheim
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Thank you for your usual insightful look into what has become a hot topic since MIT began falling all over itself to apologize to women.

Normally, I try to ignore hype and hysteria, but I am afraid what is going on today will only hinder younger women who choose to enter the fields of hard science.

I have much experience in this regard. I received my degree in physics at a school dominated by males. And in the physics department, I was often the only female in most classes, especially at the upper and graduate levels.

I've worked as an engineer for the Department of Defense also, so I know whereof I speak. I was a rocket scientist!

Even though I attended university in the Deep South, where one might expect more in the way of sexism, my experience with men in my field has been, without qualification, positive.

In fact, never have I met a more courteous, gracious, "delighted to have a woman on board" group of guys -- anywhere.

Brilliant job those underachieving women out there who have not done the highest quality work have pulled on the next generation of women coming up. They will really get to experience sexism in the form of hostility and a "you didn't earn that (fill in the blank -- lab space, salary, promotion), you got it because you're a woman!" attitude.

Way to go, girls. You make me ill.

-- Cheryl T. Strauss

Order "Mothers Who Think: Tales of Real-Life Parenthood" from the editors of Mothers Who Think.