Science, Sex and the Olympics
My latest column at Bridges:
Early in the 19th century, the English poet Robert Southey
explained that little girls are "sugar and spice, and all things nice"
while little boys are "snips and snails and puppy dog tails." Such
descriptions are apparently not rigorous enough to determine who gets to
participate in women's events in the Olympics, so last month the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued new regulations on the eligibility of athletes to participate in women's events in the upcoming London Games.
The new regulations seek to head off controversies such as erupted at the Track and Field World Championships in 2009, when South African runner Caster Semenya's
victory in the 800 meters was followed by accusations that she had
competed unfairly in a women's event. The response to the accusations
focused on applying a "gender test," which was embarrassing for the body
that governs track and field and demeaning to Semenya, and ultimately
did little to clarify things.
The issues here are much broader than just competition categories at the Olympics and go to the heart of the challenges in using science in decision making. . .
Read the rest
here, comments welcomed.
