Google (illustrative)
Google (illustrative)Thinkstock

A Google engineer enraged employees and internet users alike when he wrote in a memo that part of the pay gap is caused by the fact that men and women are biologically different.

"On average, men and women biologically differ in many ways," the engineer wrote.

"These differences aren’t just socially constructed," he explains, stating that "they're universal across human cultures, often have clear biological causes and links to prenatal testosterone...and are exactly what we would predict from an evolutionary psychology perspective."

He also pointed out that "biological males castrated at birth and raised as females still identify and act like males."

Google itself denounced the 3,000-word memo after it circled within the company, drawing criticism from some employees.

"Googles (sic) left bias has created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence," the engineer wrote. "This silencing has created an ideological echo chamber where some ideas are too sacred to be honestly discussed."

"Distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership."

"Women generally also have a stronger interest in people rather than things, relative to men (also interpreted as empathizing vs. systemizing.....

"We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism... The distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership."

According to the unnamed engineer, women tend to be more cooperative than assertive, causing women to "generally have a harder time negotiating salary, asking for raises, speaking up, and leading."

"We always ask why we don't see women in top leadership positions, but we never ask why we see so many men in these jobs. These positions often require long, stressful hours that may not be worth it if you want a balanced and fulfilling life. Women on average look for more work-life balance while men have a higher drive for status on average."

Despite the backlash, the engineer reported receiving an outpouring of support, with many thanking him for risking his job in order to speak out.

In the IDF, mixed units try to muddy the differences between men and women, ignoring the fact that female combat soldiers are at higher risk of injury. In addition, male combat soldiers serving in mixed units have a higher rate of injury than male combat soldiers serving in all-male units.