I suspect that by now you know all about Marie Curie. You have,after all, been bombarded with facts about her. You will have readall about the brilliant work that led to her being awarded the mostprestigious of scientific prizes, But whÿ is it that SO few women havebeen nominated for a Nobel Prize in science? It is an intriguingquestion and one that has led to intense debate, stirring upemotions, with strong views being expressed on whether nature ornurture plays the dominant role. The debate has generatednumerous hvpotheses, but arriving at a conclusion that satisfieseveryone would prove difficult.