Sir

You ask why there are so few women in science (Opinion, Nature 401, 99 & 829; 1999). Discrimination and bias aside, the answer is because we are not men . Women can only follow a linear career path if they choose to have no children, or to put their children into full-time day care (if they can find it). Even highly motivated, intelligent women are often in conflict at work if, for example, they choose day care, or if they create large holes in their careers by taking time out to look after children.

At 37 years of age I will soon be finishing an MSc and starting an entry-level science job. I abandoned veterinary medicine early because of the incompatibility of an on-call schedule with family ties. The largest barrier that I currently face is how quickly a scientist's knowledge can become out of date. I do not feel that it is reasonable or possible for a professional to keep up to date while meeting the demands of a young family.

One solution would be to design a short programme, lasting less than a year, to bring parents up to date after they have had an extended leave (of greater than five years). This would at least qualify them for an entry-level position. I, by my own choice, have lost ten years on my ‘career path’. As the average career is between 40 and 50 years in length, I will have to be more than outstanding to ‘trickle up through the system’.