Women make up just 34% of the STEM workforce. Most women in scientific fields are social scientists (65%) and life scientists (48%). Women represent just 35% of physical scientists, 26% of computer and mathematical scientists, and 16% of engineers. /1
The gender stereotypes that fuel the STEM gender gap begin at an early age. Children as young as 6 have begun to believe that boys are more interested in STEM than girls, and learning materials often show boys engaging in scientific activities. /2
Women are often reluctant to enter male-dominated fields with cultures that aren’t supportive of women and minorities. They have fewer role models to inspire their interest, and mentors to help them navigate a path to success. Teachers often reinforce the stereotypes. /3
The STEM gap keeps women out of jobs that pay two-thirds more than other fields. And at a time when we need more scientists and engineers than ever, we are deprived of women’s contributions. Clearly, we’re not doing enough to close the STEM gap. /end
Today in history, 1945: The deadliest disaster at sea that you’ve never heard of. The Wilhelm Gustloff was crowded with Germans fleeing the advancing Red Army. A Russian submarine torpedoed the ship, with as many as 9,000 lives lost in the icy Baltic Sea. /1
A ticket for the Wilhelm Gustloff was a chance for Germans in East Prussia to escape the vengeful Russians. Ultimately, a ticket was unneeded – the boarding was chaos, with desperate people packing the ship many times capacity. It’s not known how many people boarded. /2
The ship moved carefully through the mine- and sub-infested waters, but snow and sleet forced the crew to turn on the lights. That made the Wilhelm Gustloff an easy target. An alcoholic Russian submarine captain saw an opportunity to boost his reputation. /3
Kevin McCarthy and the far-right maga Repubs have made a mockery of the office of Speaker – the office that Nancy Pelosi helmed so artfully for eight years.
Let’s look at how the office of the Speaker has evolved and what the future holds for McCarthy. /1
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the “House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker,” but says nothing more about it. This has left wide latitude for individual Speakers to shape the office. /2
The first Speaker was Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, because that state thought it deserved someone in high office and wanted the Capitol to be in Philadelphia. For the first 20 years, the speakership was largely a regional role. /3
The Brady Rule stems from the landmark case Brady v. Maryland (1963), which requires prosecutors to disclose material evidence that could negate a defendant's guilt, reduce a defendant's sentence, or impugn the credibility of a witness. /2
Brady violations are a problem nationwide, but especially bad in Louisiana. The Supreme Court has scrutinized the state's interpretation of the Brady Rule three times since 1995. All Brady cases that the Supreme Court has reviewed were from Louisiana. /3
Today in history, 1933: Germany begins the sterilization of 400K people as prescribed by the “Law for the Prevention of Progeny with Hereditary Diseases” passed on 14 July 1933. Prior to the 1930s, the U.S. had been the world leader in forced sterilizations. /1
The German law mandated the sterilization of certain individuals with hereditary physical and mental disabilities or mental illness, including bipolar disorder, epilepsy, blindness, deafness and physical deformities. "Undesirables" such as Jews and Roma were also sterilized. /2
The Nazis modeled their law on those then in effect in the U.S. Indiana passed the the world’s first sterilization law in 1907, and 31 states followed suit. More than 60,000 people in the U.S. were sterilized in the 20th century based on the "science" of eugenics. /3
In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew and captain in the French army, was falsely accused of espionage, convicted of treason and sentenced to life on Devil’s Island. An investigation identified French Army major Ferdinand Esterhazy as the real culprit, but Esterhazy was acquitted. /2
Novelist Émile Zola wrote an open letter to the French newspaper L’Aurore titled "J'Accuse...!" stoking growing support for Dreyfus and pressuring on the government to reopen the case. The affair divided French society, pitting the Dreyfusards against the anti-Dreyfusards. /3