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AI Chatbot Fails to Address Urgent Women’s Health Concerns: Key Issues Highlighted

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AI Health Information

AI Tools for Women’s Health: Incomplete Answers

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Current AI models frequently struggle to provide accurate diagnoses or advice for pressing women’s health inquiries.

Thirteen AI language models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Mistral AI, and xAI were assessed with 345 medical questions spanning five fields, including emergency medicine, gynecology, and neurology. These questions were curated by 17 experts in women’s health, pharmacists, and clinicians from the US and Europe.

Expert reviewers analyzed the AI responses, cross-referencing failures against a medical expertise benchmark which includes 96 queries.

On average, 60% of the queries yielded inadequate responses based on expert evaluations. Notably, GPT-5 was the strongest performer, with a 47% failure rate, while Mistral 8B exhibited a significant 73% failure rate.

“I see more women using AI for health queries and decision support,” says Victoria-Elizabeth Gruber, a representative from Lumos AI, a firm focused on enhancing AI model assessments. She and her colleagues recognized the potential dangers of relying on technology that perpetuates existing gender imbalances in medical knowledge. “This inspired us to establish the first benchmark in this domain,” she explains.

Gruber expressed surprise over the high failure rates, stating, “We anticipated some disparities, but the variability among models was striking.”

This outcome is not unexpected, according to Kara Tannenbaum at the University of Montreal, Canada, as AI models are trained on historical data that may inherently contain biases. “It’s crucial for online health information sources and professional associations to enhance their web content with more detailed, evidence-based insights related to sex and gender to better inform AI,” she emphasizes.

Jonathan H. Chen from Stanford University notes that the claimed 60% failure rate may be misleading. “This figure is based on a limited expert-defined sample, which does not accurately represent regular inquiries from patients and doctors,” he asserts. “Some test scenarios are overly cautious and can lead to higher failure rates.” For instance, if a postpartum woman reports a headache, the model might fail if pre-eclampsia isn’t immediately suspected.

Gruber acknowledges such critiques, clarifying, “Our intent was not to label the model as broadly unsafe but to establish clear, clinically relevant evaluation criteria. We purposefully set strict benchmarks as minor omissions in the medical field can be significant in some cases.”

An OpenAI representative stated: “ChatGPT aims to support, not replace, healthcare services. We closely collaborate with clinicians globally to refine our models and continuously evaluate them to minimize harmful or misleading output. Our latest GPT-5.2 models are designed to consider critical user contexts, including gender. We take the accuracy of our outputs seriously, and while ChatGPT can offer valuable insights, we advise consulting qualified healthcare providers for treatment and care decisions.” Other companies involved in the study did not respond to requests for comments from New Scientist.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Doctors Explore Estrogen Therapy as a Preventive Measure for Women’s Dementia

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For many years, healthcare professionals have been intrigued by the fact that women are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at nearly double the rate of men.

According to estimates, approximately seven million individuals in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. Notably, around two-thirds of these cases involve women.

Emerging research indicates that estrogen, the principal female hormone, may have a significant role, particularly during the transition from perimenopause to menopause when natural hormonal levels begin to decline.

Estrogen serves various functions in the body, including enhancing cardiovascular health and sustaining bone density. Moreover, it is crucial for brain health, exhibiting neuroprotective qualities that shield brain cells from inflammation, stress, and various forms of cellular damage.

Researchers focusing on Alzheimer’s disease are turning their attention to early perimenopause, which typically occurs in a woman’s early to mid-40s, as a key period for hormone replacement therapy aimed at sustaining estrogen levels and potentially preventing dementia in certain women decades later.

“This interest stems from many years of preclinical research, animal studies, and fundamental science showing that menopause represents a critical juncture in Alzheimer’s disease,” remarked Lisa Mosconi, head of the Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Mosconi leads a new $50 million global initiative named CARE, aimed at minimizing women’s Alzheimer’s disease risk through endocrinology research. This venture will examine biomarkers in around 100 million women, promising to be the most extensive analysis of why women face a heightened risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The relationship between estrogen and dementia has recently attracted renewed interest following the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to lift a long-standing black box warning on hormone replacement therapy, potentially encouraging more prescriptions for women in their 40s and 50s.

Healthcare providers believe that relaxing these regulations could help destigmatize hormone therapy. The FDA’s action may also facilitate further research into whether hormone replacement therapy offers additional advantages, such as dementia prevention.

Reduction of Reproductive Hormones

Menopause is defined by a gradual decline in the production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries, which are essential for regulating the menstrual cycle. These sex hormones are present in women and, to a lesser extent, in men, and they play vital roles in sexual and reproductive development.

Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, according to Dr. Monica Christmas, a gynecologist and director of the Menopause Program at the University of Chicago Medicine. The transition may commence years earlier, during perimenopause, which usually starts in a woman’s mid-40s, often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and sleep disruptions.

It is believed that menopausal symptoms arise from the reduced levels of estrogen and progesterone. For instance, when estrogen levels drop, the thermostat in the body, governed by the hypothalamus, fails to work correctly. The brain senses an increase in body temperature and signals sweating to cool down, leading to hot flash experiences. Hormone therapy can restore these levels, helping to regulate body temperature.

What Role Does Estrogen Play?

Rachel Buckley, an associate professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, whose research investigates gender disparities in Alzheimer’s disease, notes that receptors for this sex hormone are distributed throughout the brain.

“Estrogen is an extremely potent hormone,” she said. “It resides in a region called the hippocampus,” which is closely linked to memory and learning.

Estrogen also facilitates healthy blood flow in the brain, allowing for more efficient energy utilization, she mentioned. However, during menopause, estrogen levels begin to decrease, potentially rendering the brain more vulnerable to damage.

“When the brain loses the protective benefits of estrogen and other sex hormones, this marks a critical phase where Alzheimer’s disease can begin to accumulate in the brain,” Mosconi explains.

Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Combat Dementia?

Hormone replacement therapy is available in numerous formats, including patches, creams, and tablets, which may contain estrogen, progesterone, or both. If estrogen aids in safeguarding the brain, it stands to reason that adjusting estrogen levels through hormone therapy could offer some advantages.

Nevertheless, experts indicate that the reality is more complex, as the evidence surrounding hormone replacement therapy remains varied and ongoing.

Dr. Kellyanne Niotis, a preventive neurologist in Florida and a faculty member at Weill Cornell Medical College, noted that research suggests the perimenopausal transition is a crucial window for treatments that may help some patients prevent dementia.

“The central idea is that during the perimenopause phase, hormones fluctuate significantly, leading to rapid drops in [estrogen] which can be detrimental to brain health,” Niotis stated.

“The goal is to maintain consistent hormone levels to ease those fluctuations.”

A comprehensive analysis led by Mosconi and her team is set to be published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2023, indicating there might be an optimal moment to commence HRT for women facing cognitive decline.

Her research evaluated over 50 studies and found that individuals undergoing estrogen therapy in midlife, within ten years following their last menstrual period, experienced a notably reduced risk of dementia.

Conversely, initiating combination hormone therapy after age 65 correlated with an increased risk of dementia.

Another large-scale review of 50 studies presented recently at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting revealed that women who began HRT within five years of menopause had up to a 32% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared to those receiving a placebo or no treatment. This study has yet to undergo peer review or publication in a scientific journal.

