Woman about to overtake Men??
For those of us who like to watch the Olympic Games there was an interesting little article in The Week. The men in white coats at no less than Oxford University have been comparing the performances of men and women on the track. Now, everybody knows that men are faster and stronger than women, but what few people know is that women are catching up at quite an alarming rate. So fast is this advance in women's fitness, that the leader of the study, Dr. Andrew Tatem, has mooted the possibility of women becoming the superior athletes!
Taking the 100m sprint as an example. In 1928 the men's winning time was a full 1.4 seconds less than that of the women. However in 1952, although both genders have improved their time, the gap was reduced to 1.1 seconds. In 2000 it was down to less than a second. So the good scientist used these figures to make a guesstimate of what the figures might just be in the 2156 Games. This is what he came up with:
Men: 8.098 seconds
Women: 8.079 seconds
Well we will believe that when we see it. In the meantime, Dr. Tatam's, projections have been hotly disputed. They say it's all about testosterone. Testosterone gives muscle power and allows us to use oxygen more effectively thus helping athletic performance. Both men and women have this hormone, but men have more of it, giving them the advantage in all physical activity. Sorry about this girls, but I guess you knew it all along. But what about Dr Tatam's prediction that it will be girls taking the lead in a mere 150 years time. Watch this column in 2156!
So it probably still makes sense that men and women compete in separate races in athletics. But what about chess? Yes, chess. Believe it or not, there is a men's world champion and a women's world champion. Of course women can compete in all men's events but men are not allowed to compete in womens' chess tournaments! This is ludicrous! Testosterone does not help the brain! Bridge players know this and all their tournaments are unisex. The division of men and women chess players in this way is an insult to women and the strongest women player of all time, Judit Polgar knows this very well. Sensibly she refuses to enter in events exclusively for women. She has done very well against the men and is among the 30 best chess players of today. Good for you Judit!
Homeopathic Tip of the Day: Colds & Flu
Winter approaches and with it the dreaded lurgies of colds and 'flu. I recommend:
1. 500mg of Vitamin C a day, preferably in a slow release tablet.
2. At first sign of a cold, take homeopathic Aconite 6c one tablet hourly for 5 or 6 hours.
3. When everyone is coughing and sneezing around you, try boosting your immune system with Echinacea, a herb that has a good reputation for boosting your resistance to colds and 'flu. It's available in liquid or tablet form with appropriate instructions on the bottle.
For those of us who like to watch the Olympic Games there was an interesting little article in The Week. The men in white coats at no less than Oxford University have been comparing the performances of men and women on the track. Now, everybody knows that men are faster and stronger than women, but what few people know is that women are catching up at quite an alarming rate. So fast is this advance in women's fitness, that the leader of the study, Dr. Andrew Tatem, has mooted the possibility of women becoming the superior athletes!
Taking the 100m sprint as an example. In 1928 the men's winning time was a full 1.4 seconds less than that of the women. However in 1952, although both genders have improved their time, the gap was reduced to 1.1 seconds. In 2000 it was down to less than a second. So the good scientist used these figures to make a guesstimate of what the figures might just be in the 2156 Games. This is what he came up with:
Men: 8.098 seconds
Women: 8.079 seconds
Well we will believe that when we see it. In the meantime, Dr. Tatam's, projections have been hotly disputed. They say it's all about testosterone. Testosterone gives muscle power and allows us to use oxygen more effectively thus helping athletic performance. Both men and women have this hormone, but men have more of it, giving them the advantage in all physical activity. Sorry about this girls, but I guess you knew it all along. But what about Dr Tatam's prediction that it will be girls taking the lead in a mere 150 years time. Watch this column in 2156!
So it probably still makes sense that men and women compete in separate races in athletics. But what about chess? Yes, chess. Believe it or not, there is a men's world champion and a women's world champion. Of course women can compete in all men's events but men are not allowed to compete in womens' chess tournaments! This is ludicrous! Testosterone does not help the brain! Bridge players know this and all their tournaments are unisex. The division of men and women chess players in this way is an insult to women and the strongest women player of all time, Judit Polgar knows this very well. Sensibly she refuses to enter in events exclusively for women. She has done very well against the men and is among the 30 best chess players of today. Good for you Judit!
Homeopathic Tip of the Day: Colds & Flu
Winter approaches and with it the dreaded lurgies of colds and 'flu. I recommend:
1. 500mg of Vitamin C a day, preferably in a slow release tablet.
2. At first sign of a cold, take homeopathic Aconite 6c one tablet hourly for 5 or 6 hours.
3. When everyone is coughing and sneezing around you, try boosting your immune system with Echinacea, a herb that has a good reputation for boosting your resistance to colds and 'flu. It's available in liquid or tablet form with appropriate instructions on the bottle.
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