As a young child I observed my mother and my stepmother, who were both intelligent and capable
stay-at-home moms, and saw unhappiness—even bitterness. In contrast my father seemed happy.
He was a research engineer who studied how to optimize the structure of roads relative to their
environment. I made the unwarranted induction that my father’s going off to work every day
explained this difference, and I wanted to be like my father. I thought perhaps it was necessary to
be a scientist to be happy, and so I had a vague desire to become a scientist. I had no idea there
might be gender-related barriers to this plan.