What killed off North American megafauna, and making languages less complicated
Aug 17, 2023
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Online News Editor Mike Price joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss what killed off North America's megafauna, including dire wolves and saber-toothed cats, and how ancient wildfires may have played a role. Then, doctoral researcher Olena Shcherbakova explores how language complexity changes under different social and linguistic environments.
Ancient wildfires may have contributed to the extinction of North American megafauna.
Multilingual societies may have less complex languages.
There is a historical disparity in women's health research, including funding and focus primarily directed towards male-centric studies.
Deep dives
Disparity in Women's Health Research
There is a historical disparity in women's health research, with funding and focus primarily directed towards male-centric studies. Male bias in the research ecosystem and decision-making processes, as well as the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials, contribute to this gap. The challenge lies in addressing this disparity, which requires increased funding for women's health research, support from venture capitalists, and changes in the societal perceptions and understanding of women's health.
Impact of Funding on Women's Health
Increased funding is crucial to close the gap in women's health research. Funding can support basic research, which is currently lacking in the field. Without strong research, it becomes challenging to develop startups and attract venture capital. To address this, there needs to be a concerted effort to allocate more funding specifically for women's health research, including specific areas such as endometriosis. Limited partners and venture capitalists can play a role in advocating for increased investment in women's health.
Key Stakeholders' Role in Closing the Gap
Healthcare key stakeholders and industry players need to prioritize and invest in women's health. Governments can create bespoke policies to focus on women's health and enhance access to care. Venture capitalists can allocate a portion of funds specifically for women's health startups. Pharmaceutical companies should recognize the potential market opportunities in women's health and invest in research and development. Overall, collaboration between researchers, investors, and industry is important for advancing women's health.
Efforts by the Bio Innovation Institute
The Bio Innovation Institute (BII) is actively involved in driving research and startups in women's health. BII scouts for potential researchers and projects, providing funding and support during the translational phase. BII also establishes networks and connections with venture capitalists and industry partners to facilitate investment and provide guidance to startups. Through these efforts, BII aims to bridge the gap between research and market-ready solutions in women's health.
Opportunities for Future Research and Investments
Future focus should be on fostering more research in specific areas of women's health and addressing the systemic biases that exist. Increased funding, political support, and gathering industry and investor interest can pave the way for advancements in women's health. By promoting collaboration, encouraging female representation in decision-making roles, and changing societal perceptions, we can work towards closing the gap in women's health research and providing better care for women.
Ancient wildfires may have doomed Southern California’s big mammals, and do insular societies have more complex languages?
First up on this week’s show, what killed off North America’s megafauna, such as dire wolves and saber-toothed cats? Online News Editor Mike Price joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the likely culprits: climate or humans, or one that combines both—fire. They discuss how the La Brea Tar Pits are helping researchers figure this out. Read the related Science paper.
Next up, do languages get less complex when spoken in multilingual societies? Olena Shcherbakova, a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, joins Sarah with a broad look at how the complexity of languages changes under different social and linguistic environments.
In a sponsored segment from the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office, Jackie Oberst, associate editor for custom publishing, discusses with Trine Bartholdy, chief innovation officer at the BioInnovation Institute, an international life science incubator in Copenhagen, Denmark, about the continued disparity in women’s health research and funding and ways in which these challenges are being overcome. This segment is sponsored by the BioInnovation Institute.
This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.
