How to undo gender stereotypes in math—with math!

PLUS: The Prince of Georgia's Instagram presence, and the bromantic theory of history. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  08.30.20 As she worked her way up the academic hierarchy, earning her PhD in pure mathematics, Eugenia Cheng didn't think much about being a woman. She acquired all the traditional markers of success—good grades, acceptance into prestigious universities—and continued onward. But once she arrived at the top, as a tenured professor and published author, questions around gender became difficult to avoid, especially in a field as male-dominated as mathematics. And the time she spent grappling with gender issues left her wondering what she, as a mathematician, could contribute. Not just based on her personal experience, but based on mathematics itself. Her new book, x+ y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender, which is filled with mathematical ways of evaluating existing gender issues, does exactly that. Though many of us associate math with numbers and equations (and maybe the occasional letter, too), at its heart, Cheng explains, math is about using abstraction and logic to craft strong arguments. And, conversely, math can also help us unravel arguments that lack those strong foundations. Like, for instance, claims around fundamental differences between men and women that are often used to defend the imbalance in fields like hers. These arguments can be evaluated as proofs, or mathematical justifications, and in an excerpt for Backchannel this week, Cheng shows us how. Step by step, she methodically pulls back each layer of the argument until its flaws are unequivocally exposed. It's this very precision that makes mathematical thinking such a valuable tool. Or, as she writes, "It's a bit like the fact that it would be hard to carry a concealed weapon on a nude beach." Ricki Harris | Associate Editor, WIRED   BACKCHANNEL How to Undo Gender Stereotypes in Math—With Math! BY EUGENIA CHENG A mathematician uses her craft to unravel arguments about differences between men and women.   BACKCHANNEL The Prince of Georgia Is Big on Instagram BY AMOS BARSHAD The musician BERA is the son of the country's former prime minister and richest man. When street protests arose in Tbilisi, I went to check on him.   IDEAS Steely Eyes, Tragic Ends: The Bromantic Theory of History BY VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN It's no exaggeration to say that emotional affairs of the male heart can influence technology and geopolitics.   OPINION Covid-19 Proves It's Time to Abolish 'Predictive' Policing Algorithms BY HANNAH SASSAMAN Research collected during the pandemic backs up the national calls for racial and criminal justice. So why are we still relying on punitive software?   IDEAS The FDA's Approach to Covid-19 Is a Bloody Mess BY HILDA BASTIAN It's already looking shaky and politicized on the subject of convalescent plasma. What will happen with vaccines?   OPINION The Future of American Industry Depends on Open Source Tech BY KEVIN XU AND JORDAN SCHNEIDER Instead of launching into a costly trade war with China, we need to fully embrace the fastest, safest, and most democratic way of advancing technology.         This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions