Where the (Smart) Girls Are

Young girls are creaming the boys in science, up north in Canada.

Five years ago, boys made up 55 percent of the competitors at the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair, a national competition where youth in grades 7 to 12 compete against other regional representatives. After a steady decline, this year boys are in the minority at 44 percent. Girls are also claiming the lion's share of prize money available each year: Eight of the last nine overall winners have been female.