Essay

Men, Women, and Ghosts in Science

Peter A. Lawrence

At the current pace, European women are not specialist journal in 1997, but did not
expected to reach parity with men in academic dare to talk about his ideas in public Box 1. Ghosts
science positions until 2050. —Gerlind Wallon for several years [2]. One reason for
[1] “Mrs. Alving: I almost think we are all
this absurd taboo is that we cannot ghosts— all of us, Pastor Manders. It isn’t
think objectively because our minds are

S
ome have a dream that, one just what we have inherited from the
full of wayward beliefs and delusions— father and mother that walks in us. It is
fine day, there will be equal
“ghosts” (Box 1). And one of these all kinds of dead ideas and all sorts of old
numbers of men and women in
ghosts is the dogma that all groups of and obsolete beliefs. They are not alive in
all jobs, including those in scientific
people, such as men and women, are us; but they remain with us none the less,
research. But I think this dream is
on average the same, and any genetic and we can never rid ourselves of them. I
Utopian; it assumes that if all doors
distinctions must not be countenanced. only have to take a newspaper and read
were opened and all discrimination
Such ghosts bias our perceptions and it, and I see ghosts between the lines.
ended, the different sexes would
censor our thoughts. There must be ghosts all over the country.
be professionally indistinguishable.
The dream is sustained by a cult of Boys and Girls Are Born Different They lie as thick as grains of sand. And
political correctness that ignores we’re all so horribly afraid of the light” [3].
and Remain So
the facts of life—and thrives only
The chance that a woman will mug you tonight
because the human mind likes to bury
on the way home is somewhere around nil. That is
experience as it builds beliefs. Here I difficult. However, newborn infants
a quirk specific to my gender. —Michael Moore
will argue, as others have many times [4] (less than 24 hours old) have been
before, that men and women are Baron-Cohen makes one point shown a real human face and a mobile
born different. Yet even we scientists crystal clear: you cannot deduce the of the same size and similar colour.
deny this, allowing us to identify psychological characteristics of any On average, boys looked longer at the
the “best” candidates for jobs and person by knowing their sex. Arguing mobile and girls looked longer at the
promotions by subjecting men and from the scientific literature that men face [5].
women to the same tests. But since and women typically have different Second, such differences at birth
these tests favour predominantly male types of brains, he nevertheless must have developed earlier. One
characteristics, such as self-confidence points out that “some women have factor is the level of testosterone in
and aggression, we choose more men the male brain, and some men have the developing brain around three
and we discourage women. Science the female brain” [2]. Stereotyping months of gestation, which is higher
would be better served if we gave is unscientific—“individuals are just in males (due to the hormone being
more opportunity and power to the that: individuals” [2]. Yet Baron- produced by the foetus itself). Many
gentle, the reflective, and the creative Cohen presents evidence that males studies show that testosterone affects
individuals of both sexes. And if we on average are biologically predisposed development and behaviour, not only
did, more women would be selected, to systemise, to analyse, and to be in humans, but also in other mammals.
more would choose to stay in science, more forgetful of others, while females Testosterone sponsors development of
and more would get to the top. on average are innately designed to the male phenotype, and can influence
empathise, to communicate, and to behaviour even of animals of the same
A Taboo sex. For example, giving older men
care for others. Males tend to think
It is not easy to write or talk about narrowly and obsess, while females testosterone specifically improves their
this subject. If you say, for example, think broadly, taking into account ability with those spatial tests on which
that women are on average more balancing arguments. Classifying males normally score higher than
understanding of others, this can be individuals in general terms, he females [6].
interpreted as misogyny in disguise. concludes that among men, about
If you state that boys on average are 60% have a male brain, 20% have a
much more likely than girls to become balanced brain, and 20% have a female Citation: Lawrence PA (2006) Men, women, and
computer nerds, people may react as ghosts in science. PLoS Biol 4(1): e19.
brain. Women show the inverse figures,
if you plan to ban all women from the with some 60% having a female brain. Copyright: © 2006 Peter A. Lawrence. This is an open-
trading rooms of merchant banks. The Many facts (see [2] for references) access article distributed under the terms of the
Cambridge University psychologist Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
argue that these differences have their unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
Simon Baron-Cohen published roots in biology and genetics. Here are any medium, provided the original author and source
research on the “male brain” in a some examples. are credited.

First, it is hardly necessary to point Peter A. Lawrence is at Medical Research Council

out that distinguishing between the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United
Essays articulate a specific perspective on a topic of Kingdom. E-mail: pal@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
broad interest to scientists.
contributions of nature and nurture to
animal or human behaviour has proved DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040019

