Should we ditch the word “gender”?

I’ve written sentences like this many times: “While biological sex is a binary, gender in humans forms more of a spectrum.” But I was never really sure what “gender” meant. I know that it’s generally synonymous with “sex”, but that is clearly not what I meant when I spoke as I did above. What did […]

Should we ditch the word “gender”?

Should we ditch the word “gender”?

I’ve written sentences like this many times: “While biological sex is a binary, gender in humans forms more of a spectrum.” But I was never really sure what “gender” meant. I know that it’s generally synonymous with “sex”, but that is clearly not what I meant when I spoke as I did above. What did […]

Should we ditch the word “gender”?

This week’s Bill Maher clip

In this latest nine-minute comedy/news bit from Bill Maher’s “Real Time,” a show that included Rahm Emanuel and Fareed Zakaria, Maher suggests who the Dems should run for President and Vice-President in 2028. Ths clip, called “New Rule: The next Democratic Star” proffers a solution to the waning popularity of the Democratic Party and the […]

This week’s Bill Maher clip

Our updated letter to the three ecology/evolution societies who claimed that sex was a spectrum

As I wrote on February 13, three important societies representing evolutionary biology, ecology, and systematics issued a grossly misleading statement aimed at the government. (It is dated February 5, but I don’t think it’s yet been sent): As I reported recently, the Presidents of three organismal-biology societies, the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), […]

Our updated letter to the three ecology/evolution societies who claimed that sex was a spectrum

Alex Byrne on sex, the history of its definition, and assorted misconceptions

I guess the number of papers and articles people send me about the definition of sex is one sign that it remains an important issue for the populace.  Indeed, I think that in future decades people will see the kerfuffle about a simple and widely accepted definition (the gametic one) as a tempest in a […]

Alex Byrne on sex, the history of its definition, and assorted misconceptions

The 2023 Merger Guidelines Will Remain: What Does That Mean?

Under current law, any US companies considering a merger or acquisition that is above $125 million in size must first report it to the government. The most recent data for 2023 says that 1,805 such transactions were reported in 2023, which was a relatively low number for recent years. In 2021 and 2022, for example,…

The 2023 Merger Guidelines Will Remain: What Does That Mean?

Upcoming talk and new book on ideology and science

I have two announcements this morning: a.) First, next Monday, Mar 3 at 12:30 Chicago time (1:30 Eastern time), I am having a 1-1½-hour discussion with DIAGdemocrats  (“DIAG” stands for Democrats with an Informed Approach to Gender. And their slogan is “Liberals guiding our party back to reason and reality.” It’s tailor made for me!) […]

Upcoming talk and new book on ideology and science

BP Faces “Existential Crisis” After Ruinous Attempt to Go Green

BP’s green pivot has backfired spectacularly, hammering profits and leaving the company vulnerable to a hedge fund siege, writes Jonathan Leake in the Telegraph.

BP Faces “Existential Crisis” After Ruinous Attempt to Go Green

Harvard Polling: Majority Supports DOGE Measures to Reduce the Size of Government

As the courts hash out the legalities of the orders supporting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the public appears to support the effort despite the almost universal condemnations in the media. Despite the prediction from James Carville that the Trump Administration will collapse within 30 days, a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows that most […]

Harvard Polling: Majority Supports DOGE Measures to Reduce the Size of Government

Mandated Board Diversity Reduces Firm Value

Jon Klick finds that when courts in CA surprisingly invalidated a set of DEI laws, the market value of firms subject to those laws increased: California mandated that firms headquartered in the state include women (SB 826) and underrepresented minorities (AB 979) on their corporate boards. These laws, passed in 2018 and 2020 respectively, were […]

Mandated Board Diversity Reduces Firm Value

The American Rōnin: How Displaced “Disinformation Experts” Are Seeking New Opportunities in Europe and Academia

Below is my column in the Hill on the new American emigres: “disinformation experts” who are finding themselves unemployed with the restoration of free speech protections. Here is the column:

The American Rōnin: How Displaced “Disinformation Experts” Are Seeking New Opportunities in Europe and Academia

No, the GOP Should Not Impeach Federal Judges Over the Trump Challenges

One of the greatest abuses of the Democratic party in the past eight years has been their use of impeachment investigations and charges against their political opponents. From President Donald Trump to conservative justices, liberal members have demanded impeachments over everything from opposing the NFL kneelers to hanging revolutionary-era flags. Now, some Republican members are […]

No, the GOP Should Not Impeach Federal Judges Over the Trump Challenges

Conspiracy theories and science denial

Conspiracy theories and science denial are two phenomena that often intersect, influencing public discourse and societal trust in authoritative knowledge sources. This essay explores their connection, elucidates the psychological and social mechanisms underpinning them, and provides examples to demonstrate how these two manifestations of skepticism reinforce each other, often with deleterious consequences. The Connection At […]

Conspiracy theories and science denial

Bill Maher vs. Jon Lovett on trans rights

Jon Lovett is identified by Wikipedia as . . . .  an American podcaster, comedian, journalist, and former speechwriter. Lovett is a co-founder of Crooked Media, along with Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor. All three formerly worked together as White House staffers during the Obama administration. Lovett is a regular host of the Crooked Media podcasts Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It. […]

Bill Maher vs. Jon Lovett on trans rights

More tacit recognition of two sexes in humans

This article was mentioned in a comment by reader Ted Gold, but I thought I would highlight it just to show that when the rubber meets the road, people recognize that, yes, there are just two sexes. This is from the NYT on Feb. 25th. Click headline to read, or find the article archived here. […]

More tacit recognition of two sexes in humans

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