The Weekly Roundup is an opportunity to recap a week in news and share recently discovered materials that might be of interest.
THE NUZZO LETTER IN THE NEWS
Interview with Dr. James L. Nuzzo
Alexandra Marshall Live, 2024 (also available as podcast here)
KNOWLEDGE BIN
Podcast episodes
Bad Therapy, Weak Parenting, Broken Children – Abigail Shrier
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, 2024
Abstract: Dr. Jordan Peterson speaks with best-selling author Abigail Shrier. They discuss her landmark first book, “Irreversible Damage,” as well as her latest publication, available now: “Bad Therapy: Why The Kids Aren’t Growing Up". From this, they break down the state of the therapeutic industry, the overgrown tendency of professionals to “treat the well, rather than the sick,” the existence and need for necessary trauma, and the now-generational impact of harmful therapy, and by extension, harmful parenting. Abigail Shrier received the Barbara Olson Award for Excellence and Independence in Journalism in 2021. Her best-selling book, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (2020), was named a “Best Book” by the Economist and the Times (of London). It has been translated into ten languages. Her upcoming publication, Bad Therapy: Why The Kids Aren’t Growing Up is slated for release in early 2024.
Articles and essays
New study unpacks why society reacts negatively to male-favoring research
PsyPost, 2024
City Journal, 2024
Abstract: When it came to debating Covid lockdowns, Veritas wasn’t the university’s guiding principle.
The Covid-19 lesson from Sweden: Don't lock down
Economics Affairs, 2024
Abstract: Covid-19 triggered a wave of lockdowns across the world, contributing to a severe downturn in economic activity. Governments responded by introducing expansionary fiscal and monetary measures. We compare the health and economic outcomes in Sweden, commonly viewed as an outlier relying more on recommendations and voluntary adjustments than on strict lockdowns, with those of comparable European OECD countries. Our results suggest that the Swedish policy of advice and trust in the population to reduce social interactions voluntarily was relatively successful. Sweden combined low excess death rates with relatively small economic costs. In future pandemics, policymakers should rely on empirical evidence rather than panicking and adopting extreme measures. Even if policymakers appeared to act rapidly and decisively, the rushed implementation of strict lockdowns in 2020/21 probably did more harm than good.
Critical Social Justice Subverts Scientific Publishing
European Review, 2023
Abstract: The politicization of science – the infusion of ideology into the scientific enterprise – threatens the ability of science to serve humanity. Today, the greatest such threat comes from a set of ideological viewpoints collectively referred to as Critical Social Justice (CSJ). This contribution describes how CSJ has detrimentally affected scientific publishing by means of social engineering, censorship, and the suppression of scholarship.
Historical articles and essays
Can an ‘Extreme Female Brain’ be characterised in terms of psychosis?
Personality and Individual Differences, 2010
Abstract: The empathising–systemising (E–S) theory proposes that many sex differences can be explained by females typically demonstrating greater empathising abilities (understanding of the social world) and males typically demonstrating greater systemising abilities (understanding of the non-social world). Autism is argued to represent an ‘Extreme Male Brain’, with impaired empathising alongside preserved or enhanced systemising producing a hypo-empathising profile. A recent account hypothesised that a hyper-empathising ‘Extreme Female Brain’ would be characterised in terms of psychosis. The present study tests this hypothesis by investigating the relationship between levels of empathising and systemising, as well as self-report measures of psychosis, depression and anxiety, in 70 healthy female undergraduates. Results showed a hyper-empathising profile was related to psychosis, and specifically paranoia and mania (positive symptoms). No relationship was found between hyper-empathising and either depression or anxiety, consistent with the idea that an ‘Extreme Female Brain’ is specifically associated with psychosis. In addition, empathising and systemising were found to negatively correlate with each other, suggesting they are separate but related components.
RUBBISH BIN
Articles and essays
Closing the scissor-shaped curve: Strategies to promote gender equality in academia
Cell, 2024
Abstract: Gender inequality in STEM fields remains pervasive and undermines the ability for talented individuals to excel. Despite advances, women still encounter obstacles in pursuing academic careers and reaching leadership positions. This commentary discusses the "scissor-shaped curve" and examines effective strategies to fix it, including data-driven initiatives that we have implemented at our university.
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