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Where to put it?

HCE

16:58 / 18.02.05

I wanted to ask for opinions on this speech:

http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/2005/nber.html

"Remarks at NBER Conference on Diversifying the Science & Engineering Workforce
Lawrence H. Summers
Cambridge, Mass."

Would it be most appropriate to put it in the Lab, as it deals with men & women in the Sciences? Or in Switchboard, as his remarks caused a bit of furor and it's been in the news? Or elsewhere?

Thanks. I apologize if there's a thead on this topic already -- I looked but didn't see it.

Mazarine

17:20 / 18.02.05

I'd say it depends on which aspect you're hoping to discuss- whether there are inherent differences in male/female brain structure or the socio-political ramifications of the shpiel. If you want to discuss the brain structure, I'd say lab, if you want to discuss the ramifications of the statements, then I'd say switch.

HCE

18:38 / 18.02.05

That's precisely the problem. You could look at that speech and say it's about brains, or you could look at it and say it's about inequities. That's one of the things I want to think through, with input from others here.

lekvar

01:16 / 19.02.05

The Lab already has a thread on this, but it didn't get very far. I invite you to give it a goose.
Might make a good starting point for a Headshop thread, too.

Tom Coates

10:31 / 19.02.05

The Laboratory is the place for this thread. It's the place, basically, for oversight of all questions concerned with technology and science including the ethical consequences of the same or the interpretations of. The Head Shop would be for similar analysis of claims made by people working in philosophy, cultural studies or identity politics. The switchboard would be for discussion of similar claims made by politicians. The same intellectual thoroughness and use of the same tools should be appropriate to use in each to rebutt, however - ie. it should be completely reasonable for someone from the cultural studies background to challenge the assertion made by the sciences in a thread in the Laboratory.

HCE

14:34 / 21.02.05

Aha! Thank you very much, I will go look.

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