Moment of Lift

[Smarties]

I just finished Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates. I didn't love or hate the book, but she did make one argument I hadn't thought of before.

I've always been an advocate for more women in STEM. She talked about technology and the growth of technology being connected to power, and that if it is mostly created/controlled by men, that continues to put most of the power in society in the hands of men. She also talked about how, since technology is increasingly important in society, if we want it to reflect us, we need to be part of its creation. She cited a concrete example of face recognition software that had been developed and tested mostly by white men, so it didn't recognize the faces of women and minorities very well. Of course the software can be improved in that aspect, but the principle is that we need to be involved in the creation of this stuff from the beginning.

She also talked about how the number of women in computer science is actually declining. Why? What do you think about all of this?

[mcginnisc]

I'm certainly not interested in it because it bores me. Dh works in the tech industry and he hates it, but it is pretty darn lucrative which is why he stays. If he could fish for a living he would, but that does not pay the bills so he works in network security. My eyes glaze over if he talks about things in the tech world, just like his glaze over if I talk about musicals in his presence.
My youngest dd loves computers so it would not surprise me if she combined it with art and went into the graphic art industry so she could combine her two loves..my oldest wants to go into marine biology. She is tech savvy, but has no interest in the field at all. She's my enviornmentalist so she will go into a field that builds on that subject.

[Smarties]

I'm certainly not interested in it because it bores me. Dh works in the tech industry and he hates it, but it is pretty darn lucrative which is why he stays. If he could fish for a living he would, but that does not pay the bills so he works in network security. My eyes glaze over if he talks about things in the tech world, just like his glaze over if I talk about musicals in his presence.
My youngest dd loves computers so it would not surprise me if she combined it with art and went into the graphic art industry so she could combine her two loves..my oldest wants to go into marine biology. She is tech savvy, but has no interest in the field at all. She's my enviornmentalist so she will go into a field that builds on that subject.

I didn't know your dh didn't like it. I'm sorry he feels stuck in it! But it does typically pay well, so there's that.

Your dds sound ambitious which is awesome. Best wishes to them.

[Olioxenfree]

I remember my dad bought a camera years back that had facial detection, and it would always come up with "someone blinked" messages when taking pictures of some of our relatives because it thought their eyes were closed. They weren't, we're just asian. There definitely needs to be more women in computer science. I think it's just something in our society, I remember seeing a list recently from a very popular toy company, I'll see if I can find it, of the top suggested gifts for boys and girls this Christmas. On the boys list, it was all robots, coding, space, building, etc. On the girls list, it was rainbows, unicorns, etc. and the large majority of the science kits on the girl's list were "how to make your own makeup." Those things stick in the back of a kid's mind.

[KendallsMom]

My DD (12) attends STEM classes every Saturday through her school (girls only) and twice weekly when they become available throughout the year at our local recreation center. She loves it. It bores me to tears..lol.

[mcginnisc]

He's been in the tech industry since we were 16...it started off as he and a buddy forming a business fixing computers, then he enlisted and was basically a hacker for the USAF. So, for 24 years he has been in network security. Twenty of those in the private sector. It pays really well so he stays, but he is over it and has been for years. He can't wait to retire, which we think will be in 7 years.

I'm certainly not interested in it because it bores me. Dh works in the tech industry and he hates it, but it is pretty darn lucrative which is why he stays. If he could fish for a living he would, but that does not pay the bills so he works in network security. My eyes glaze over if he talks about things in the tech world, just like his glaze over if I talk about musicals in his presence.
My youngest dd loves computers so it would not surprise me if she combined it with art and went into the graphic art industry so she could combine her two loves..my oldest wants to go into marine biology. She is tech savvy, but has no interest in the field at all. She's my enviornmentalist so she will go into a field that builds on that subject.

I didn't know your dh didn't like it. I'm sorry he feels stuck in it! But it does typically pay well, so there's that.

Your dds sound ambitious which is awesome. Best wishes to them.

[Smarties]

I remember my dad bought a camera years back that had facial detection, and it would always come up with "someone blinked" messages when taking pictures of some of our relatives because it thought their eyes were closed. They weren't, we're just asian. There definitely needs to be more women in computer science. I think it's just something in our society, I remember seeing a list recently from a very popular toy company, I'll see if I can find it, of the top suggested gifts for boys and girls this Christmas. On the boys list, it was all robots, coding, space, building, etc. On the girls list, it was rainbows, unicorns, etc. and the large majority of the science kits on the girl's list were "how to make your own makeup." Those things stick in the back of a kid's mind.

How to make your own makeup? Ugh.

[Smarties]

My DD (12) attends STEM classes every Saturday through her school (girls only) and twice weekly when they become available throughout the year at our local recreation center. She loves it. It bores me to tears..lol.

Programs for girls are so exciting to hear about. I'm so glad your dd likes it.

[Olioxenfree]

I remember my dad bought a camera years back that had facial detection, and it would always come up with "someone blinked" messages when taking pictures of some of our relatives because it thought their eyes were closed. They weren't, we're just asian. There definitely needs to be more women in computer science. I think it's just something in our society, I remember seeing a list recently from a very popular toy company, I'll see if I can find it, of the top suggested gifts for boys and girls this Christmas. On the boys list, it was all robots, coding, space, building, etc. On the girls list, it was rainbows, unicorns, etc. and the large majority of the science kits on the girl's list were "how to make your own makeup." Those things stick in the back of a kid's mind.

How to make your own makeup? Ugh.

My husband took the kids to a science museum recently and he said in the gift shop every single science kit that had a girl on the package was build a fairy garden, make bath bombs, bracelet making, make a mood ring, etc. Every single kit with a boy on it was excavate a dinosaur fossil, build a solar car, etc. Yes, he could buy the kit with the boy on it for our daughter and the kit with the girl on it for our boys, but kids look at packaging, they see that kind of thing, and it changes how they think society views them.

[Smarties]

I remember my dad bought a camera years back that had facial detection, and it would always come up with "someone blinked" messages when taking pictures of some of our relatives because it thought their eyes were closed. They weren't, we're just asian. There definitely needs to be more women in computer science. I think it's just something in our society, I remember seeing a list recently from a very popular toy company, I'll see if I can find it, of the top suggested gifts for boys and girls this Christmas. On the boys list, it was all robots, coding, space, building, etc. On the girls list, it was rainbows, unicorns, etc. and the large majority of the science kits on the girl's list were "how to make your own makeup." Those things stick in the back of a kid's mind.

How to make your own makeup? Ugh.

My husband took the kids to a science museum recently and he said in the gift shop every single science kit that had a girl on the package was build a fairy garden, make bath bombs, bracelet making, make a mood ring, etc. Every single kit with a boy on it was excavate a dinosaur fossil, build a solar car, etc. Yes, he could buy the kit with the boy on it for our daughter and the kit with the girl on it for our boys, but kids look at packaging, they see that kind of thing, and it changes how they think society views them.

I think there is something to what you are saying. How sad!

When I used to teach, I didn't see a difference in aptitude for math based on gender. This stuff is coming from something else like you are saying.