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To Get Kids Into Science, Just Do It
Developmental psychologists have long noted that very small children think a lot like scientists. Anybody who has spent time with a 2-year-old has witnessed their insatiable curiosity and constant experiments. Yet by the time most
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There Are Too Few Women in Computer Science and Engineering
Only 20 percent of computer science and 22 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees in the U.S. go to women. Women are missing out on flexible, lucrative and high-status careers. Society is also missing out on the potential contributions they
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A Plea for Better Working Conditions for Young Scientists
It’s been a while since I took the lead on writing one of these columns. The last time I did so was in June 2020, when I wrote about my experiences as a Black scientist. I
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Scientists Have Passions Outside the Lab. We Should Embrace That
In August, I contemplated revealing a personal secret about a postdoc in my lab. But before I did, I reached out to the postdoc, Victoria, to ask for permission: “Do you want me do a
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As More Women Enter Science, It’s Time to Redefine Mentorship
WHEN A GROUP of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi published a paper in Nature Communications last fall suggesting that young women scientists should seek out men as mentors, the backlash was swift and vociferous. Countless
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Three Trouble Spots Facing Women in Science—and How We Can Tackle Them
APS Member/Author: Leah H. Somerville Women are pursuing careers in science at rates never seen before, and this growing representation of female voices is truly exciting. Yet we are well aware that the academic community
