Quickies
Skepchick Quickies: Germ Theory, Medieval Sexual Guides, the Perspective of a Transracial Adoptee, and Never Getting Fat
Happy Birthday to Roger Payne! He was born on January 29, 1935, and is a biologist and a co-discoverer of whale songs. Another interesting fact: a recording of whale songs is included on the Voyager record.
- Food and Germs: Pollan and Velasquez-Manoff – If you can, take some time to listen to this radio interview. “Authors Michael Pollan and Moises Velasquez-Manoff argue that our growing obsession with processed foods and living “germ-free” are radically changing the colonies of bacteria in our stomachs — and, in the process, endangering our health.”
- A Sexual-Decision Flowchart That Makes Everything Simpler for Medieval Men – “A visualization of early Christian rules about sex; or, why sex is still a weird thing today.”
- She Was Harassed By A Games Reporter. Now She’s Speaking Out. – It’s pretty telling that this woman, who was sexually harassed while giving an interview, didn’t want to say anything to the interviewee because she feared that she would be the rude one.
- Growing Up ‘White,’ Transracial Adoptee Learned To Be Black – The perspective of a black man who was adopted by white parents. Even though he was in a loving family, he didn’t really learn to love himself until his early 20’s.
- CFI Tells Supreme Court: Hobby Lobby Religious Exemption Would Harm Workers, Violate Constitution – Seriously, Hobby Lobby and others, get with the program! Why are we still having this argument.
- The Complete Guide to Never Ever Ever Getting Fat – You may be pleased to know that this is a Lindy West article. (Proven fact: reading this article will or will not make you fat.)
Mary
That sexual decision flow chart makes me even more glad I don’t live in medieval Europe. I bet there was a lot of “sinning” going on back than.
I know, right? Although maybe the chart also finctioned as a form of birth control, because people could rarely have sex!
Your typo just made a word that I didn’t until now realize needed to exist.
Finctional – a fictional function. E.g. the Nazca lines’ function was to guide UFO landings.
I just love portmenteaus.
E.g. The Nazca lines’ finction was to guide UFOs.
Damned autocorrect ruins yet another joke.
Not to be confused with the finktional fucktion (usually found wearing a fedora and trolling Skepchick)
Haha, damn this ipad keyboard!
The sexual harassment thing happens a lot. I mean, it’s a minority of gamers, but a very vocal minority. And you can bet that if I’m attacked tonight, guess what part of the night I’ll most remember? (But then again, the particular annoyance I have right now is some of the gamers themselves.)
The Michael Pollan article was interesting. Intestinal bacteria are an interesting area because there is something worth exploring there, but sadly 99% of what you hear in the mainstream media wrt: intestinal bacteria is woo. Poo woo, if you will.
On transracial adoption, Evangelicals are currently trying to gut the Indian Child Welfare Act. It’s particularly jarring because of the sheer hypocrisy and half-truths on their part.
But this wasn’t just a gamer, it was a guy being interviewed by a reporter and the harassment was just so blatant.
Recent gut microbiota research is very interesting! I just did a project on it. If you are interested, you should look up the latest research at Harvard or Pubmed.
Yeah, I’ve seen it. I was referring more to the MSM. Peer-reviewed journals, as always, are my primary sources for all things science.
Yeah, I’m more familiar with what women gamers have told me. I am never surprised really about the tech industry, though.
The comments to the “growing up white” article are worth reading.