Ron Chaplin wrote:

>Now, I'm sure the only reason for this is that there are far fewer women
>critics than men and not the result of any sexist bias.  Anyone have any
>ideas as to this is so?

But why are there " far fewer woman critics"? That may well be the
result of sexist bias in the past.

The Boston University Physics Department, 36 strong, has 4 women faculty
members.  There is no sexist bias in the department currently and my no
doubt limited perception over 40 years is that we have not had any in the
past.  But there is a good deal of anecdotal evidence that women were often
discouraged from pursuing physics by high school and even college teachers.
And I remember the then Chair at Bryn Mawr telling me, in 1962, that he
had two excellent senior majors and thst it was about time that Cal Tech
admitted women to physics graduate work.

The past counts!!

Professor Bernard Chasan
Physics Department, Boston University