This investigation, conducted by researchers in India, also indicated that women who delayed treatment until 65 or older exhibited a 38% increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

However, much of the existing research is observational and does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, according to Christmas. More in-depth studies, including large clinical trials, are necessary, she emphasized.

It should also be noted that prescribed hormone therapy may not function identically to the naturally produced estrogen, necessitating further investigation, she added.

Why Timing of Hormone Therapy Matters

The notion that there is a critical period for initiating hormone replacement therapy is possibly linked to estrogen receptors in the brain, according to Mosconi. Her research indicates that during the transition to menopause, the density of estrogen receptors on brain cells gradually increases, a finding supported by her studies.

This increase occurs as the brain attempts to compensate for declining estrogen levels by boosting available receptors to utilize any remaining estrogen effectively, she explained.

However, there comes a point when estrogen levels fall permanently, leading the brain to stop trying and the estrogen receptors disappear, she added.

“Once the estrogen receptors are absent, administering estrogen becomes futile as there would be nothing to bind to; that’s when the window closes,” stated Mosconi.

Numerous questions remain unanswered, such as how long women should stay on hormone replacement therapy and whether estrogen provides more protection for those with a genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease. It remains unclear how the brain responds to natural estrogen versus that received through hormone replacement therapy.

Conversely, men possess biologically different brains with significantly fewer estrogen receptors, which diminishes their need for the hormone, according to Buckley.

It is also uncertain whether testosterone replacement therapy in men might have benefits in Alzheimer’s disease prevention, as Dr. Niotis pointed out. While some research suggests a correlation between low testosterone in men and dementia, further studies are necessary before definitive assertions can be made.

Experts caution that it’s premature to advocate for hormone replacement therapy as a preventive measure for Alzheimer’s disease.

“We currently do not utilize hormone therapy for Alzheimer’s disease prevention,” remarked Mosconi. “Current clinical guidelines do not endorse hormone therapy solely for this purpose.”

Instead, HRT should be primarily prescribed to alleviate moderate to severe menopausal symptoms that impact quality of life, such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, and mood changes.

According to Niotis, individuals with good sleep quality tend to feel better and think more clearly, suggesting that alleviating these symptoms could enhance cognitive function.

Nonetheless, she remains hopeful that future research will yield more conclusive insights.

“The aspiration is that with the removal of the black box warning, more women will opt for treatment without reservations, and physicians will feel more confident prescribing it,” Niotis expressed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scientists Raise Alarm Over Significant Design Flaws in Women’s Running Shoes

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A recent investigation reveals that women’s running shoes may be limiting their athletic potential.

Published in BMJ Open Sports & Exercise Medicine, the research indicates a “significant gap in running shoe design” that overlooks women’s anatomical differences.

“Most so-called women’s running shoes are not genuinely designed for women,” asserts the study’s lead author, Dr. Chris Napier, an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, as noted in BBC Science Focus.

“We typically base our models on men’s feet, merely scaling them down and changing the color, a method often described as the ‘shrink and pink’ approach.”

However, Napier emphasized that this method does not “account for the real anatomical distinctions between male and female feet or the way women run.”

Consequently, women’s running shoes may not fit well, potentially hampering performance.

In this study, researchers gathered 21 women to discuss their preferences for running shoes and how their needs might evolve over their lifetimes.

The participants ranged in age from 20 to 70 and had between 6 and 58 years of running experience. Eleven individuals ran recreationally, averaging 30 km (19 miles) weekly, while 10 were competitive runners, averaging 45 km (28 miles) weekly.

Most women expressed a desire for shoes with a broader toe box, a narrower heel, and additional cushioning. Napier noted that this aligns with the general differences in foot shape between men and women.

“Women have distinct lower extremity anatomy, such as wider pelvises and shorter legs relative to body size. This influences running mechanics and the forces exerted on the legs,” says Napier.

Among the participants, mothers reported needing larger shoe sizes, wider fits, and more cushioning and support during and post-pregnancy.

Male and female runners have different shoe needs due to their diverse anatomy, preferences, and life stages – Credit: Alvaro Medina Jurado via Getty

This study is small and qualitative; participants were recruited via posters in stores in Vancouver, Canada, meaning findings may not be universally applicable.

Still, Napier hopes that the research will resonate with female runners.

“During our focus groups, many participants experienced an ‘aha’ moment when they realized their shoe issues were not isolated but a common experience among female runners,” he stated.

Napier also expressed hope that the study acts as a “wake-up call” for the footwear industry.

Footwear manufacturers have invested billions in developing running shoes that prevent injuries, enhance comfort, and improve performance.

Most running shoes are molded to a foot-shaped template based on male anatomy, which is then used across their products.

As a result, “a significant portion of the running community is essentially using shoes that are not intended for them,” Napier explained.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Evolutionary Factors Behind Women’s Longer Lifespans Compared to Men’s

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Women live longer than men in all countries on average

Peter Cabana/Aramie

The most extensive assessment of lifespan disparities between male and female mammals and birds has provided new insights
into why women generally outlive men.

The average global life expectancy for women is around 74 years, compared to 68 years for men. Various theories propose reasons for this difference, such as the tendency of younger men to suffer higher rates of accidents or conflicts, and the protection women have against dangerous mutations in sex chromosomes. However, the explanations remain incomplete.

In a search for answers from other species,
Johanna Stärk from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and her team examined data on average life expectancy across 1,176 species (528 mammals and 648 birds) observed in both zoos and in the wild.

They discovered that in 72% of mammal species, females live longer than males by an average of 12 to 13%. Conversely, in birds, males tend to outlive females in 68% of species, surviving approximately 5% longer.

Researchers posit that this trend supports the hypothesis that sex chromosomes may account for some lifespan differences.

In mammals, the presence of two X chromosomes in females grants individual genetic protection, unlike males who possess an X and a Y chromosome. This may provide women with a better safeguard against harmful mutations.

For birds, the sex determination system is reversed; females have one Z and one W chromosome while males carry two Z chromosomes. This discrepancy suggests that the gender on different chromosomes may incur different longevity costs.

“What’s particularly intriguing is when we identify exceptions,” says team member
Fernando Colcello,
also at the Max Planck Institute. “These exceptions prompt further testing of evolutionary theories regarding gender differences in lifespan.”

Diving deeper into the data, the researchers found that mating systems might influence these outcomes. In polygamous mammals, where competition is prevalent among males, those individuals usually have shorter lifespans than females.

“In the race for mating opportunities, males often invest in characteristics favored in sexual selections, such as size or ornate features,” explains
Nicole Riddle from the University of Alabama.
“These traits are costly to develop, and competition can lead to additional expenditures on aggressive behaviors.”

Such factors can result in reduced resources available for personal survival, she states.

Men who invest in expensive traits to acquire mates may have shorter lifespans

Rebius/Shutterstock

This phenomenon is also seen in polygamous birds. “Overall, this may explain the comparatively lower male dominance in bird species,” states
Pau Carazo from the University of Valencia in Spain.

He explains that in mammals, both genetic factors and sexual selection influence shorter male lifespans, while in birds, strong sexual selection pressures on males and the varied costs for females may counterbalance the effects.

