Earlier this year, the president of Harvard University unleashed a storm of criticism for suggesting that biology might explain why women lag behind men in fields such as science and math. This hour, we'll tackle the issue of sex differences in ability. What does science have to say about the differences in the male and female brain when it comes to spatial ability, verbal skills, or academic achievement?

This broadcast is live from the meeting of the American Psychological Association's Science Leadership Conference. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Diane Halpern
Past-president (2004), the American Psychological Association
Professor and Chair of Psychology
Director of the Berger Institute for Work, Family, and Children
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Janet Shibley Hyde
Helen Thompson Woolley Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Lynn Liben
Distinguished Professor of Psychology
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania

Nora Newcombe
Professor of Psychology
James H. Glackin Distinguished Faculty Fellow
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth