Malcolm also presented figures for women in different fields of science. She noted the declining number of women at the bachelor's level in computer science and the dramatic increase of women in the life sciences.

"It seems that once you get to a certain number of women in a field, it's easier to keep and grow that number," Malcolm said. "But then what happened in computer science, where we reached numbers in the high 30s percentage-wise, only to slide downhill? Is it the subject or is it the numbers?"

Attitudes about the value of women and diversity in science need to change first, she said.

"If we're too successful in getting the numbers in but not changing attitudes, we will raise all sorts of tensions," Malcolm said.

"At some point, you have to find perverse pleasure in making the powers that be accountable and miserable," she concluded.

The conference continued on Saturday with an address by Nancy Hopkins '64, chair of the committee that wrote the MIT report on the status of women faculty in science.

Hopkins warned her audience to stay aware of the pitfalls present in scientific careers, and not to assume everything would go right.