Stärk and her colleagues additionally found that those who invest more in offspring care tend to live longer, which is predominantly the case for females in mammals. In long-lived species such as humans and primates, this trait may confer an evolutionary advantage by ensuring that mothers survive until their offspring reach sexual maturity.

However, exceptions exist. “In predatory species, the opposite pattern emerges,” notes Stärk. “Females are typically larger and often take on roles in territory defense, yet they still exhibit longer lifespans,” leaving this phenomenon an ongoing enigma.

Carazo remarks that gender lifespan differences can lead to smaller populations in zoos compared to the wild. This controlled environment may also be a factor in the reduced lifespan discrepancies observed among human genders, though these differences are unlikely to vanish completely.

“Significant physiological and genetic differences between men and women remain,” explains Colcello. “The future trajectory of medical science is uncertain, but we generally do not anticipate these differences to fully eliminate.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Skip the Wait: Progress in Women’s Healthcare is Here

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When contraceptives were first introduced in the United States, women were not cautioned about potential side effects such as heart attacks or blood clots. It wasn’t until about a decade later that significant action was taken. In her 1969 book Physician’s Case of Medication, journalist and activist Barbara Seaman compiled testimonials from women who had suffered these symptoms for years. Her advocacy led to a Senate hearing on drug safety, which resulted in the inclusion of critical information regarding lower dosage and side effects.

This was not an isolated delay in addressing women’s voices, particularly regarding medications. Despite substantial anecdotal evidence from users, large trials connecting drugs to another side effect—depression—did not emerge until the 2010s linking studies began to surface.

The same can be said for individuals suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, where 80% of those affected are women. Despite overwhelming testimony regarding debilitating consequences, research on this condition has been limited over the years in similar contexts (long-standing community) – leading to loss of funding.

“
When thousands of individuals express similar concerns regarding their health, we must heed their voices.
“

This week’s 36-page feature article highlights recent developments. For decades, women suffering from endometriosis—a painful gynecological disorder—have also reported issues resembling autoimmune diseases. Significant correlations have only been explored in research over the last few years after thorough investigations. Just this year, a comprehensive analysis revealed a shared genetic pathway between these two conditions, paving the way for potential new therapies.

Why has progress been so slow? Insufficient funding for women’s health and the stigma surrounding women’s anatomy play significant roles. However, it’s crucial to recognize the attention given to women’s concerns and the lack of validation they often receive. When countless individuals articulate similar experiences regarding their health, we must proceed with caution. While robust data is required for specific medical recommendations and safe treatments, we could make faster strides by listening to experiential accounts, especially those of women.

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  • Women’s Health/
  • Healthcare

Source: www.newscientist.com

UK Council Employs AI Tools to Minimize Women’s Health Concerns, Research Shows

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Research indicates that more than half of the Council of England’s use of artificial intelligence tools minimizes women’s physical and mental health issues, raising concerns about potential gender bias in care decisions. The study revealed that when generating and summarizing identical case notes using Google’s AI tool “Gemma,” terms like “invalid,” “impossible,” and “complex” appeared significantly more often in descriptions of males than females.

Conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the study found that comparable care needs in women were more likely to be overlooked or inadequately explained. Dr. Samurikman, the report’s lead author and a researcher at LSE’s Care Policy and Assessment Centre, emphasized that AI could result in “unequal care provision for women.” He noted, “These models are widely used, yet our findings reveal significant disparities regarding bias across different models. Specifically, Google’s models understate women’s physical and mental health needs compared to those for men.”

Furthermore, he pointed out that the care received is often determined by perceived needs, which could lead to women receiving inadequate care if a biased model is in use—although it remains unclear which model is currently being applied.

As AI tools grow in popularity among local authorities, the LSE study analyzed real case notes from 617 adult social care users. These notes were anonymized by gender and input multiple times into various major language models (LLM). Researchers examined a summary of 29,616 pairs to assess how male and female cases were treated differently by the AI model.

One example highlighted that the Gemma model summarized case notes as follows: “Mr. Smith is an 84-year-old man living alone with a complicated medical history, a care package, and poor mobility.” Conversely, when the gender was swapped, the summary read: “Mrs. Smith is an 84-year-old resident. Despite her limitations, she is independent and can maintain personal care.” In another instance, the summary stated that Mrs. Smith “has no access to the community,” while Mr. Smith “has managed to manage her daily activities.”

Among the AI models assessed, Google’s Gemma exhibited a more significant gender-based disparity compared to other models. The study noted that Meta’s Llama 3 model did not differentiate its language based on gender.

Dr. Rickman commented that although the tool “is already in use in the public sector, it should not compromise fairness.” He added, “My research sheds light on the issues posed by a single model, but with many models continuously being deployed, it is imperative that all AI systems are transparent, rigorously tested for bias, and subject to stringent legal oversight.”

The paper concludes that to prioritize “algorithm equity,” regulators should mandate measures of bias in LLMs used in long-term care. Concerns regarding racial and gender bias in AI tools have persisted for an extended period, as machine learning technology tends to absorb biases present in human languages. Our research analyzed 133 AI systems across various industries, revealing that approximately 44% exhibited gender bias, while 25% showed both gender and racial biases.

According to Google, the team is reviewing the report’s findings. The researcher assessed the initial generation of the GEMMA model, which is currently in its third generation and is expected to show improved performance; however, it should not be utilized for medical purposes.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Women’s Mission to Mars: An Opera on Acquiring the Red Planet’s Toxic Technical Resources

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Writing an opera centered around Mars? Mars represents more than just a celestial body; it embodies philosophy and ideology. Humanity’s perception of it evolves over time, mirroring the complex blend of beliefs, aspirations, dreams, and fears that characterize each era.

In 1965, NASA’s Mariner 4 flew by Mars, delivering the first detailed images of the red planet back to Earth. Before this mission, our knowledge of Mars was limited to telescope observations, where the planet was imagined as a lush environment that might harbor life. Mariner 4 unveiled a starkly different reality: a barren, cratered landscape devoid of life. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared, “It may just be that, as we know, it’s more unique than many people think, along with its humanity. We need to remember this.” The New York Times went even further.

Imagine life in the summer of 1965 if you hadn’t yet been born. In June, Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. His experience was so profound that Soviet astronaut Alexei Leonov referred to it as “the saddest moment of my life” upon re-entering the capsule. Life Magazine celebrated White with a dedicated issue titled “A Glorious Walk in the Universe.” Shortly thereafter, images from Mariner 4 were broadcast, revealing Mars’s desolation. We had just entered a summer filled with dreams of the cosmos, a time of belief that we might not be alone; those dreams, however, were soon overshadowed.




Historic… The first female spaceflight crew including Lauren Sanchez, third from the left. Photo: Blue Origin Handout/EPA

Fast forward 60 years later, space and technology continue to captivate our attention. Spring was bustling with events. In April, the first all-female spaceflight led by then-fiance billionaire Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, launched using a rocket developed by Bezos’ Blue Origin. In May, another billionaire, Elon Musk, resigned amidst controversies surrounding Doge, all while sporting a “Occupied Mars” T-shirt.

In June, billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel shared in an interview with the New York Times, “Mars appears to be more than a science project. It’s a political undertaking.” By July, scientists presented findings at the National Astronomical Conference showing ancient riverbeds on Mars, challenging earlier beliefs regarding water on the planet. Sotheby’s auctioned a large piece of Martian meteorite for around $5.3 million (£4 million). Meanwhile, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at “preventing the federal government from overstepping.”

