Cat Bohannon Journalist Profile

Articles

Eve (Adapted for Young Adults)

Dec 6, 2024 | getunderlined.com | Cat Bohannon

The groundbreaking bestseller is now adapted for young adults! This is the 200-million-year story of how the female body gave rise to the human species and forever shaped life on Earth and what that means for us in the future. Why do women live longer than men? Why do girls score better at every academic subject than boys until puberty, when suddenly their scores plummet?
Having a baby on Mars? You may be in for a difficult time

Nov 22, 2024 | newscientist.com | Cat Bohannon |Kelly Weinersmith

As a kind of living embodiment of the dangers of techno-optimism, Elon Musk recently declared he means to create a self-sustaining settlement of 1 million people on Mars in the next 30 years. But few talk about the elephant in the room: â€śself-sustainingâ€ť means that women must become pregnant, give birth and somehow not dieâ€¦ on Mars.
We are terrified of designer babies – but not for the reason you think

Nov 2, 2024 | telegraph.co.uk | Cat Bohannon

Superbabe: a sculpture by the artist Ron Mueck at the Fondation Cartier, Paris Credit: Alamy Why are we still afraid of “test tube babies”? Because we are afraid of the body: its pains and joys and many hungers, and of course, the fact that the damn thing dies. Female bodies have the power to make yet more bodies, so of course they terrify us, too. That women might use science to design babies of their choosing is the stuff of nightmares. Never mind that in vitro fertilisation is a mainstream...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2024

Oct 4, 2024 | fivebooks.com | Tom Chivers |Cat Bohannon |Kashmir Hill |Gisli Palsson

You are chair of the judges for the 2024 Royal Society Science Book Prize, which seeks to reward the best new works of popular science. What were you looking for, when you were reading the submissions? The prize is about the best science communication in books. So: reaching a broad audience in a novel way, that is informative or clever or funny, or a combination of those things. And, most importantly, being accessible to a general audience—the science-interested public. That’s a very broad remit.
'I have never written of a stranger organ': The rise of the placenta and how it helped make us human

Sep 13, 2024 | todayschronic.com | Shen Ridenbaugh |Cat Bohannon

In this adapted excerpt from "Infinite Life: The Story of Eggs, Evolution, and Life on Earth," (Pegasus Books, 2024) author Jules Howard examines the invasiveness of the placenta - how far it permeates into the wall of the uterus and the maternal tissue - in mammals after the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck.
The Orwell Prize

Sep 7, 2024 | fivebooks.com | Nathan Thrall |Cat Bohannon |Daniel Finkelstein |Yaroslav Trofimov

The shortlist of the 2024 Orwell Prize for Political Writing, awarded annually to a nonfiction book, is presented below. Comments are from the prize’s judging panel, which in 2024 was chaired by Peter Frankopan, and also included Christina Lamb, Lola Seaton, Rohan Silva and Sunder Katwala.
Do girls really prefer to play with dolls? Scientists think they’ve solved this mystery of childhood

Jun 22, 2024 | yahoo.com | Cat Bohannon

Why do we think that girls love dolls? Plaything, prisoner, best friend, victim, cipher, mirror: whatever a doll can be is eerily mapped onto what we think of women. At the Design Museum’s Barbie exhibition, stuffed with more than six decades of memorabilia (from rare Dreamhouses to 1992’s global hit Totally Hair Barbie), you too can stare into her delicate, painted eyes – and try to make sense of modern girlhood.
To stay alive, try being more female

May 22, 2024 | newscientist.com | Cat Bohannon

Women and children first, right? The idea that the female body is more vulnerable is pervasive in the public imagination. But in biology, it is increasingly clear the male body has that dubious honour. So let’s talk a bit about innate female strength, shall we? When it comes to fighting off invading pathogens, female bodies come up victorious â€“ and not just in relation to covid-19. Across the human lifespan, they are less likely to contract most infections.
The Secret Life of Female Fat

May 17, 2024 | bust.com | Cat Bohannon

2 For generations, women have been taught to hate our fat—sometimes going to great lengths to reduce it. But maybe we’d feel differently if we knew what it actually does. In this adapted excerpt from her book, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, researcher Cat Bohannon sheds light on some eye-opening facts about female fat that may leave you wondering, “Does this dress make my ass look smart?” What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Cat Bohannon - "Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution" - Monica Metzler

May 12, 2024 | semcoop.com | Cat Bohannon

Cat Bohannon will discuss Eve. She will be joined by Monica Metzler. A Q&A and signing will follow the discussion. Presented in partnership with the Illinois Science CouncilAt the Harold Washington Library CenterRSVP HEREAbout the Book: How did the female body drive 200 million years of human evolution? Why do women live longer than men?Why are women more likely to get Alzheimer’s?Why do girls score better at every academic subject than boys until puberty, when suddenly their scores plummet?