Newsbriefs

It's Been a Hot Spring In Washington D.C. but Women in Science Get the Cold Shoulder

On May 29 the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) announced the recipients of the 2005 National Medal of Science.  ( Not one woman was among the 8 awardees for the third straight year in a row).

 

 

 

Submitted by Jill Montaquila

The article “Researchers: Worry Affects Female Fertility” (appearing on the CNN website Thursday, April 22, 2004) describes a University of California San Diego study that found a negative association between worry and the number of eggs retrieved and fertilized.  The study involved 151 women seeking fertility treatments.  The women were administered a questionnaire aimed at assessing their concerns about various aspects of the fertility treatment.  At this writing, the full text of the article is available at the URL http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/04/22/worry.fertility.reut/index.html.


“Last Hurdle for Trailblazing Women: The Gold Watch” (by Jane Gross, New York Times, April 23, 2004) describes resources available for retiring women who are struggling with adapting to the changes of retirement.  The article mentions self-help books, support groups, and organizations charted with placing retired women in volunteer opportunities appropriate for their skill levels.


The article “Height of Folly” (appearing in the Washington Post on Tuesday, April 20, 2004; page HE02) reported on a formula developed by Paul Stevenson of the University of Surrey for determining how high a heel a given woman can safely wear.  The formula is based on the Pythagorean Theorem, and more details can be found by entering a search for “high heeled shoes” at the website www.physics.org.


“Finding a balance: 9 tips to help you begin living the life you desire” (by Deb Donovan, on the iVillage website at http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/mom/articles/0,,110785,00.html) quotes Harvard economist Juliet Schor as saying, “the typical family puts in a thousand more hours a year today than they were 25 years ago."  The article gives tips on how to use the following nine techniques to bring balance to your life: (1) De-stress; (2) simplify; (3) play; (4) share the load; (5) slow down; (6) nurture yourself; (7) stop procrastinating; (8) focus on the positive; and (9) take charge.