Mary

Normally we see Neil deGrasse Tyson in his goofy cosmically-patterned vests and ties; however, I saw a different side of him when he spoke on a panel I watched recently via the Center for Inquiry. I was drawn to view it because of the discussion topic: evolution and religion, but became even more intrigued when the panelists were asked a question which alluded to genetic differences as the reason for the small number of women in the science field. Though he obviously isn’t a woman, Tyson was able to step out of his typical Bill Nye-esque role and speak about his experience as a black man and the complexity of causes for the shortage of female scientists. You can find the full panel discussion here. Note that if you follow the link, you won’t find this question asked until the very end, and it isn’t a short video. If you’re interested in hearing some women talk about it, you can check out this discussion featuring five scientists who can also speak from personal experience. It is equally as stimulating and inspiring!