So, why create an opera about Mars? Because discussing Mars means exploring our own identities, aspirations for the future, and the mechanisms of current power dynamics.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2qRYC5C4lI8?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="MARS | Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="




Watch the trailer for Mars

To write the opera about Mars, how do we proceed? First, we select a script. The choice of author Mark O’Connell was natural; we are both intrigued by AI, Silicon Valley, and the ideological currents that permeate everyday life, from transhumanism and futurism to rising concerns around fertility rates in Western nations.

Our research dives deep, adopting a Hard Science Fiction perspective. We begin with everyday logistics. How do astronauts exercise, eat, shower, and use the restroom? Can a pregnancy be carried to term in zero gravity or under Mars’ weaker gravitational pull, which is 38% of Earth’s? The answers vary, ranging from the benign (using advanced resistance exercise equipment) to the concerning (one option involves tying a woman to an underground centrifuge during pregnancy).




“I turned to AI,” remarked Walche and her co-director Tom Creed during rehearsals. Photo: Ste Murray

The vast distance from Earth to Mars (about 140 million miles) complicates real-time communication. I pondered the dynamics of relationships in a scenario where conversations could only happen through audio notes. Each line of inquiry led to more questions: If we find life on another planet, how will it alter our understanding of ourselves and the cosmos? Is there a legal framework in place? Does the 1967 Outer Space Treaty hold? Are we humans destined to repeat the harrowing patterns of colonization, or can we carve a different path?

Our opera centers around an all-female mission. Four astronauts—Svetlana, Sally, Judith, and Valentina—named after the first four women in space, board the spacecraft Buckminster en route to Mars. Their quest is to find water to support existing colonies.

Their journey is arduous, further complicated by the scant entertainment options and reruns of *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*. Upon nearing Mars, they learn that their mission has become the target of a hostile takeover by Shadowfax Ventures, helmed by libertarian billionaire Axel Parchment. They now face isolation, the looming specter of corporate authoritarianism, and the existential question of alien life.

As we dived into the plot, the next challenge was to creatively encompass this expansive narrative acoustically. I envisioned the actual sounds astronauts would experience in different space environments: the roar of rocket propulsion, the hum of life support systems, and mechanical sounds. We meticulously analyzed audio recordings from the International Space Station, crafting ways to replicate these auditory experiences.




The Irish National Opera’s production premiered
At the Galway Arts Festival in July. Photo: Pat Redmond

I immersed myself in hours of space audio—whistles, auroras, interstellar recordings from Voyager 1, and even humorous moments like Chris Hadfield’s lighthearted accounts of using the ISS restroom, alongside studies of various exoplanets. The community at Space Exploration Stack Exchange assisted with inquiries about musical instruments functioning in 38% gravity and the sound quality of trumpets and violins on Mars.

Interestingly, astronauts seem drawn to synth music. A playlist shared by Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers revealed a taste for Vangelis, Mike Oldfield, and Brian Eno, leading me to incorporate synthesizers into both the orchestra and the spacecraft. For our antagonists, I leaned into AI to define their musical character, which was humorously labeled as “bad EDM.” They demonstrated a propensity for chaotic sounds, driving me to explore genres like “Bro Step” and “Fashwave.”

In our opera, the astronauts confront the challenges of a troubling future, resilient against the odds. Our vision, shaped by Mark’s and my imagination, captures not only resistance and hope but also moments of rebellion and joy. Throughout the summer, our team remained aware of the stark human challenges and anxieties outside the rehearsal space. This awareness drove us to explore the significance of our own world, amidst a perceived power dynamic favoring a select few wealthy individuals imposing their will on the greater populace.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sybil Sheinwald, 96, Pioneering Lawyer Advocating for Women’s Health, Passes Away

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Sybil Shainwald, a pioneering advocate for women whose health was irrevocably affected by pharmaceuticals and medical devices for nearly fifty years, passed away at her Manhattan residence on April 9th. She was 96 years old.

Her daughter, Laurie Scheinwald Krieger, announced her passing, although it hasn’t received widespread coverage.

At 48, Scheinwald graduated from law school and joined the New York City law firm Schlesinger & Finz, where she represented Joyce Bichler, a survivor of rare clear-cell adenocarcinoma, linked to medications her mother took during pregnancy. The synthetic hormone DES, marketed under various brand names, was intended to prevent miscarriage.

At the age of 18, Bichler underwent a radical hysterectomy, which removed two-thirds of her ovaries, fallopian tubes, and vagina. She was among thousands known as “DES daughters,” suffering due to their mothers’ medication use, and sued Eli Lilly, a major drug manufacturer, for damages.

In 1947, when the Food and Drug Administration approved DES for use in pregnant women, studies had already shown its cancer-causing effects in mice and rats. It was known to potentially harm the fetus beyond the placenta, yet companies marketed it as a safe treatment for various pregnancy issues, continuing even after evidence of its ineffectiveness surfaced.

By the late 1960s, clear cell adenocarcinoma was increasingly diagnosed in young women whose mothers had taken DES. In 1971, the FDA advised doctors against prescribing it. By then, the National Cancer Institute estimated that 5-10 million women and their children had been exposed to DES.

Bichler’s case arrived in court in 1979, part of numerous lawsuits. However, it faced challenges in proving which manufacturer was liable for the drug. Approximately 300 companies produced DES.

Bichler’s legal team proposed a groundbreaking argument that all manufacturers shared liability. After five days of deliberation, the jury agreed, and Bichler was awarded $500,000 in damages.

Scheinwald’s contribution was pivotal. Bichler stated in an interview, “I was a shy young woman discussing my reproductive health publicly. It was daunting. Sybil was the only woman who understood.”

On the fourth day of jury deliberation, Eli Lilly proposed a $100,000 settlement. Most of her legal team suggested Bichler consider accepting it.

“Sybil pulled my husband and me aside and asked, ‘What do you and Mike wish to do? Don’t be afraid,'” recalled Bichler. “Sybil empowered us to reject that offer.”

She added, “I did what needed to be done, but it was Sybil’s support that made it achievable.”

By the early 1980s, Scheinwald established her own office and became the leading legal representative for DES daughters. Over the next four decades, she represented hundreds of women.

In 1996, she won a class action lawsuit that secured a fund for the affected daughters, funded by pharmaceutical companies to cover medical expenses, counseling, and educational outreach.

Additionally, she fought against other harmful products affecting women.

She represented a woman whose silicone breast implants led to autoimmune issues, women harmed by the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device, and those affected by Norplant. She once urged the FDA not to approve Norplant due to potential unknown side effects.

She also assisted women internationally in securing compensation for false breast implants and Dalkon Shield. She was particularly concerned that African women were often uninformed about the risks associated with Dalkon Shield, which continued to be prescribed even after being withdrawn from the U.S. market.

Additionally, she addressed another long-acting contraceptive that, like DES, was tied to cancer in animal studies, which had been prescribed for decades starting in the late 1960s. This contraceptive was given to women across around 80 countries, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations, including poor and disabled women. She viewed it as a form of dangerous population control. However, it wasn’t approved by the FDA as a birth control option until 1992.

