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Unite3 1.??????? The Difference between Men and Women We are taking a close look again tonight at the Harvard debate. People love to pick on Harvard the nation’s oldest and richest university. As you know, from previous?reporting here and elsewhere the university’s president Lawrence Summer’s suggestion that the differences between the sexes might help explain the lack of women in math and science departments has got him in all sorts of trouble. All sorts of people landed on him big time. We reported on that and ABC’s Dan Harris has stayed with the story. In his latest installment of this, he questions whether science may be on the Harvard president’s side. Studies show that on average male brains are better at visual-spatial activities, such as moving a 3D object around in the mind’s eye, which helps in Physics and Engineering. Studies also show female brains have their own advantages, that, on average, they are better at using and remembering words, and recognizing faces. Neuroscientist Dr. Raquel Gur says this is partly based in evolution, dating from the time when women raised children while men hunted. “They would be the one in the savannah or the jungle or would be looking for food, and needed a good spatial direction, otherwise they would not be making it back.” Neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen says men and women may have different brains, but the cause is societal influences, not intrinsic aptitude. “I as a young woman was brought up to believe that I had great verbal abilities but that I couldn’t do math and science. And you know, here I am now. I’m a very successful scientist.” Even the most ardent supporters of the intrinsic aptitude theory say reducing discrimination would lead to more opportunities for women in science and engineering. They also say educators should be looking for ways to teach girls about science that compensate for the advantages that boys generally have. And as one scientist said finding solutions requires a frank discussion of g