SexX Matters

Sex

Margaret McCarthy Ph.D. on April 6, 2020

Everybody is watching Tiger King but many are missing the fascinating story of how men and women are motivated differently by a desire to be near big cats.

Stress

Why Stressful Pregnancies Punish Both Mother and Son

Margaret McCarthy Ph.D. on January 10, 2020

Pregnant women who lack social support have fewer sons. A hidden cost may be loss of future grandchildren and further erosion of support networks.

Play

Hide and Squeak: Rats at Play

Margaret McCarthy Ph.D. on September 23, 2019

Scientists debate the purpose of play but discovery that laboratory rats will play hide-and-seek with humans for the fun of it, suggests the purpose is, well, the fun of it.

A selection from John Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare, 1781 via Wikimedia Commons and used in article by Grant Shreve (https://dail

Hormones

How "Female Hysteria" Hampered Biomedical Research

Margaret McCarthy Ph.D. on June 18, 2019

Neuroscientists were actively excluding female animals in research studies, who knew!

Gender

Did Elizabeth Holmes Delude Smart Men by Acting Like a Man?

Margaret McCarthy Ph.D. on May 11, 2019

The spectacular failure of the multibillion dollar startup Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes may have included an unappreciated influence of gender norms and expectations.

Sex

Is the Human Brain Sexually Differentiated?

Margaret McCarthy Ph.D. on April 15, 2019

Are men and women's brains really different? The answer lies with understanding how the brain develops.