American Memories of Madame Curie

Abstract

In January 2005, Lawrence Summers, then the president of Harvard University, opened a Pandora’s box at a conference of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He posited that “issues of intrinsic aptitude” might be to blame for women’s disproportionately poor standing in American science. Scientists and nonscientists were astounded at his audacity when news first broke of his comments, though transcripts later made public revealed more ambiguity in them.