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Unpicking the patriarchy
LEADERS
Editorial Editor Emily Wilson Deputy editor Graham Lawton Managing editor Rowan Hooper Art editor Craig Mackie Editor at large Jeremy Webb
News STEFAN ROUSSEAU - POOL/GETTY IMAGES
Chief news editor Niall Firth Editors Penny Sarchet, Jacob Aron, Timothy Revell, Jon White, Chelsea Whyte Reporters (UK) Andy Coghlan, Jessica Hamzelou, Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Sam Wong, (US) Leah Crane, (Aus) Alice Klein
Features Chief features editor Richard Webb Editors Catherine de Lange, Gilead Amit, Catherine Brahic, Julia Brown, Daniel Cossins, Kate Douglas, Alison George, Joshua Howgego, Tiffany O’Callaghan, Sean O’Neill
Culture and Community Editors Liz Else, Mike Holderness, Simon Ings, Frank Swain
Subeditors Managing subeditor Eleanor Parsons Tom Campbell, Hannah Joshua, Chris Simms
Design Kathryn Brazier, Joe Hetzel, Dave Johnston, Ryan Wills
Picture desk Chief picture editor Adam Goff Kirstin Kidd, David Stock
Production Mick O’Hare, Melanie Green , Alan Blagrove, Anne Marie Conlon
Contact us newscientist.com/contact General & media enquiries Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1202 [email protected] UK 25 Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ES Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1200 AUSTRALIA Level 11, Suite 3, 100 Walker Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 Tel +61 (0)2 9422 8559 US 210 Broadway #201 Cambridge, MA 02139 Tel +1 617 283 3213
© 2018 New Scientist Ltd, England New Scientist is published weekly by New Scientist Ltd. ISSN 0262 4079. New Scientist (Online) ISSN 2059 5387 Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper and printed in England by William Gibbons (Wolverhampton)
Unpicking the patriarchy The issue of gender equality should be informed by science LAST week, New Scientist welcomed its first female editor. After 61 years, 3172 issues and 10 male bosses, we finally have a woman’s name at the top of the masthead. This is admittedly not especially groundbreaking for a media organisation. Many of our competitors have or have had female editors. But every glass ceiling smashed is another step towards gender equality. There is still a long way to go, however. In most cultures around the world, men are still more likely to hold positions of economic, cultural and political power and earn the biggest
salaries (see page 35). One stark example can be seen at the very top: of 193 member states of the United Nations, just 12 have a female head of government. Anyone who doubts the existence of the patriarchy has a mountain of similar empirical data to argue their way over. This is hardly a recent state of affairs – and gender inequality has been much worse in the past. But with movements like #MeToo and people from all walks of life expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo, the movement for gender equality finally seems to be winning the argument. This makes now a good time to
The late barrier reef? THE obituary has been written many times, but, until now, reports of the Great Barrier Reef’s death have been exaggerated. So what are we to make of the latest scientific assessment, which concludes that the reef’s health is failing badly (see page 6)? As usual, it is too soon for an obituary. Gravely ill isn’t the same as dead. And in any case, an
ecosystem cannot die in the same way that an individual organism does. A more scientific way of thinking about it is that large parts of the system have reached an ecological tipping point. You might argue that hyperbole is sometimes permissible. The plight of the reef went viral when Outside magazine ran a story with the memorable opener: “The
ask why the patriarchy exists and why does it persist? There is no shortage of explanations. Most are political, social or economic. But there is also a good deal to be gained from examining these questions from a scientific perspective – especially the evolutionary origins of inequality and the psychology of gender, sex and power. Our special report on the science of the patriarchy (see page 33) doesn’t supply a complete explanation or prescription for change. But if you want to understand why we live in a man’s world, it adds a fresh and valuable new perspective. ■
Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness. It was 25 million years old.” But fake news is fake news wherever it appears, and crying wolf doesn’t work in the long run. Obituaries are unhelpful for another reason: they make it sound as if there is no hope. That is also not true: parts of the reef are healthy and others can be restored. That won’t happen if there is a widespread perception that it is already too late. ■ 21 April 2018 | NewScientist | 5
