I chalk this one up to the anti-intellectual barbie doll culture here in the U.S. There are plenty of girls studying computer science and engineering in Asia, for example, where academics are valued over sports and fashion attire.
How does this account for the continued growth of women in other technical fields? One of the biggest points in the article is that this trend differs strongly from many other intellectual areas.
Well, this is only an anecdote, but a close female friend of mine went to college to study CS. After two years in the program however, she switched majors. The vaguely hostile social atmosphere and the impression of a programming career as lonely nights sitting at a computer monitor contributed greatly to her decision. She was very competent in the field but those external factors were enough to push her away. It was probably the right decision for her, but it was definitely a loss for computer science.
