约翰在节目的开头谈到科学曾经是一个全是男孩的俱乐部。约翰说，在20世纪80年代，当学生被要求画出他们认为的科学家的样子时，45%的学生画出了一个有胡子的人，25%的学生画出了一个拿着口袋投影仪(主要是男性物品)的人，以及其他男性特征的人。只有8%的学生画了女性。肯告诉约翰，他最近读了一篇文章，作者是首批获得耶鲁大学物理学学士学位的两位女性之一，而耶鲁大学直到1978年才获得物理学学士学位。约翰乐观地认为性别平等问题已经得到改善——现在，当要求学生画一个科学家时，33%的学生画的是女性。肯支持约翰，他提到，现在有更多的女性在科学领域获得博士学位，在某些领域，获得博士学位的女性比男性更多。约翰提到，在某些领域，男性仍有更大的代表性。肯补充说，在科学领域取得成功的男性也比女性多。约翰和肯还谈到拉里·萨默斯在哈佛大学的演讲是潜在的性别歧视，肯怀疑性别歧视的作用是否已经减弱，但约翰解释了为什么他认为它只是变得更“地下”。

Ken and John are joined by guest Londa Schiebinger, Professor of History at Stanford University and author ofGender Innovations: How Does Gender Analysis Contribute to Science?John asks Londa which came first: her fascination with science, her interest in gender equity, or whether the two came hand in hand. Londa explains that during her time at Harvard University there were no women professors. After the first year, Londa was the only woman graduate student in the university. At that point she became interested in the intellectual issues surrounding gender inequalities. At MIT, she heard women scientists telling the same story of [] and realized she could contribute in this area. John explains his belief that science, taken as it should be, is gender-neutral, that objectivity and rationality have nothing to do with gender. He adds that, however, other people think science is explicitly or implicitly deeply gendered. Londa recognizes the previously posed examples of gender bias in science and provides one of her own regarding Google Translate’s male default.

Ken asks Londa what she makes of the disparity of gender across different disciplines, where in some women earn PhDs and in some they are grossly underrepresented. Londa brings up the idea of stereotypes and talks about the importance of impressions on young children as factors leading to this disparity. The mini-messages present in our culture are certainly factors, Londa explains, and she provides an example of a model she finds is counterproductive to equality – Barbie and her first words, which were “math class is tough!” Ken then gives Londa the chance to opine on the Larry Summers speech and asks her whether there is something in the human mind that draws men to certain disciplines and women to others. Londa says that even if men and women do have differently wired brains – and better yet – all should be represented in science so we can perceive all aspects of reality.

Ken and John welcome audience participation. One audience member wonders how more women can be encouraged to participate in scientific fields, and Londa speaks about the Gendered Innovations program, which is working to ensure that gender is represented in the school curriculum. Other questions that are brought up regard whether women have a different approach to their personal interactions – for example, whether they are more nurturing and thus make better mentors – geographic bias, minorities of men in certain fields like nursing or childcare, and the views of the younger generation on the issue of gender bias. Londa concludes by reinstating the importance of education and including gender topics in general school curriculums, not only in separate courses.

• Roving Philosophical Report(Seek to 6:25): Caitlin Esch talks to women scientists about the biases they face in their daily work lives. Gender bias can be subtle or overt, as isolated examples provided by Jennifer Raymond, a neuroscientist at Stanford, and by MIT biologist Nancy Hopkins illustrate. Caitlin also speaks to Corine Moss-Racussin, who explains a study conducted by Skidmore College about unconscious bias.
• 60-Second Philosopher(Seek to 48:48): Ian Shoales discusses the bookLean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, how the CEO “has it all,” and wonders how she achieved her success. Feminist philosophy, male privilege (or disadvantage if women really do have it all), and whether men and women really equal make up his report.