Synopsis

Minerva's Machine: Women and Computing is a one-hour documentary that celebrates the history of women in computing and profiles successful women in the field today. The film demonstrates the diversity of women in computing and shows the many ways to be successful. Minerva's Machine then examines the surprising finding that women began leaving academic computing in the mid-80s. It explores why there are fewer women in computing than men and examines gender differences in response to high-technology. We report on the findings of sociologists, psychologists, educators, and other experts studying different responses to computers and video games, which are often a child's first exposure to computers. Finally, we report on programs designed to encourage girls in math, science and engineering and on other ways to bridge the computer gender gap.

We begin with women telling us why they love computing and contrast them with a young girl who is utterly disinterested in her PC.

Surprisingly, the number of academic degrees awarded to women in computer science at all levels have been declining since the mid 80's. But, as this clip shows, women were a strong presence in the early days of computing.

Moving to the classical reference in the film's title, we introduce the Roman Goddess Minerva, who was empowered with great wisdom, intuition, and compassion.

We have included comments from some of the women and experts in computing who are celebrated and profiled in Minerva's Machine.

See a list of our Profiled Women and Experts.

Minerva's Machine looks to a future when girls will be as comfortable with computers as boys and suggests that the builders of computers should be as diverse as the users so that everyone's computing styles and needs will be met. Minerva's Machine encourages a dialogue between pure technologists and those who think about technology in a socially-grounded way. The film questions how many ideas that could have been contributed by female talent will never enrich us all. It asks what the repercussions will be to our increasingly computer-oriented society, if women--half the population and professional workforce--are not as prepared in computing as men. Hopefully, we will not have to find out.