Weekly Roundup
Jan 19 - 25, 2026
LEADING ARTICLE
16 colleges closed in 2025 and more could shut down in 2026
The College Fix
PODCASTS AND PRESENTATIONS
The Brownstone Show - Episode 3 - Gigi Foster
Episode description: Professor Gigi Foster of the University of New South Wales was one of the few rational voices in the world on matters Covid from early on, taking on practically the whole of Australian journalism and academia. She inspired a global movement. She is interviewed here by Jeffrey Tucker.
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Sex/Gender
No, This Study Did Not Show That 10% of Men Are “Toxic”
Men Are Good
The Dismal State of Masculinity Research
Backcountry Psychology
Centre for Male Psychology
Female Supremacy Now Widespread among UN Agencies
Coalition to End Domestic Violence
Supreme Court Case on Men in Women’s Sports Mirrors Opposing Bills in Washington State
In His Words
Arizona woman indicted for second case involving alleged paternity fraud
AZ Family
Three states, 13 hospitals, no medical problems: WA mum jailed for toddler’s abuse
WA Today
(Note: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy / Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another.)
Education
Do Americans Think the Country Is Losing or Gaining Ground in Science?
Pew Research Center
Democrats and Republicans both think it is important that the U.S. is a world leader in science, but most Democrats now think it is losing ground compared with other countries.
Politics
Death & Taxes
The divide between Labor/Liberal and Nationals/One Nation.
Volunteerism Has Recovered From Pandemic Low
Gallup
Epidemiology
The oldest Baby Boomers turn 80 in 2026
Pew Research Center
Exercise Science
A Stark Reminder That Sex Differences Matter in Elite Sport
Persuasion
The lesson from a world-class athlete’s attempt to run a 4-minute mile.
Another Reminder That Biology Matters in Elite Sports
Persuasion
On the pointlessness of non-binary marathon divisions.
Do Flywheel Exercises Provide Eccentric-Overload Training?
Sports Medicine - Open
Abstract: Interests in eccentric resistance exercises have been increasing in both research and practice. However, implementing eccentric resistance exercise training is often challenging due to the mechanical limitations of traditional training equipment. To address this, flywheel (FW) devices emerged as a practical alternative. FW devices are commonly considered to provide eccentric-overload training, in which the load is greater in eccentric than concentric phase. However, this is not always the case. In this article, we summarize the mechanical and physiological factors influencing the effectiveness of FW devices in achieving eccentric overload. Then, we discuss a significant limitation of FW resistance exercise in accurately quantifying the load, since eccentric mechanical load is constrained by preceding concentric phase. Lastly, we explore potential practical solutions and improvements in research methods for FW resistance exercises. FW resistance exercises become eccentric-overload exercises only when higher mechanical quantities are achieved and confirmed during the eccentric than in the concentric phase of repetitions. It is important to examine if eccentric overload is actually achieved during training and testing, which can clarify if the eccentric overload is a key factor for the neuromuscular adaptations observed following a FW resistance training.
RUBBISH BIN
Can ‘toxic masculinity’ be measured? Scientists try to quantify controversial term
Nature News
How the Trump Administration Is Downgrading Women’s Citizenship
The Nation
Gender isn’t just a matter of individual identity. It’s an axis of governance—and for the last year, across a range of policies, the Trump administration has punished women.
(See my brief post on this article on X here.)
The menopausal subject at work: gendered embodiment and neoliberal management in the UK
Journal of Gender Studies
Abstract: In this paper, we examine five key UK policy documents that aim, inter alia, to address the concerns of ageing women in the workplace at a time when an estimated 900,000 women in the UK have left their jobs due to symptoms associated with menopause. Our analysis reveals that menopause has become a key site through which the contemporary struggle over how we (should) perceive gendered embodiment is being played out. This is evident in how these documents expand the menopausal subject: from exclusively cisgendered women to include trans, intersex and genderqueer people. Examining two key tensions that emerge—the invocation of menopause as natural and biological alongside a more inclusive menopausal subject, and the perceived naturalness of menopause alongside the construal of menopausal symptoms as abnormal, we maintain that expanding the menopausal subject is linked to a neoliberal managerial desire to address the challenges of all employees who experience menopause. Our findings thus point to a striking conjuncture between feminist and LGBTQI+ struggles to debunk binary understandings of sex and gender and the neoliberal State’s desire to keep all older people experiencing menopause in the workforce, contributing to our understanding of the increase in menopause talk.
(See my brief post on this article on X here.)
Sexisms and gender-washing in Australian academia: public front, private realities
Higher Education Research & Development
Abstract: This paper offers an analysis of selected survey findings from a mixed methods research project, entitled Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities. The project is situated within the context of the negative impact of gender-based discrimination upon the higher education sector in Australia and internationally. The findings discussed in this paper relate to quantitative analyses of selected items from a national survey of over 1200 Australian academics, recruited through 12 public universities. In this paper, the ways in which different participant groups responded to items designed to explore their attitudes towards sexism in the academic workplace, both broadly and with respect to specific incidents of ‘everyday sexisms’ are discussed. Results demonstrate that, despite university-wide policies and processes which seek to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion, women and gender diverse academics view gender-based discrimination as an enduring barrier to career progression. Further, men academics are less likely to recognise this or to find everyday sexisms intelligible. The paper argues that universities’ failure to recognise or acknowledge everyday sexisms is a form of gender-washing that occurs at the systemic and interpersonal levels, enabling recognition of only the most obvious instances of gender-based oppression: sexual harassment and assault.
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Yet another great group of links Jim. Loved the Elite Sport article. Great to see them point to testosterone! Thanks too for linking to the crazy toxic masculinity post.
That Pew finding about Democrats thinking the US is loosing ground in science leadership is facinating. Both parties say its important but perceive the status completely different. I wonder how much of this is driven by actual metrics versus media framing and tribal identity. Reminds me of research showing people's economic perceptions often diverge wildly from actual data depending on which party controls the White House.