| > The world at large isn't ready to hear these statistics, and overall that is probably a good thing. I agree. Research and data might make people feel bad, and not making people feel bad is obviously way more important than increasing knowledge. > We shouldn't accept these disparities as driven by natural forces until we've tried everything we can imagine to try to bring the differences in line. I agree. Personally I think we should withhold all math education to males until they are 21. We can discontinue this policy when there is a 50/50 gender split among all STEM workers, educators, and investors. > we should assume and act as though differences are due to bias long after the differences are well proven to be natural Yep. 1+1=3. Doesn't matter if you can prove that 1+1=2. > It is a case where being wrong in one direction is not very costly, but being wrong in the other direction (and thus institutionalizing bias) is disastrous. Yep, unimaginable catastrophes. |
> Research and data might make people feel bad, and not making people feel bad is obviously way more important than increasing knowledge.
Not what I said at all, I said the standard for proof should be extremely high. High standards for proof != don't do research (though I admit I should have said so more clearly as I used the example of Summers without condemning what happened to him. He shouldn't have been drummed out for asking the questions.)
> We can discontinue this policy when there is a 50/50 gender split among all STEM workers, educators, and investors.
I assumed that the word "reasonable" was implied in what I was saying. But you're right, some people might propose absurd attempts to bring things in line.
> 1+1=3. Doesn't matter if you can prove that 1+1=2.
First of all, I was commenting on the standard by which we should accept 1+1=3, and which of the two (1+1=3 or 1+1=2) should be our acting hypothesis until we know.
Secondly, I said we should act as if differences are due to bias _until long after_. I was arguing for the default standard, and when it would be acceptable to change the standard. I never said never.
> Yep, unimaginable catastrophes.
Are you actually ignorant of the human history of genocide, dismissal of female person-hood, and racially driven slavery?