There was a time in my life when people asked (1) for stories about what it’s like to work in a field (2) by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because (3) I never found them interesting. (4) I do find interesting is the origin of the universe and the nature of black holes. At 19, (5) I began studying astrophysics, it did not (6) me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while (7) my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the (8) started to trouble me. My every achievement-jobs, research papers, (9) --was viewed through the lens of gender politics. (10) were my failures. Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth (11) a sentence that would eventually become my reply (12) any and all of these: I don’t talk about that anymore. It (13) me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to (14) with gender issues. Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many (15) the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will (16) their scientific research and a desire (17) children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And (18) they have given me the image of 45 women (19) by a love of science. And that’s a sight (20) talking about.