“Birth control pills have always been about drugs and devices for women,” Scheinwald stated in an oral history session conducted by the Veteran Feminists of America in 2019. “We stake our lives on these medical interventions.”

“We’ve tirelessly fought for representation,” noted Cindy Pearson, former executive director of the National Women’s Health Network. “Sybil was fearless in addressing any issue, regardless of the power of the opposition.”

Sybil Brodkin was born on April 27, 1928, in New York City. She was the sole daughter of Anne (Zimmerman) Brodkin and Morris Brodkin, who owned a restaurant. She graduated from James Madison High School in Brooklyn at the age of 16 and went on to William & Mary University in Williamsburg, Virginia, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1948.

She married Sidney Scheinwald, an accountant and consumer advocate. He served as the Associate Director of Consumer Union in 1960, now known as Consumer Reports.

Sybil earned her Master’s in History from Columbia University in 1972 and received funding to create the oral history of the consumer movement at the Consumer Movement Research Center, which she directed until 1978.

At 44, she began attending New York Law School as a night student, ultimately completing her law degree in 1976. She aspired to study law while pursuing her history degree at Columbia, but the joint program did not come to fruition; as she recounted in her 2019 oral history, “You’d be replacing a man who had practiced for forty years.”

Scheinwald was still actively addressing issues up until her death.

She is survived by her daughter Krieger, another daughter, Louise Nasr, a son, Robert, brother Barry Schwartz, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Her husband Scheinwald passed away in 2003, and her daughter Marsha Scheinwald died in 2013.

“My practice involves suing corporations on behalf of women, ensuring that my work continues for many years to come,” Scheinwald remarked in a 2016 speech. “And regrettably, I won’t run short of clients.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Federal officials commit to reinstating funding for women’s health programs

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After protests from scientists and health experts, federal health officials said Thursday it would restore funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, one of the largest and longest research into women’s health to date.

The discovery of WHI and its randomized controlled trials has helped to change medical practices, form clinical guidelines, and prevent hundreds of thousands of cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer.

“These studies represent important contributions to our better understanding of women’s health,” said Emily G. Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services.

“We are currently working to fully recover funding for these important research efforts,” she added. The National Institutes of Health is deeply committed to advancing public health through rigorous gold standard research and is taking immediate steps to ensure the continuity of these studies.”

WHI began in the 1990s Over 160,000 participants were enrolled nationwide when few women were included in the clinical study. It continues to pursue around 42,000 women, Data tracking data on cardiovascular disease and agingweakness, loss of vision, mental health.

Researchers hope to use the findings to learn more about how to maintain mobility and cognitive function and slower memory loss, detect cancer faster, and predict risks for other diseases.

HHS notified research team leaders that it would end the contract for WHI’s regional center in September, but the clinical coordination center based at Fred Hatch Cancer Center in Seattle will be funded until at least January 2026.

Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, said shutting down the trial would be “a catastrophic loss for women’s health research.”

Not only has the initiative led to significant advances in women’s health, it also “paved the way for a generation of researchers focused on women’s health. This has been overlooked for a long time and underfunded,” Murray said.

WHI includes many randomized controlled trials, contributing to over 2,000 research papers. However, it is perhaps best known in a study of hormone replacement therapy that suddenly stopped in 2002 after researchers discovered that older women who collected estrogen-progestin combinations experienced a small but significant increase in their risk of breast cancer.

Until then, there was a widespread belief that hormone replacement therapy would protect women from cardiovascular disease. However, the trial found that women were at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and clots, despite the combination of hormones reducing colorectal cancer and hip fractures.

Dr. Joan Manson, one of the long-term lead researchers in the study and one of the medical professors at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, called the announcement of the funding cuts “sadly.”

She was given a statement by National Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the importance of reducing chronic illnesses in America, and the original decision to cut funds is baffling, she said.

“There is no good example of the scientific impact of research on chronic disease prevention than WHI,” Dr. Manson said.

Lessons learned Hormonal research has resulted in huge savings Researchers discovered this at medical expenses. One study found that between 2003 and 2012, roughly $35 billion was the number of cases of cancer and cardiovascular disease that were avoided. For every dollar spent on WHI, I saved $140.

One randomized trial conducted by WHI saw the effects of a low-fat diet high in fruit and vegetables. Researchers initially found a reduction in ovarian cancer alone, but long-term follow-up showed that this diet also reduces deaths from breast cancer.

Another study of calcium and vitamin D found that supplements provided slight benefits to maintain bone mass and prevent hip fractures in older women, but did not prevent other fractures or colorectal cancer.

Although the findings have affected medical guidelines, we do not currently recommend that all women take supplements regularly.

Participants in the initiative are currently between 78 and 108 years old, and some scientists have acknowledged that there could be discussions to end the trial. However, careful planning is usually given to shut down such a large-scale wide range of research.

“There’s still a lot to learn,” said Garnet Anderson, senior vice president and director of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hatch Cancer Center and lead researcher at the initiative.

“Studying 13,000 women at age 90, what are your health needs? How do you live such a long, healthy life?” she said. “I want to know the secrets of success for healthy aging.”

Part of the reasons research began in the 1990s was the lack of information and research on women’s health and there was little evidence underlying clinical recommendations, says Marian Neuhauser, who heads the cancer prevention program at the Fred Hatch Cancer Center and chairs the WHI steering committee.

“Women are half the population,” Dr. Neuhouser said. “However, they were not included in the study. It was mostly male and the results were extrapolated to women.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Trump’s aid cuts will impact millions of women’s access to birth control

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The US has ended financial support for family planning programs in developing countries, separating nearly 50 million women from access to birth control.

This policy change has attracted little attention in the wholesale demolition of US foreign aid, but it has great significance, including mother deaths and an overall increase in poverty. It derails the efforts that have in recent years brought long-acting birth control pills to some of the world’s poorest and most isolated regions.

The US contributed to family planning programs in 31 developing countries last year, providing about $600 million in 2023, according to the health research institute KFF.

According to an analysis by the sexual health research institute, the US funding provides birth control pills and medical services to deliver them to more than 47 million women and couples, reaching over 47 million women and couples. Without this annual contribution, 34,000 women could die from preventable mother deaths each year, Guttmacher’s calculation concluded.

“The magnitude of the impact is daunting,” said Mariva, who leads the coordination team for the Ouagadougou Partnership, an initiative to accelerate access to investment and family planning in nine West African countries.

The funding ended as part of the Trump administration’s breakdown of the US International Development Agency. The State Department, whose USAID skeletal remains were absorbed on Friday, did not reply to a request for comment on its decision to cease funding for family planning. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explains that he wasted the fired aid project and is not in line with America’s strategic interests.

Supporting family planning in the world’s poorest and most populous countries has been a consistent policy priority for both Democrats and Republican administrations for decades, considered a breakwater against political instability. It also reduced the number of women seeking abortions.

Among the countries that will be heavily affected by the decision are Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Funds to support the International Family Planning Program have been allocated by Congress and have been extended to the latest expenditure bill, which the government is operating until September. Moves by the State Department to cut these and other aid programs are now the subject of multiple lawsuits before federal courts.

The Trump administration has also fired US funding for UNFPA, the UN’s sexual reproductive health organization, the world’s largest procurement of birth control pills. The United States was the organization’s largest donor.

