Unsurprisingly the Daily Wail likes research that confirms its own house views on gender roles / stereotypes.
Ironing? Leave it to her: Woman are far better at it than men (and at winning arguments)
Apparently an outfit called MindLab International found about 1,200 volunteers to undertake a series of tasks timed at three minutes. On average, females were better at tasks involving hand-eye coordination or verbal reasoning, whereas males were better at tasks involving spatial awareness.
As for the three minute time limit, apparently it was a stipulation of the people that commissioned the research - Gaviscon, who make indigestion remedies that claim to start working in that period of time.
-oOo-
Meanwhile, in other scientific news, high levels of testosterone may be the primary cause of MPB (Male Pattern Baldness), but apparently these levels also offer increased protection against prostate cancer...
This wasn't reported in the Wail (as far as I can tell), but it did make The Express and BBC News.
-oOo-
And talking of the Daily Wail and cancer, has anyone discovered the "Daily Mail Oncological Ontology Project" yet?
It's an ongoing quest to track the Daily Mail's classification of inanimate objects into two types: those that cause cancer, and those that cure it.
http://dailymailoncology.tumblr.com/
http://kill-or-cure.heroku.com/
Bear in mind that this is the paper which exclusively revealed that using Facebook can increase your risk of getting cancer...
Comments
I've also been told...
That estrogen can also help reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer and reverse / reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis.
And, to your original post. Some women are better at ironing than others. Big surprise here! (I'm better at it than my wife, as an example.)
Ironing
I've just finished an hour's ironing in order to stop and have a drink (and come here, of course).
I don't care to say which of us is the better ironer, but regrettably she seems to do more than I do.
This may be because I have to put on my corset in order to stand for so long, but you'd think that would be a plus, wouldn't you?
As to what you might read in the papers these days, well...
Penny
I'm sure it's true ...
... because, left to me, I wouldn't iron anything. It's a waste of effort. My step-mother used to iron everything, even underwear and bed sheets - that hasn't been done in our house for all the 40+ years we've been married. When we used to spend our holidays cycle camping, clothes washing was a regular chore to avoid smelling a bit ripe :) but ironing was unnecessary (and impossible, anyway) if stuff was stretched out to dry. Perhaps it's the use of energy hungry tumble driers which wrinkle clothes in the process that makes ironing necessary. Or then again, perhaps people like it?
Robi
Yes and No
For certain fabrics, ironing makes a definite improvement to the quality of the garment. Most cottons, linens and some cotton-polyester mixes will benefit from what is effectively a post-wash heat-treatment.
It makes the surface finish smoother, it flattens the fibres and makes the material thinner and feel softer to the touch. For someone with super-sensitive skin like mine, that's important.
It also makes a considerable difference to how your clothes hang, as it makes the cloth more flexible. You mean to tell me you wear un-ironed skirts? Shame on you!
As to the feeling of climbing into a bed freshly made with newly-ironed sheets, well, there's no argument.
Penny
"It Depends"
The problem with these kinds of surveys is that the statistics paint a very broad brush.
Say, for example, 85% of women completed the ironing task in time, and 49% of men. The headline would inevitably read something along the lines of "Women are better at ironing than men" - but it doesn't take into account the several thousand women who can't iron efficiently, and the several thousand men who can!
And did the researchers do any form of quality control - how many of the speedy ironers did a good job, and how many missed bits?
As for me - I'd state my ironing ability as average, but motivation as low (and for sheets / duvet covers - nil!)
OK - I'm lazy - so sue me :)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
...(and at winning arguments)
—Ellen Hayes, Bikini Beach: All Tucked Up