Those who irritate us and give us grounds for righteous indignation are our secret benefactors, for there are few states of mind more gratifying than that of righteous indignation. And therefore, in a certain way, I should be grateful to L’Oréal, the enormous French cosmetics company, for having instituted the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” laureate program. In the arrival hall of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris there have for some time hung from the ceiling large and elegant posters publicizing these awards, showing women (mainly Japanese) at laboratory workbenches, with the words “Science needs women” emblazoned across them. … Continue reading Does Science Need Women?