No. 25 of 108
July 8, 2025
As it turns out, “women outlive men in dire circumstances,” concludes Starre Vartan in her new book, The Stronger Sex. Her research shows that girls and women have survived horrendous circumstances at higher rate, even when subjected to less nutrition or worse conditions than male counterparts. Some of this is genetic. The X chromosome has ten times the number of genes, access to a greater variety of immune genes, increasing inherent immunity. (This also increases the propensity toward autoimmune conditions.) In general, male muscles are larger. However, the small intestines of women are longer. This physiological advantage allows for more extraction of nutrients from the same amount of food. In other news, the Agriculture Secretary says adults on Medicaid can replace migrants in the fields, and the tariff wars are heating up.
Okay. Can we say it? Yes, it is true. Females have more guts. It’s science. Seriously, embracing the gifts of our differences, humanity has much to offer in this long tumultuous moment. Especially if we interrupt all of the preconceived narratives of who we were and who we were supposed to be. Just set those stories aside and move on! So much work to do. If we have the guts, that is.
No. 25 of 108