HEX Issue 8: Tinfoil hats off, science hats on!
HEX's marvellous brew of vaccine truths, small men and Dolly Parton
Last week, we told you how a lack of research on concussion in women could be harming female athletes. This week, the dastardly gender data gap strikes again, as a promising new strategy for treating Alzheimer’s turns out not to work in females.
Initial results suggested that blocking the molecule mGluR5 boosted brainpower in mice with dementia – exciting! But it turns out those studies either used male mice only or didn’t separate the results from male and female mice. When a new study (finally) looked for sex differences, the researchers found that targeting mGluR5 had zero effect in female mice – crucial info since women make up two-thirds of dementia sufferers.
As Caroline Criado Perez details in her brilliantly snarky Invisible Women newsletter, sex is completely overlooked in many scientific studies. Even when both sexes are included, they’re often just lumped in together. 🤦♀️ Thankfully, things are changing – for example, since 2014 all government-funded biological research in America must use both male and female mice or cells.
That mGluR5 is still a promising avenue for men is obviously good news – we just hope that more scientists will take note of this latest reminder that “women are not just small men”...
And speaking of small men: this issue, we’re tossing another disappointing specimen of manhood to the Kraken (don’t worry about him too much – his inflated sense of self may well keep him afloat). We’re also helping you tackle vaccine myths, giving Pornhub the finger, and nerding out to the chemistry of George’s Marvellous Medicine. Open wide...
HEX Education: A Christmas Special 🎄
“Pudding” an end to vaccine BS 💉
Get your turkey-foil tin hats ready as we’re diving into the world of COVID-19 vaccine conspiracies! Misinformation and frankly batshit theories are running rampant and it’s time they were hexed. So next time Uncle Dave comes at you with what Steve said on Facebook, or Aunty Brenda swears she “doesn’t know what’s in it” while vaping clouds of parma violet-flavoured toxins, please refer them to these handy debunking resources. You’re welcome 😘
“IT WAS MADE TOO FAST AND WE WILL ALL DIE!”
Clinical research, despite the brilliance of scientists, is usually slow AF. The TL;DR version? Shit got done quicker as science wasn’t hampered by bureaucracy, funding gaps, or lack of clinical trial volunteers.
“OMG THE VACCINE WILL PUT A TRACKING MICROCHIP IN YOU!”
LOL, no.
“THE VACCINE CAUSES FEMALE INFERTILITY!”
This is misinformation resulting from a very small amino acid sequence similarity in both the virus spike protein and a placental protein. If this myth was true then the virus itself would have caused infertility (which it hasn’t). Science, yo.
“IT HAS BITS OF BABIES IN IT!”
Incorrect – this is a confusion from the use of foetal cell lines. Human tissues are NEVER included in vaccines anyway as it would be super unsafe.
“BUT MY DNA WILL BE CHANGED!!”
mRNA-based vaccines will not change DNA, OK? They’re like a set of instructions that self-destruct after being used. People are mixing this up with gene therapy, which works completely differently to vaccines and is still a pipe dream for many diseases.
“IT WILL GIVE ME COVID!”
Ah, no. Fleeting side effects may mimic COVID-19, but it’s just the immune system doing its job. Besides, there’s no coronavirus in the vaccines (mRNA x2, adenovirus).
“YOU DON’T NEED TWO DOSES! THEY’RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE MORE MONEY!!”
Sometimes doing stuff twice boosts its effects. Like double-cooked chips or two coats of paint on a wall, two doses of vaccine just works better. Deal with it or admit fear of needles.
“I HAVE ALREADY HAD COVID AND AM MIGHTILY IMMUNE!”
It’s not known how long natural immunity lasts: scientists are looking into this. But in the meantime, having the vaccine ensures more protection against future infection and is socially responsible to stop spread and protect others. Be kind, y’all.
All of the above conspiracies and more are debunked in these handy articles – share and spare your sanity!:
Vaccine rumours debunked
The WHO’s myth-busting resource
Dr Jennifer Rohn kicking conspiracy theories’ butts
The Mayo clinic setting the record straight
TIT BITS
Keeping abreast of the latest news, views, and research
George’s marvellous… murder?!
Ever wondered about the chemistry of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder or the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s body weight-to-poo ratio after all that food? Well, now there’s one less mystery to ponder in children’s literature – the science of George’s Marvellous Medicine. This whimsical article analyses the likely effect of each ingredient on poor ol’ Grandma (spoiler: she would definitely be dead) and the interactive tool lets you test the effects of your own noxious concoction.*
*Murder not endorsed by HEX Science. Usually.
F*ck off Pornhub
Pornhub are patting themselves on the back (or, more likely, genitals) for taking steps to reduce the amount of illegal content on their site. Notably, they failed to give a sh*t about videos of rape and child abuse proliferating on the site until they were blacklisted by major credit card companies. We’d feed them to the kraken but even Lady K couldn’t stomach this lot.
CONFIRMED: the patriarchy screws over girls AND boys, yay!
A Fawcett Society report has discovered that gender stereotyping does way more damage than the whole "only wearing pink" bollocks. It actually limits career choices, inhibits boys' reading development, impacts girls' body image and can lead to all sorts of mental health issues in the future. The report makes some great suggestions as to what can be done about it… but in the meantime, why not head it off at the pass and buy the little girl in your life a circular saw and some rawlplugs?
“I'll be called 'girl' till the day I retire without pension”
You probably know 9 to 5 as a hit 80s comedy that spawned a truly iconic Dolly Parton single – but did you know it was inspired by a real-life movement? The 9to5 Association was started by Karen Nussbaum, who was working as a typist and office clerk in Boston in 1970 when she got together with some friends and took action against the shitty way women office workers were (are?) treated. Get your biggest hair rollers in and read the brilliant story here.
TO THE KRAKEN 🦑
Dr K finds Joseph Epstein fraudulent – even comic
Another week, another smug, condescending little man denigrating a woman’s hard-earned accomplishments. We are of course talking about Joseph Epstein’s Wall Street Journal article about Dr Jill Biden (no, we will not be linking it. Save yourself the heartburn it gave us, honestly).
From the beginning, where he addresses her as “kiddo”, the misogyny drips from the page. As does his own bitterness – he compares her doctorate in education to honorary titles (what?) and spends a lot of time dwelling on the fact that while he does not have a doctorate, a lot of people, like, totally call him “Dr”, all the time. We get it, my dude, you’re just as important and clever as Dr Biden and not at ALL salty.
So, Professor, DOCTOR, Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden, BA, MEd, EdD, this one’s for you. Sorry, Mr Epstein (BA), but if you’re a man who finds intelligent, accomplished women and their educational achievements so intimidating you try to publicly tear them down, we suggest a trip to the seaside for some perspective. Who knows, you may even run into Dr Kraken (PhD). She’s the only one we know who can stand her meals quite that bitter.
When it comes to respecting female academics, titles matter. Educate yourself, kiddo.
More things making our medicines marvellous this week:
What Caitlin Moran calls ‘The Greatest Pun of the Last Twenty Years’ | Daisy May Cooper’s ‘shag, marry, avoids’ | These hilarious job titles | The latest offering from Taylor Swift, our new queen of cottagecore | Last Christmas, the Scottish Edition
The HEX Science team
🧬Tsesarevich Jean Splicer | ☢ Lord Commander Marie Fury | 🧠 Cheeseboard Evangelist Rorschach Tess | 🔬 Space Ranger Rosalind Frankly