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Featured
Stats for Dummies: Mental Health Edition
In the last 3 years, the estimated rate of autism prevalence in the U.S. has increased from 1 in every 88 children to 1 in every 68 children. Based on these numbers, the current panic about autism should be entirely justified. In fact, more panic would even be justified. Autism isn’t the only mental illness that appears to be in…
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Science
Shocking News: Vaccines Are Still Safe
In an utterly unsurprising turn of events, the most recent study to look at the link between vaccines and autism has found that there is no link between vaccines and autism. Dr. Anjali Jain recently published a study that looked at the unvaccinated younger siblings of vaccinated children with autism. But there was no correlation between those who received the…
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Science
Pop Psychology, Personality Types, And Thick Skin
If people love anything, they love pop psychology, especially if they get to take a little test that tells them what kind of person they are. Of course many of those tests have about as much scientific basis as astrology, and are written in a similar way so that they’ll sound applicable to just about anyone! Science! Bonus points if…
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Feminism
Meghan Trainor Gets It Wrong
What’s wrong with a video that shows images of a woman in 50s garb cooking and cleaning while looking for a man? That seems to be the question that everyone is asking about Meghan Trainor’s video “Dear Future Husband,” and the shit is flying in all directions in the quest for an answer. After the amazing reception that “All About…
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Skepticism
Your Guide to the Worst Anti-Racism Campaign Ever
You may have about a week ago about Starbucks amazing new plan to deal with race problems in America. It’s called “Race Together” and involves a barista writing those words on your coffee cup to start a conversation with you about race. Nothing could ever go wrong with asking a low paid employee to try to have a deep and…
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Feminism
Insights Into Menopause Come from Killer Whales
A fun fact about human people with uteruses is that we are one of the very few species in which menopause happens and the person can continue living a long and happy life for many years afterwards. There are only three species in the world in which females live for significant years after they lose their fertility: humans, pilot whales,…
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Skepticism
Women’s Sports Just Aren’t Exciting
I’ve recently become a fan of pro basketball. I watch it often with my boyfriend and a couple of our other friends (all male). And more often than not, I’m struck and annoyed by the casual sexism that is…well everywhere, even in this sport that hasn’t been in any high profile cases of abuse or assault. Who is allowed to…
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Skepticism
It’s My Party and I’ll Vocal Fry If I Want To
Once upon a time there was a “new” feature in language called vocal fry. It sounded a little like a creaking or growling sound, and while almost everyone used it sometimes it become more common in younger people. For some odd and utterly non factual reason, this feature of language became associated with young women, despite the fact that men and women…
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