Friday, February 18, 2005

What did he actually say? 

Larry Summers has put up the transcript of his remarks about hiring women in the sciences that have caused a furor at Harvard. He has also continued his daily seppuku with a letter to the faculty there:
Though my NBER remarks were explicitly speculative, and noted that "I may be all
wrong," I should have left such speculation to those more expert in the relevant fields. I especially regret the backlash directed against individuals who have taken issue with aspects of what I said. In this University, people who disagree with me - or with anyone else - should and must feel free to say so.
Eason Jordan could not be reached for comment. At Division of Labour, Ralph says,
My bet is that Summers in on the next train to the gulag while [Ward] Churchill sings Rocky Mountain High.
That'll get you a 'heh'.

UPDATE: William Saletan:
In short, Summers got a bum rap. So was his analysis of biological and cultural factors sound? The transcript answers that question, too. The answer is no. Summers grossly overreached the evidence, and he made a couple of glaring logical blunders.

Yes, I can see that. But logical blunders in a lunch talk are not hanging offenses.

[Top]