Nature: Psychologists Stephen Ceci and Wendy Williams of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, recently conducted a study to explore the persistent shortage of women in physics, computer science, and engineering. Their analysis, published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, contrasts with reports that suggest overt discrimination remains a significant problem. Ceci and Williams conclude, instead, that female researchers lag behind their male counterparts in professional advancement because of a broader set of societal realities, which include raising a family and gender expectations.