The theory of stellar evolution is pretty darn well worked out. I always had a passing interest in astronomy. I had a telescope when I was a kid that I bought with my own money. But you should not get the idea that I was some kind of great amateur astronomer, member of the astronomy club. I was about as attached to as the telescope.
Life is hard for many female scientists at top universities.
I've managed to escape most of this. Part of it has to do with my parents - neither they nor any of my teachers ever said anything about girls being different than boys in terms of math or science. I lived this kind of utopian life, but I totally understand that most people don't live the utopian existence I did when I was young. But I'm really conflicted when people ask me to do things like speak at schools to little girls about how they should be taking science classes. You run the risk of putting the idea in their head that maybe there is adversity.