Editorial Editor Emily Wilson Deputy editor Graham Lawton Managing editor Rowan Hooper Art editor Craig Mackie Editor at large Jeremy Webb
News STEFAN ROUSSEAU - POOL/GETTY IMAGES
Chief news editor Niall Firth Editors Penny Sarchet, Jacob Aron, Timothy Revell, Jon White, Chelsea Whyte Reporters (UK) Andy Coghlan, Jessica Hamzelou, Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Sam Wong, (US) Leah Crane, (Aus) Alice Klein
Features Chief features editor Richard Webb Editors Catherine de Lange, Gilead Amit, Catherine Brahic, Julia Brown, Daniel Cossins, Kate Douglas, Alison George, Joshua Howgego, Tiffany O’Callaghan, Sean O’Neill
Culture and Community Editors Liz Else, Mike Holderness, Simon Ings, Frank Swain
Subeditors Managing subeditor Eleanor Parsons Tom Campbell, Hannah Joshua, Chris Simms
Design Kathryn Brazier, Joe Hetzel, Dave Johnston, Ryan Wills
Picture desk Chief picture editor Adam Goff Kirstin Kidd, David Stock
Production Mick O’Hare, Melanie Green , Alan Blagrove, Anne Marie Conlon
Contact us newscientist.com/contact General & media enquiries Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1202 [email protected] UK 25 Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ES Tel +44 (0)20 7611 1200 AUSTRALIA Level 11, Suite 3, 100 Walker Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 Tel +61 (0)2 9422 8559 US 210 Broadway #201 Cambridge, MA 02139 Tel +1 617 283 3213
© 2018 New Scientist Ltd, England New Scientist is published weekly by New Scientist Ltd. ISSN 0262 4079. New Scientist (Online) ISSN 2059 5387 Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper and printed in England by William Gibbons (Wolverhampton)
Unpicking the patriarchy The issue of gender equality should be informed by science LAST week, New Scientist welcomed its first female editor. After 61 years, 3172 issues and 10 male bosses, we finally have a woman’s name at the top of the masthead. This is admittedly not especially groundbreaking for a media organisation. Many of our competitors have or have had female editors. But every glass ceiling smashed is another step towards gender equality. There is still a long way to go, however. In most cultures around the world, men are still more likely to hold positions of economic, cultural and political power and earn the biggest
salaries (see page 35). One stark example can be seen at the very top: of 193 member states of the United Nations, just 12 have a female head of government. Anyone who doubts the existence of the patriarchy has a mountain of similar empirical data to argue their way over. This is hardly a recent state of affairs – and gender inequality has been much worse in the past. But with movements like #MeToo and people from all walks of life expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo, the movement for gender equality finally seems to be winning the argument. This makes now a good time to
The late barrier reef? THE obituary has been written many times, but, until now, reports of the Great Barrier Reef’s death have been exaggerated. So what are we to make of the latest scientific assessment, which concludes that the reef’s health is failing badly (see page 6)? As usual, it is too soon for an obituary. Gravely ill isn’t the same as dead. And in any case, an
ecosystem cannot die in the same way that an individual organism does. A more scientific way of thinking about it is that large parts of the system have reached an ecological tipping point. You might argue that hyperbole is sometimes permissible. The plight of the reef went viral when Outside magazine ran a story with the memorable opener: “The
ask why the patriarchy exists and why does it persist? There is no shortage of explanations. Most are political, social or economic. But there is also a good deal to be gained from examining these questions from a scientific perspective – especially the evolutionary origins of inequality and the psychology of gender, sex and power. Our special report on the science of the patriarchy (see page 33) doesn’t supply a complete explanation or prescription for change. But if you want to understand why we live in a man’s world, it adds a fresh and valuable new perspective. ■
Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness. It was 25 million years old.” But fake news is fake news wherever it appears, and crying wolf doesn’t work in the long run. Obituaries are unhelpful for another reason: they make it sound as if there is no hope. That is also not true: parts of the reef are healthy and others can be restored. That won’t happen if there is a widespread perception that it is already too late. ■ 21 April 2018 | NewScientist | 5