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 Third, autism spectrum conditions the Society, honoured largely for their potential. Understanding individuals
are genetically based, and have been research, there are 428 men to only 106 and working out how to make the best
described in detail [2,7]. People with women! of their diverse abilities are, as we have
these problems communicate poorly; seen, predominantly feminine qualities.
they are unable to put themselves in Representation of Men and Women Second, if we had a balanced mix
another’s place, and have difficulties in Science of men and women in charge of our
with empathising. They may treat Among biomedical students in Europe institutes, I believe we would have
others as objects. They often become and in the United States, there are more contented and productive
obsessed and show repetitive behaviour. similar numbers of males and females, workplaces. We should not forget
The less severely affected can become suggesting perhaps that this subject that the motivation to work hard
experts on recondite subjects, such as is equally well suited to both sexes. and solve problems can come from
train timetables or ocean temperatures. But with higher and higher rank, the supportive colleagues, as well as from
Most relevant for our arguments is proportion of women falls inexorably— competitiveness.
that autism spectrum conditions are full professors are only about 10% Third, it is self-evident that scientific
largely sex-limited, being between female [9]. Women drop out steadily, leaders should include a diversity of
four and nine times more frequent in and many of them have demonstrated people from whom younger individuals
males. From many studies, including high ability. There is plenty of evidence can pick role models as they choose
psychology and neuroanatomy, Baron- for similar trends in different branches their careers. The present lack of top
Cohen argues convincingly that autism of science [9]. For example, at the female scientists will divert young
spectrum conditions are an extreme Laboratory of Molecular Biology in women from scientific ambition; it
form of maleness [2,8]. Cambridge, UK, where I work, the makes no sense to discourage a future
It will not have escaped the notice gender ratio of graduate students is Frances Crick.
of many scientists that some of their currently 43 male to 35 female, yet the Many have turned their attention to
colleagues and maybe themselves have ratio of group leaders is 56 male to 6 explaining the fall out of women from
more than a hint of these “autistic” female. science; it is traditionally ascribed to a
features. There is good evidence mixture of discrimination and choice
that this type of single-mindedness Science would be [9]. Regarding overt discrimination,
is particularly common in males [2]. in a lifetime in science, I have seen
Indeed, we might acknowledge that a better served if we gave only little, and it has been both for
limited amount of autistic behaviour more opportunity and and against women. Surely, gender
can be useful to researchers and to discrimination cannot explain more
society—for example, a lifetime’s
power to the gentle, than a tiny part of this trend. However,
concentration on a family of beetles the reflective, and the choice is certainly a main factor. Some
with more than 100,000 species may choices are unavoidable; if there are to
seem weird, but we need several
creative individuals be children, women must bear them.
such people in the world for each of both sexes. However, after about six months or so,
family. And most of these specialists there is no reason, in principle, why
will be men. (The Web pages of the Are there social or practical reasons the main carer of the children should
Smithsonian Institute in Washington why we would like to maintain a not be the father. Later on, it could
suggest that their systematists consist more equal balance, especially where just as well be the father who takes time
of about 30 women and 125 men.) It scientists have power over others? The off work to look after a sick child. Yet
follows that if we search objectively for short answer is yes, and here are three partly because of the different priorities
an obsessive knowledge, for a mastery reasons: that on average men and women have,
of abstruse facts, or for mechanical First, these top research jobs call a much higher proportion of women
understanding, we will select many for a mix of skills, which a mix of put the needs of their children first and
more men than women. And if males men and women can deliver best. climbing the career ladder second.
on average are constitutionally better Nowadays, holders of these jobs plan But there is a different kind of
suited to be this kind of scientist, it science projects, write grants and discrimination that particularly
seems silly to aim at strict gender parity. articles, and try to network their papers damages creative pursuits such as
However, in professions that rely on into the top journals. Their students science. There is good psychological
an ability to put oneself in another’s and postdocs, mostly young and evidence that aggression and lack
place, at which women on average are inexperienced, usually do all the bench of empathy are on average male
far superior, we should expect and want work. These students need more than characteristics, and we may agree with
a majority of women. For example, instructions; they also need mentors Baron-Cohen that for both sexes,
among current student members of who are able to listen to them and “nastiness…. gets you higher socially,
the British Psychological Society, there teach them understandingly. Indeed, and gets you more control or power”
are 5,806 women to 945 men; and some individuals deserve freedom to [2,10,11]. Science should not be a
among graduate psychologists, 23,324 work out their own ideas: for example, military or a business operation, but
women to 8,592 men. Of those who Einstein did not have his doctorate nowadays it increasingly resembles
practice as chartered psychologists, the when he wrote four of six of his great one—for most, it is a vicious struggle
ratio has fallen further (7,369 women papers. Not many students get such to survive. In this struggle, men climb
to 4,402 men). Yet among Fellows of opportunities now—whatever their higher because they are on average more

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ruthless, and many women, as well as a we need most, scientific originality? would matter—we would be making
gentle minority of men, shy away from Originality and creativity are all too better use of the diverse qualities of
competing with them [12]. And I think rare, and I know of no evidence that people. Both women and men might
that our selection methods exacerbate these traits are more frequent in accept that although there is much
this tendency. one sex [13]. As we busily compare overlap in the two populations, we are
candidates, adding up their papers constitutionally different—a diversity
Job Searches in Academia and calculating impact factors, do we we should be able to celebrate and
About 100 years ago, Ibsen shed light remember to look for these qualities? discuss openly. Both women and men
on the secrets of contemporary life, Instead of reading the papers, we should be leading such discussions with
and in doing so, championed women’s pride.

rights. But since then, the feminist Science should not be Acknowledgments
campaign for equality has helped build
the belief that men and women, on a military or a business I thank Birgitta Haraldson for teaching me
average, have exactly the same aptitudes. operation, but nowadays about autism and Simon Baron-Cohen for
It is time we exorcised this particular advice.
ghost, and if we do, it will help put
it increasingly resembles
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