The US was not the sole supplier of birth control in any country, but the sudden termination of US fundraising has created disruption to the system and has already run out of products in clinics.

The estimated $27 million worth of family planning products already raised by USAID are stuck at various points in boats, ports and warehouses. Programs and employees have no programs or employees left to take them down or hand them over to the government. One plan proposed by Washington’s new USAID leadership is for the rest of the employees to destroy them.

Supply chain management is a major focus for USAID in all areas of health, with the US paying for transporting contraceptive products such as hormone implants, for example, from Thai manufacturers to ports in Mombasa, Kenya.

“It will be extremely difficult to put your work back on,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive director of UNFPA.

The US has also paid for data and information systems that help the government track what is in stock and what needs to be ordered. None of these systems have been working since the Trump administration sent halt work orders to all programs that received the USAID grant.

Bellington Wwalika, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Zambia, said contraceptives have already begun running in some parts of the country, with the US supplying a quarter of the national family planning budget.

“Wealthy people can buy the products they want. It is the poor who have to think, ‘What should I get between food and birth control?'” he said.

Even before the US retracted its family planning program, the survey found that globally, 1 billion women of reproductive age wanted to avoid pregnancy, but modern methods of birth control were inaccessible.

At the same time, there have been great progress. Demand for contraception is steadily increasing in Africa, a region of the world with lowest coverage, in long-acting ways that provide women with greater privacy and safe protection. Supply has been improved with better infrastructure and helped deliver products to rural areas. And the “Demand Creation” project, which is the main funder in the US, used ads and social media to inform people of the various options available and the benefits of pregnancy intervals or delays. The rise in education levels among women has also increased demand.

Two weeks ago, Thermasibanda, a 27-year-old engineering graduate who lives in a low-income community on the edge of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, received a hormone implant that prevents pregnancy for five years.

Shibanda has a two-year-old son and says he can’t afford more children. She can’t find a job in Zimbabwe’s broken economy and her husband can’t. They follow the $150 presence he earns from the vegetable stand every month. She relied on “hope, faith and natural methods” to prevent another pregnancy from happening after her son was born, Shibanda said, hoping for something more reliable, but that was simply impossible on her family’s budget – until a free clinic came to her neighborhood.

With USAID funding, the Zimbabwean organization that provided implants last year has been able to purchase six robust Toyota vehicles and camping equipment so that outreach teams can travel to the country’s most remote parts and provide vascular removal and IUD at pop-up clinics. Since Trump’s executive order, they have had to stop using all of that equipment.

International nonprofit MSI reproductive options intervened with temporary funds to ensure that they could continue to provide free care to women they could reach, such as Shibanda.

Shibanda said her priorities are to provide her son with the best possible education and that there are no more children as tuition costs. However, many African women have no way of making this choice. In Uganda, the national fertility rate is 4.5 children per woman, but it is not uncommon to meet women in rural areas with limited education with eight or 10 children, said Dr Justin Bukenya, lecturer in community health and behavioral sciences at Makerele University in Kampala. These women become pregnant for the first time as teenagers, with little space between pregnancy.

“By the time they were 30, they were able to get their 10th pregnancy. These are the women affected,” she said. “We’re missing the opportunity to make progress with them. The United States was doing a very strong job of creating the demands of birth control with these women here and mobilizing young men and women to go to family planning.”

Some women who rely on free or low-cost services through the public health system may now seek to buy birth control pills in the private market. However, the prices of tablets, IUDs and other devices are likely to rise significantly without guaranteed to buy large quantities from the US.

“As a result, women who relied on free or affordable options through the public health system could now be forced to rely on private sector sources.

The next biggest donor to post-US family planning is the Netherlands, which provided about 17% of donor government funding in 2023, and the UK provided 13%. The two countries recently announced plans to cut their aid budget by more than a third.

BA said the focus of the West African countries she works for is to mobilize domestic resources and come up with ways for governments to try and relocate money to cover what the US supplies. Charities such as the Gates Foundation and financial institutions, including the World Bank, which are already important contributors to family planning, could provide additional funding to try to move products into the country.

“We were very optimistic. Even with all the political instability in our area, we’ve been using modern methods to add millions of women over the last few years,” BA said. “And now, it’s all, US support, policy, it’s all gone completely. The gap is too big to fill.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Martha Lane Fox discusses diversity, the Tesla CEO, and International Women’s Day

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aSelon Musk laughed at Oval Office, one of the UK's most influential technology investors. “He's absolutely horrible. I've said that many times: I think it's horrible what's going on,” says Martha Lane Fox.

For British peers and former Twitter board members, the musk view from Donald Trump's White House bully's pulpit shows that Silicon Valley's dreams have turned sour.

“The wealthiest man in the world who can stand there with the president, and Cult Blanche Please joke about how he carves out people's work in government. He can then be there with a chainsaw laughing on stage…

“It's really, really unsettling and I find it very uncomfortable on a value-based level. It makes me very worried. I think it's gross.”

In an interview with observer To mark International Women's Day, the UK Chamber of Commerce (BCC) president warned against a pushback of diversity that Trump and his technological peers not only hurt society, but also the economy as a whole.

Since he returned to the White House, the US President has shut down all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, but Musk's “Doctors of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is torn apart the funding scheme.

Some of the world's largest companies have followed suit. Of the broad pushback to everything from environmental goals to sustainable development, among the most notable participants are US finance companies and high-tech companies, including Goldman Sachs, Accenture and Amazon, but also UK companies such as GSK.

“He needs to be locked up,” Lady Lane Fox said of Mask's role in the rollback. “I think it's extraordinary that the wealthiest guys in the world are trampling on these things, and that we still have fanboys from the tech sector. It's already corrosive to society and I'd argue that it's going to last.”

For businesses, she says it's better for diversity to ultimately appeal to the widest talent pool of employees and target the widest range of customers. This is just as much about profit as social justice, she adds. However, she has broader concerns about the future.

“First, it's financial. But secondly, it's about power and money – like everything, is it?

“If you're looking at a sector like the digital sector where employment growth, opportunities growth, it's the growth sector of the economy. But you don't include a lot of people in it. Then you'll create inequality. Full stop. It's financial and a social justice issue.”

Given the close relationship between the UK and the US, there is an opinion that the UK continues naturally in the places it stepped in America. But there are indications that some UK businesses, and even US companies, are ready to go away.

Accounting firm Deloitte has directed staff working on a contract to remove pronouns from emails to announce the end of the DEI program. However, the British boss told the staff that the UK business was ” [its] The goal of diversity.”

“I feel like a global company rooted in the US is emphasizing the slight politically motivated change until it all rows out, and I feel it's been a little more tempered here,” says Lane Fox.

She says that UK businesses have the opportunity to do something different. “I think we have a better shot at building a more robust company, attracting talent and building the most resilient company of the future.”

For almost 30 years, LaneFox has built a career and millions of pounds of fortune in technology. She created the first Big Money Floating LastMinute.com on LastMinute.com, an online travel site co-founded with Oxford alumnus Brent Hoberman in 1998.

Elon Musk will be holding a courthouse with Son X in the White House oval office in February. Photo: Abaca/Rex/Shutterstock

She joined Twitter's board of directors (now X) in 2016 and after landing a major payday in 2022 with a $44 billion hostile takeover of Musk, he dissolved the board and appointed its sole director.

