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Diversity: A Nature & Scientific American Special Issue
Greater diversity in science's workforce and ideas is long overdue. Nature, in this special issue with Scientific American, explores connections between diversity and the rigour of research — including how marginalization affects study design — and discusses persistent, misguided assumptions. The message is clear: inclusive science is better science.
There is growing evidence that embracing diversity — in all its senses — is key to doing good science. But there is still work to be done to ensure that inclusivity is the default, not the exception.
Social prejudices and stereotyping are pervasive and often operate unconsciously. In this Review, David M. Amodio considers the neural basis of prejudice and stereotyping and discusses the processes through which such biases may form, can influence behaviour and are regulated.
The editors of this publication need to improve how we reflect women’s contributions to science. For this, we must inject an extra loop into our thinking.
The suggestion that women are not advancing in science because of innate inability is being taken seriously by some high-profile academics. Ben A. Barres explains what is wrong with the hypothesis.
Joan — formerly Jonathan — Roughgarden rejects established evolutionary ideas about gender roles and sexuality. Everyone wants to discuss the parallels with her personal experience. But the science speaks for itself, she tells Virginia Gewin.
Medical genomics has focused almost entirely on those of European descent. Other ethnic groups must be studied to ensure that more people benefit, say Carlos D. Bustamante, Esteban González Burchard and Francisco M. De La Vega.