From: rjc@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray)
Subject: Re: Sophie Germain - Gender Differences
Organization: /etc/organization
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 09:19:20 GMT

  I think the key to the nature vs nuture debate is to realize that
both have effects on mathematical ability. In my case, I grew up with
no nuturing whatsoever and lots of anti-math encouragement. From
my earliest age I was interested in math and physics. I remember when
I was four, I took apart my toys to determine how they worked. I taught
myself algebra in the 6th grade and 6502 assembly language in the 8th.
None of my childhood friends were into math (in fact, none of them finished
highschool except me) and my parents have always pressured me to get a job
instead of college education. I am left to conclude that I was "born"
with this perculiar interest.

  On the other hand, I have had progress in getting my niece (age 6)
interested in math and physics. I accomplished this by playing with her
using gyroscopes, erector sets, and math games. She can now do 4th grade
level math.  I can only hope that she will retain this interest into
high school. My parents and my brother(her father) insist on giving her nothing
but dolls for xmas, and she has begun to take greater interest in
dolls instead.

  For Sophie Germain and Sophia Kovalevsky, I have nothing but respect, because
I identify with them and their experiences even though I am male. The same
goes for Abel, Ramanujan and other historical mathematicians who didn't have
a peachy childhood or educational opportunity. There are great mathematicians
who were nutured, and there are great mathematicians who were born with some
scientific interest as part of their personality.

  The true tragedy is that there are probably thousands of men and women
who have had scientific interests but have never pursued them. Germain
and Kovalevsky might have achieved much greater things if they were 
encouraged from a young age.

  The problem with the liberal movement in education is that they are
concentrating on the educational establishment too much and not paying 
attention to where the real problem lies, in the culture and the family.

   There are pressures in our society against math and science (which are
viewed as eccentric and nerdy fields of study) -- not only against
women, but men as well. 

  IMHO, there have been some very disappointing developments in
our educational system recently. One of them is the trend towards 
subjectivist grading ethics, and the other is the push towards self-esteem
over achievement. So what if you can't add 2+2, as long as you feel good
about yourself, that's fine. 

  If I were a parent nowadays, I would forget about the school system
teaching my child. I would teach my child at home.


  Finally, to those who doubt that women do not possess a mathematical
mindset, I would disagree. I have met a few women in my course of study who
were really, and I mean, _really_ interested in science. You know, the
hacker type who stay up to 4am in the morning just screwing
around with some project or equation.  Maybe they are rare, but they do
exist.

  If I ever marry some day, I hope to marry a woman like this. I imagine
myself debating with my future wife over a scientific result at dinner rather
than debating over the results of her bake-off. This is not an insult to
women who bake, it's just that I find math much more interesting than
cooking and I hope that my future wife does too.

-Ray