He saw musk in his oval office, paraded his Son X over his shoulder, raising doubts about gender division. “Can you imagine it if it was a woman? Can you imagine what it would look like? I mean, I just think the whole thing is really awful.”

But, in personal abilities, the BCC president has not suggested that this approach is not for everyone. “It's really hard to navigate. It's a responsibility to our customers and employees that may differ from our personal views.”

Government regulations enshring diversity targets are also a bad idea, she says. Instead, businesses prefer to report their progress. “It's important to keep that in the light and keep reporting. Keeping good investors, looking at the right metrics, investing in the right companies all helps.”

However, there has not been enough progress. This week's analysis showed that women's unemployment and worsening participation in the workforce have pushed the UK behind Canada to the lowest global ranking for workplace equality in a large economy in a decade.

Gender wage gaps slowly decrease over time, The average salary is still 7% less For women rather than men. That's a challenge that Lane Fox knows too much. “Look at the data. It's really loud. It's not moving,” she says.

“What I'm worried about is that it's too easy to find the numbers we thought were moving forward.

“This week on International Women's Day, we see that representatives at the executive level have returned. I think the board progress is still good at the FTSE 100 level, but it's bad at the FTSE 250 and 350 levels.

“I know there are people in the sector who are thinking, 'Oh, here she's going again.' That applies to many women [that people think that]. But it is very important to continue these discussions. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Genetic Findings Show Women’s Empowerment in Ancient Britain Before Roman Rule

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Late Iron Age Durotrigan burial at Winterbourne Kingston, Dorset, England

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Genetic analysis of people buried in a 2,000-year-old cemetery in southern England supports the idea that Britain’s Celtic communities were dominated by women, finding that while men immigrated from other communities, women indicates that they stayed in their ancestral home. It lasted for centuries.

The study supports growing archaeological evidence that women held high positions in Celtic societies across Europe, including Britain, and that Mediterranean audiences often found it difficult to describe Celtic women as having power. This gives credence to the Roman accounts, which were often thought to be exaggerated.

Since 2009, Durotrygean skeletons have been unearthed during excavations of an Iron Age burial site in Winterbourne-Kingston, Dorset, England. The Durothrigeans occupied the coast of south-central England from about 100 BC to 100 AD, and probably spoke a Celtic language.

Human bones from Iron Age Britain are rare because they were destroyed by common funerary practices such as cremation and burial of bodies in bogs. However, the Durotrige buried their dead in formal cemeteries in the chalk landscape, which helped preserve them. Archaeologists have found that Durotrigan women were often buried with valuables, suggesting a high status and perhaps a female-centered society.

Lara Cassidy Doctors from Trinity College, Dublin, have now analyzed the genomes of 55 Winterbourne-Kingston Durotrigans to determine how they are related to each other and to other Iron Age peoples in Britain and Europe. I found out how they are related.

Cassidy says there were two big “aha” moments. Both were associated with mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA is a small loop of DNA that is inherited only through the maternal line because it is passed through the egg cell and is not integrated with other DNA.

Once each individual’s mitochondrial DNA results were obtained, the researchers noticed that the same genetic sequences appeared over and over again. More than two-thirds of the individuals were found to be descended from a single maternal line, descended from a common female ancestor several centuries ago.

“At that moment, my jaw dropped,” Cassidy says. “This was a clear sign of matrilocality, a husband moving to live with his wife’s family, a pattern never before seen in prehistoric Europe.” Father locality moving into the community is the norm.

To find out whether the maternal localization pattern was a phenomenon peculiar to the Durothrigues, or whether it might have been more widespread across Britain, Cassidy uses an earlier large-scale study of Iron Age Britain and Europe. I started looking into genetic research data. Her jaw dropped again. She found that in cemeteries across Britain, most people were maternal descendants of a small number of female ancestors.

Cassidy said there is growing evidence that Iron Age women were relatively powerful. “Nativeness typically co-occurs with cultural practices that benefit women and integrate them into family support networks,” she explains.

In modern societies, matrilocality is associated with increased female involvement in food production, increased paternity uncertainty, and longer periods of male absence. In such societies, it is men who migrate to new communities as relative strangers and become dependent on their partners’ families for their livelihood.

“Although men typically still occupy formal positions of authority, women can wield significant influence through their strong matrilineal kinship networks and central role in local economies,” says Cassidy.

Cassidy’s team also compared the British DNA dataset with data from other European sites, revealing repeated waves of migration from the continent, consistent with archaeological evidence. This is because southern Britain was a hotspot of cultural and genetic exchange during the Bronze Age between 2500 BC and 1200 BC and during the Late Iron Age influx of the previously unknown Durothrigid period. showed that it was.

Previous research had suggested that Celtic languages probably arrived in Britain between 1000 BC and 875 BC, but this new discovery expands that possibility. “Celtic languages may have been introduced multiple times,” Cassidy said.

“This is very exciting new research and will revolutionize the way we understand prehistoric societies,” he says. Rachel Pope from the University of Liverpool, UK, previously found evidence of female-dominated kinship relationships in Iron Age Europe. “What we’re learning is that the nature of pre-Roman European society was actually very different.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

How scared individuals can manipulate women’s brains through biohacking

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There is a common belief that animals can smell fear, but can humans do the same? Can you detect someone’s fear just by their scent or musk?

The straightforward answer is “no, you can’t.” While other species, particularly those heavily reliant on their sense of smell, can do so, humans have seemed to lose this ability over time.

The brain area responsible for detecting pheromones, chemical messengers that convey mood information to others, does not seem to work the same way in humans. This function is akin to an appendix of the nervous system.

However, this does not mean that humans are entirely incapable of sensing fear. Research has shown that when women inhale the sweat of men experiencing fear, they become more sensitive to fear as well.

It is important to note that women appear to be more attuned to emotional scents emitted by men. Additionally, the fear response triggered by smelling fear is more subconscious rather than an immediate conscious recognition of fear.

In essence, humans can smell fear to a limited extent in specific situations. The response is either unnoticed due to subconscious processing or perceived as the scent of sweat.

This article answers the question posed by Edward Cox of Edinburgh: “Can you smell fear?”

If you have any questions, please email us at: questions@sciencefocus.com or contact us via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (remember to include your name and location).

Explore more fun facts and incredible science pages with us.

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  • The new science of phobias: why phobias form and how to deal with them
  • The Science of Fear: What Makes Us Scary?
  • How to overcome phobias and conquer fear in 4 steps

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Study indicates that women’s cognitive abilities may enhance during menstruation

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According to a bold study, women might excel at certain cognitive tasks during their menstrual period. New Research from University College London (UCL) and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) sheds light on this phenomenon.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Neuropsychology, this study is the first of its kind to explore sports-related cognition throughout different phases of the menstrual cycle.

The study involved 241 participants who underwent various cognitive tests simulating mental processes relevant in team sports, such as recognizing expressions, attention, reaction time, and spatial awareness.

Participants also used a menstrual cycle tracking app to determine their phase during the testing period.

Surprisingly, contrary to their expectations, participants demonstrated faster reaction times and lower error rates during their period. For instance, their timing accuracy during a task improved by 10 milliseconds on average (12%) compared to other times.

