What's the difference between provocative and stupid?

The President of Harvard has apologized. Which is nice. And other academics are rushing to his defense on the theory that he was merely being provocative and that presidents of major colleges should be able to be provocative.

I think these comments miss the boat. I'm a big believer in free speech and free interchange of ideas. The president of Harvard can say whatever he wants to say. He should never be slammed for simply having an idea that goes against the common wisdom. But he's an academic and a big boy. He should be able to support his position that women are not as good at science with research. And as the Economist pointed out this week, by saying that women are not as good at science, he has some degree of power to make it so. If people at Harvard come to believe that, women will get fewer chances.

So, his idea that women's brains are different when it comes to science is stupid for two reasons. (1) Science is the ultimate boy's club from middle school on. The culture does not support women in science. He contributed to that with comments that can only be described as incredibly stupid. (2) He doesn't have the scientific evidence to back it up and he is not a scientist. Despite the wonderfulness of that well-known school near Boston, being the President of Harvard doesn't turn economists into real scientists.

Another idea to chew on:

Sometimes when people do something that doesn't come naturally to them, they are able to expand on what naturally talented individuals can do. For example, there seems to be a connection between music/ foreign language learning and math. Yet, a lot of these people with this gift are not particularly empathetic or personable. So, the people who really struggle to learn these skills are often able to pass them on to others in a way that the truly talented can't.
Assuming for a moment that it is true that women are not wired for science and math. It may be true that science needs women.

It is also true that general population studies don't tell the whole story. There are a lot of unique individuals in the world. If the next Albert Einstein is a little girl right now. She needs to be told that she is not less feminine for liking science. She needs to be told that she can live a fulfilling life. She needs to be told that she is not a freak. She needs to be told that the president of Harvard is a stupid ass.