Press Release

The Myth of Brain Sex

In the past decade, we’ve heard a lot about the innate differences between males and females. So we’ve come to accept that boys can’t focus in a classroom and girls are obsessed with relationships: “That’s just the way they’re built.”

Lise Eliot, Ph.D., argues that infant brains are so malleable that small differences at birth become amplified over time, as parents, teachers, peers—and the culture at large—unwittingly reinforce gender stereotypes. Of course, genes and hormones play a role in creating boy-girl differences, but they are only the beginning. Social factors, such as how we speak to our sons and daughters and whether we encourage their physical adventurousness, are proving to be far more powerful than we previously realized. As a parent, Eliot understands the difficulty of bucking gender expectations, but also the value of doing so.

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C2ST in the News

Climate Disruption and the Path to a Sustainable Future

By Paul Caine Producer, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight

Originally published at: https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/04/06/climate-disruption-and-path-sustainable-future

On Monday, a new report from the Obama administration warned that changes to the climate could lead to thousands more Americans dying prematurely every year from a variety of causes including extreme heat, polluted air and water, and the spread of tropical diseases.

Local scientist and professor Seth Darling, co-author of “How To Change Minds About Our Changing Climate,” says he became involved in the climate science debate after hearing a talk on the issue more than a decade ago.

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Press Release

The Science of Addiction

One in ten adults suffer from addiction.

Everyone who has watched a loved one suffer from addiction wonders, “Why are they acting like this? Why can’t they stop?” And people with addictions wonder the same things about themselves. Many people think of addiction as a moral failing, or as a conscious choice—yet neither belief is supported by scientific evidence.

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