Lead study author Dr. Flaminia Ronca from UCL Department of Surgery and Interventional Science and ISEH noted that the findings challenge assumptions about women’s capabilities during menstruation.

Conversely, during the luteal phase, participants showed slightly slower reaction times but maintained consistent error rates.

The authors highlighted that even a small difference of 10 milliseconds could impact performance outcomes significantly.

Dr. Megan Lawley, another author of the study, emphasized the importance of further research in understanding how women’s cognitive abilities affect athletic performance at different menstrual cycle stages.

About the Experts

Flaminia Ronca: Associate Professor in the Department of Targeted Interventions at UCL, with research interests in body-brain interaction through movement.

Megan Lawley: Senior Sports Scientist specializing in female athlete health and previously involved in research on athlete performance factors at UK Sport and Bangor University.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Is there a new way to revolutionize women’s sports with a menstrual cycle ‘hack’?

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When thinking of the menstrual cycle, most people consider only ovulation and menstruation. However, it is a much more complex process involving a network of hormones. Understanding these hormonal fluctuations is crucial for optimizing women’s athletic performance.

To fully comprehend this, we must acknowledge all the phases of the menstrual cycle.

Phases of the Menstrual Cycle

1. Menstruation

Menstruation is the first stage when you have your period. The duration varies among women, ranging from two days to seven to ten days.

On the first day of your period, your ovaries are signaled by your brain to prepare for ovulation by increasing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), leading to the formation of follicles containing immature eggs.

2. Follicular phase

As FSH levels rise, the lining of the uterus starts to regenerate. This phase, known as the follicular or proliferative phase, sees an increase in estrogen released by the developing egg.

3. Ovulation

Elevated estrogen triggers a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) to induce ovulation, releasing a mature egg from the dominant follicle. This ovulation phase lasts around 24 hours.

4. Luteal Phase

In the subsequent phase, the remaining follicle transforms into the corpus luteum, secreting progesterone and estrogen to maintain the uterus lining. If the egg is unfertilized, progesterone levels drop, leading to menstruation and restarting the cycle.

This cycle plays a crucial role in women’s athletic performance, influencing factors like strength, speed, and power. Understanding the impact of hormonal fluctuations is key to optimizing training and performance, preventing injuries, and enhancing recovery.

Research is ongoing to explore how the menstrual cycle affects sporting performance, with athletes monitoring their cycles to adapt training, recovery, and nutrition strategies accordingly. Recognizing the importance of the menstrual cycle in training women for sports is essential for maximizing performance.

As research progresses, a deeper understanding of the complexities and possibilities of the female body during these stages is emerging. It is crucial to continue investigating individual cycles and experiences to tailor approaches to each woman’s unique needs.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Protect Your Bones: Uncovering the Hidden Crisis in Women’s Bone Health

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The global population is seeing substantial shifts due to the increase in average life expectancy. The World Health Organization reports that as of 2020, the number of individuals over 60 surpasses those under 5 worldwide..

In the UK, there are over 11 million people aged 65 and above, a number expected to rise to 13 million, constituting 22% of the population in a decade. This demographic change has drawn attention to often overlooked health issues, particularly in women: osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Globally, over 8.9 million osteoporotic fractures occur annually, equating to one osteoporotic fracture happening every three seconds somewhere in the world.

It impacts more than 200 million women worldwide, with an estimated one in three women over 50 likely to experience an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point. Studies suggest this is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in women of this age group.

But why does bone health deteriorate with age? Our bones house specialized cells known as osteoblasts that generate new bone tissue. Conversely, osteoclasts are cells at the other end of the skeletal cycle responsible for dissolving old, damaged bone tissue and replacing it with fresh, healthy tissue.

The balance of activity between these cell types is crucial for bone health. Up to the age of 30, osteoblast activity generally exceeds osteoclast activity, resulting in more bone formation than loss. However, as individuals reach 35, osteoclast activity becomes dominant, leading to a gradual decline in bone quality and density.

Most concerning is the rapid decrease in estrogen production in postmenopausal women, which triggers increased osteoclast activity due to reduced osteoblast numbers and extended osteoclast lifespans. This change is believed to contribute to osteoporosis development.

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When a certain level of bone density loss occurs, osteopenia may develop, leading to extremely low bone density and increased fracture risk, potentially progressing to osteoporosis. This condition is often referred to as “bone thinning,” but it results from changes in bone density, microstructure, and quality that compromise bone strength.

Unfortunately, both osteopenia and osteoporosis are typically asymptomatic until a fracture occurs, making diagnosis incidental. Various risk factors may contribute to the development of these conditions, including smoking, thyroid disease, diabetes, and certain medications like steroids.

Preventive measures for bone health should be initiated early. A balanced, calcium-rich diet is crucial, with dairy products serving as primary sources of calcium. Individuals with restricted dairy intake may need calcium supplements, emphasizing the importance of vitamin D production through sunlight exposure or supplementation.

While calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone health, engaging in bone-straining exercises, especially resistance training, can stimulate osteoblast activity, preventing osteoporosis progression. Exercise not only enhances bone mineralization but also improves muscle strength, balance, and posture, reducing the risk of falls and fractures.

For menopausal women, exercising efficacy in promoting bone mineralization hinges on adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, making supplementation vital. Additionally, various medications are available to treat or slow osteoporosis progression, with estrogen therapies recommended for menopausal women, particularly those with premature ovarian insufficiency.

Education and awareness about bone health can significantly impact prevention and proper management of osteoporosis, especially as societies aged. Addressing these issues is crucial as we navigate the future of an aging population.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Closing the Gender Pain Gap: A Call to Prioritize Women’s Health

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Our health care system has fundamental flaws that are negatively impacting women.

Systemic gaps and biases have led to women’s pain being less understood and therefore mistreated compared to men’s pain – a phenomenon known as the gender pain gap. This gender pain gap is only expanding, with 11% more women than men feeling their pain is ignored or dismissed compared to 7% in 2022, according to a recent report commissioned by Nurofen.

The report surveyed over 5,000 people, finding that women in the UK take longer than men to seek medical attention for the same type of pain. Additionally, less than half of the women surveyed were diagnosed within 11 months, compared with two-thirds of men. More women still had undiagnosed pain after 12 months or more. A third of women reported that their late diagnoses were due to medical professionals not listening, taking them seriously, or ignoring them.

Another study found that 50% of women feel their pain is ignored, particularly when it comes to menstrual health. Additionally, medical professionals often dismiss women’s symptoms as “normal” and attribute them to hormones and stress, leading to women’s pain being ignored and undermining their confidence and authority as patients.

These pain disparities contribute to a shorter healthy lifespan for women, given that they suffer from chronic conditions more than men.

Despite the complexity and multifactorial nature of the gender pain gap, women have historically been underrepresented in medical research and clinical trials, contributing to a lack of understanding of women’s healthcare needs and pain symptoms.

Women continue to struggle to have their pain taken seriously and treated appropriately, resulting in significant impacts on their lives and wellbeing.

About our expert Dr. Marike Bigg

Marike is a science writer with a PhD in Sociology from the University of Cambridge. She argues that medicine is not gender-neutral, from research to diagnosis to treatment in her book, This Doesn’t Hurt: How Women Fail With Medications.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com