[amilein7minutes]

Their data might be small steps in the right direction though. My field is not neuroscience but from the outside, it seems that neuroimaging techniques are considered the best way to noninvasively understand more about functioning. Primarily because so little is understood about thought mechanisms these kinds of studies are definitely first steps. May be there will always be great empiricism and subjectivity involved in this complex question, like many sociological questions, but it seems like a worthy goal to understand how and why gender influences a person's choice of field. While trying to make progress on this question -- the societal conditioning/sociological factors that influence behaviors play a huge role which may not be quantifiable -- understanding the contribution of neurochemistry seems pertinent.

To understand differences in another field, such as athletics, the answers seem to be far more attainable (e.g. research on hormonal activity and its effect on strength is also making progress) today than in a field like math where its reliance on abstract thinking necessitates better understanding of neural mechanisms -- a hard problem.