Bunting Defends Woman Scientists In M.I.T. Speech

Mrs. Mary I. Bunting, president of Radcliffe, yesterday renewed her attack on the assumption that "one can't really expect any significant contribution from women in science."

Mrs. Bunting, who is taking a year's leave of absence from Radcliffe to serve in the Atomic Energy Commission, urged an audience at an M.I.T. symposium to adopt "an experimental approach" towards the assumption of female incapacity.

Testing Needed

"We need to test it," she said, "to obtain an adequate sample, provide an optimum environment, and observe results before using it to guide the planning of women's education and their employment in the sciences."

She urged the scientists to consider whether women who have had children might not still be capable of resuming scientific careers. "We rationalize the stunning advances made by younger mathematicians in terms of what they don't know," she explaied. "Let us test, rather than prejudge, the woman in her forties; she may have some of the same assets."

No Less Able

She termed "a statistical fallacy" the argument that women should avoid mathematical and scientific careers because they have less aptitude than men. "The implictions of the fact that one is dealing with differences between huge populations that are largely overlapping are not appreciated," she said.

The symposium on "American Women in Science and Engineering will resume at M.I.T. today.