Quickies

Quickies: Women in the Work Force, Police Dogs and Racial Bias, and Breastfeeding Skepticism

  • Keeping Women Out Of The Work Force Is Economic Nonsense – “Women who want to work get a bum deal in many parts of the world. A World Bank study notes that 79 countries have laws that restrict the access of women to their work forces. For example, Russia won’t allow women to work in a number of occupations, including loading-machine operators and freight train conductors. And in 15 countries, including Bolivia, Chad and Kuwait, women cannot apply for jobs without their husband’s permission. Then there are the countries where indirect barriers — such as bans on women driving in Saudi Arabia — keep their labor markets mostly women-free zones.”
  • About That Breastfeeding Study – “We know breast milk is good for babies, but there are serious questions about recent research that suggests breastfed infants grow up to have higher IQs and more income.”
  • Ivy League Admissions Are a Sham: Confessions of a Harvard Gatekeeper – “For a long time, I believed in the admissions process. I thought that I could use my position to help regular smart people with great test scores and impressive extracurriculars break into an elitist system. After eight years, though, I’ve learned that modest goal is more or less unreachable. Ivy League admissions are a complete racket, rigged in favor of the privileged and completely impervious to change. So I’m quitting the business. And because I’m quitting, that means I can tell you, the reader, all the secrets of being a Harvard admissions representative, and what it really takes to get in.”
  • The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous – “Its faith-based 12-step program dominates treatment in the United States. But researchers have debunked central tenets of AA doctrine and found dozens of other treatments more effective.”
  • “I was living in a racial closet”: Black filmmaker Lacey Schwartz on growing up white – “For the first 18 years of her life Lacey Schwartz knew she was white. With her dark skin, curly hair and full lips, she was a nice Jewish girl from Woodstock, New York. And then — she wasn’t.”
  • Police Dog Bites Black Man – An article in the New Yorker about police dogs and the Clever Hans effect–and how the dogs are affected by their owners’ subconscious (or not) racial biases.

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Mary

Mary Brock works as an Immunology scientist by day and takes care of a pink-loving princess child by night. She likes cloudy days, crafting, cooking, and Fall weather in New England.

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3 Comments

  1. AA – who would’ve thought that making people admit they’re useless sacks of crap would make them feel like useless sacks of crap that have no willpower, thereby setting them for failure?

    Breastfeeding – I was always in favour because it was convenient first and natural second. Both my kids were C-sections, so it was still my job to fetch the crying baby, plug him in, clean him up and burp him, but that was way better than sterilizing bottles etc. (3 IQ points? Whatevs.)

    1. Breastfeeding is a good idea just for convenience.

      I’d add that if you give formula to women in developing countries, make sure they have access to potable water first.

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