Dec
16
2011

Are Boys are Better at Math Than Girls?

Why Gender Has No Bearing on Number Crunching

Are Boys are Better at Math Than Girls?

The next time your daughter slams her algebra homework, feed her this nugget of hope. A major international study from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, published in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society debunks the myth that boys are naturally better at math than girls.
 
If there does exist an inequality in math performance due to gender, it is down to social and cultural factors, not biology.
 
In 2005, Lawrence Summers, then president of Harvard, talked about the "scarcity of outstanding women mathematicians" in terms of innate ability. But this latest study by Mertz and Jonathan Kane, professors of mathematical and computer sciences, refuted that claim after examining data from 86 countries.

What the researchers found instead, was that math results tended to be low across both genders in countries where there exists greater gender inequality. And the converse was true, too.

"We found that boys—as well as girls—tend to do better in math when raised in countries where females have better equality, and that's new and important," says Kane. "It makes sense that when women are well-educated and earn a good income, the math scores of their children of both genders benefit."

Mertz added that where math is concerned, gender equity benefited both males and females, improving their skills in a "win-win situation."

Want your daughter to do better at math? Then build her confidence. You heard it straight from the mathematician's mouth: gender has no bearing on number crunching.

Dec
16
2011

Androgynous Male Poses In Push-Up Bra

Andrej Pejic Takes On Lingerie

Androgynous Male Poses In Push-Up Bra

Ever lament the boyish figures of the runway models? No hips, no boobs, no curves to speak of. Why they hardly look like women at all, you might say. Well, now one model is bending the rules even more.

The androgynous Andrej Pejic is going one step further and posing in lingerie. Dutch chain Hema hired the Australian male to advertise its line of push-up bras. The ultimate in flat chested. If it can boost Pejic's pecks, it can boost anyone's...

As if life wasn't hard enough for models having to subsist on iceberg lettuce, now they have to compete with the physique of an actual man who has the genetic goods which fashion seems to favour.

Pejic, who admittedly looks more feminine than most women I know, claims he doesn't have a preference in being styled as a woman or as a man, but is simply grateful for the extra work.

Amusingly, he tweeted: "Did I ever think I had enough booty to advertise a push-up bra? No. But am I working it or what??"

Dec
15
2011

The Oldest Vogue Model Ever

Hollywood's Iron Lady

The Oldest Vogue Model Ever

Kudos to Vogue for featuring the irrepressible Meryl Streep on its January 2012 cover. The 62-year-old Oscar winner joked with staff about being the magazine's oldest ever cover model. Little did she realize she was right.
 
She claimed that title from Priscilla Presley who was shot, at 59, back in 2004 with her daughter and granddaughter. In the shoot Streep looks stunning as ever, with her aristocratic bone structure and ivory skin. No nips and tucks here. Amazingly, unlike many lesser A-listers, she's also managed to keep her private life private, and shielded her children from the limelight.
 
In a recent interview, Streep told the Hollywood Reporter she believed her career was over 20 years ago, when she turned 40. She had allegedly been offered three parts as a witch—a clear message that women her age were perceived as "grotesque on some level." She then announced to her husband that her career was over.
 
Fortunately for us, she was wrong. Over the years, Streep has continued to grace our screens with versatility and aplomb. It's testament to her colossal talent that she holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for any actor, a total of 16 times.
 
And she shows no signs of slowing down her tempo or shying away from meaty roles. In her latest film, Iron Lady, she plays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. I sense another Oscar coming on...