A factor I&#x27;ve not seen analyzed is the difference in brain maturation rates between boys and girls. Girls mature faster than boys.<p>I suspect that this results in boys spending more time in that awkward stage where they would rather spend their time on activities that are done alone or, if done with others, do not require much social interaction.<p>Girls pass through that stage faster, and more of their time after gets devoted to dealing with their social groups and their positions in those groups.<p>It is that awkward stage that is prime time for really seriously getting into programming and many other STEM activities. Boys spend longer stuck there, so boys get a head start in STEM.