Interestingly, data on patent filings reveals that women are responsible for a mere 7 percent. What’s behind the huge gender disparity? “Men are more likely to be in jobs involving design work or development work… so the ‘D’ in the R&D,” says Rutgers economist Jenny Hunt. “And even within given fields of study, women are less likely to be in those jobs and that also reduces their patenting.” A big part of the difference could lie with each gender’s affinity for risk-taking, with research pointing to men as more comfortable with risk. Same-sex schools can have an interesting effect on nurturing innovation and freeing women to take more risks academically and professionally.
via Marketplace Freakonomics Radio