Welcome to The LadyBits Download by me, LadyBits. Tech-savvy women creating the content we want to consume.
Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
In the meantime, tell your friends!
Welcome to The LadyBits Download by me, LadyBits. Tech-savvy women creating the content we want to consume.
Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
In the meantime, tell your friends!
LadyBits + Motherboard sitting in a tree...
Over the next three months, we'll be teaming up with our friends at Motherboard every week to bring you a new article around the theme: BODIES OF THE FUTURE. You can find the entire collection right here, which is already stocked with weird sexiness.
To kick things off, LadyBits founder Arikia Millikan introduces the series by explaining a bit about the origin of LadyBits, and the moment this partnership was conceived: "At the end of our first meeting, Motherboard editor in chief Derek Mead turned to me and said, 'this was my only partnership meeting this week that wasn’t stupid,' and I knew in my heart it would soon take flight."
Next, open your mind to the prophylactic alternatives of the future with an article by A.V. Flox about the outlook for the condom. Then reaffirm your sexual independence in our brave new world of future sex toys, authored by Carly Pifer. Finally, question everything you thought you knew about sexual function with a piece that explores the weirdly American medical practice of male circumcision and the science of regrowing foreskins like salamander arms. (We’re not only going to talk about sex here, but we will talk about it a lot.)
Join us on our journey into the human body! As always you can keep up with LadyBits on twitter, facebook, and be sure to sign up for updates about our upcoming site launch at http://lady-bits.com.
Greetings from LadyBits headquarters,
We've undergone quite the upgrade since our last transmission. After 6 months of rendering, LadyBits 2.0 has emerged with a sleek new aesthetic that solidifies what we're here to accomplish: the destruction of the glass ceiling.
Now when you encounter LadyBits throughout the web you will see traces of shattered glass, reminders that we are slowly chipping away at the patriarchal structures that are preventing our society from reaching its optimal functionality. You will also notice our mark, which at first glance appears to be a stylized LB. But upon closer examination, you may notice it bears a striking resemblance to the paragraph symbol turned on its head, which is what, in time, we plan to do to the media machine.
We're pleased to announce that we have joined forces with a new publishing partner, NewHive. Together we will create works that collide expository narrations and sensory stimuli together with the force of the LHC, and observe what emerges with wonder, horror and delight.
We've also been consorting with our techy friends at the Daily Beast as of late. There, we’ve plunged to the depths of the ocean, the pores on your face, and into the heart of your binge-watching TV habits. Beenish Ahmed reported on lost ocean rover Nereus and its interesting connection to Alzheimer’s research, while Alexa Kurzius told us about a surprising form of plastic pollution: the microbeads in your exfoliating face wash. They’re damaging fish and other wildlife, and now anti-plastic advocates are putting microbeads under the microscope and calling for a ban.
Speaking of advocacy, do you remember that upsetting scene about compassionate release in the new season of Orange is the New Black? Even though OITNB has a habit of confronting those difficult-to-discuss topics that many other shows shy away from, Rachel Nuwer explains that the show’s portrayal of how compassionate release works is—not surprisingly—probably exaggerated for dramatic effect.
On Refinery29 we’ve dished on the three techy things you need to know most: how to code, how to save your life, and how to stay anonymous on the Internet. We’ve also got your nails and your news covered, from back-to-the-future nail design styles to why Forbes’ “best jobs for women” is ridiculous, to the hijab selfie that went viral. Oh and if you're dieting, try to avoid the ones that ignore basic biology facts.
Finally, our recent pieces on Popular Science answer questions you never even knew you had. For example: what’s the deal with those mono-mono twins that were all over the news? How good is a mantis shrimp’s vision, really? Why does stress affect mice differently? In a three-part series, Mary Beth Griggs looks at animal contraception, ranging from controlling pests to recovering populations of desirable species to population control in zoos. And speaking of animals out of control, here’s why a huge school of anchovies just invaded San Diego.
Lady ballers: During the last month of men's World Cup madness some commentators forgot about some of the best players of the game: women.
42 is the new… 42: Esquire published an essay “in praise of the 42 year old woman.” Good thing women get approval from men’s magazines for being themselves, no longer the “tragic” 42 year old. Thankfully, there are some really excellent take downs already out there.
Lady of the law: A copyright lawyer realizes that she’s never heard of Barbara Ringer, a woman who wrote tons of copyright law.
Tuesday, July 22
LadyBits Redesign Party! Brooklyn, FreeAre you a LadyBits contributor? Do you want to be? Do you love LadyBits? Do you want to experience the cerebral goodness that is a room full of LadyBits at one of the best new bars in Brooklyn? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should join us in celebrating our newly launched redesign Tuesday, July 22 at Sweet Science.
Want to write for us?
Send your pitches, questions, comments, and fan mail to ladybitsladies@gmail.com!
Keep up with our day-to-day on twitter, facebook, and tumblr.
::End Transmission
The LadyBits Download V.1.7
Hello there LadyBits fans and friends. It’s been a while since our last newsletter, but rest assured we haven’t forgotten about you. We’ve just been busy reporting and writing on a whole lot of incredible stuff.
Most of you probably saw the LadyBits goodbye letter to Medium. In the wake of our departure, many have asked where they can go to find all the latest LadyBits goodness. The answer is right here in the newsletter. We’re going to have a killer site for you soon, but for now this newsletter is where you’ll find the freshest LadyBits content. Spread the word.
So, without further ado, here’s what we’ve been up to.
The Week in LadyBits Content:
For the past year, LadyBits has served up a whole lot of stuff on our Medium Collection. Last week, founder Arikia Millikan said goodbye to Medium, and recapped the last year’s worth of ups and downs on the platform. One of those downs was the pay structure, which Erin Biba chronicled in this piece about new-media and algorithms. If you missed our goodbye, and the coverage that followed, here's a handy roundup.
Before shutting down the shop, several of the LadyBits penned final pieces on Medium. Summer Land taught us how to get our books published, Susan Kim explained the origins of “ping me,” and Casey Johnston reminded us that women are still considered prizes in this world.
Away from Medium, we’ve been keeping you up to date on the latest science and technology. From how to keep your identity and personal information secure, to which tech company was just aquired by Etsy, to how personal tracking apps can be empowering. For more consumer tech stories, check out everything we’ve done with Refinery29. There are enough apps reviews over there to fill up a couple of iPhones.
As usual, scientists have been busy making discoveries, and we’ve been keeping up with them on our Popular Science blog. How do sperm pack so much information into such a small space? Erin Biba explains that it all comes down to epigenetics. Why don’t we still see women with full taxidermied birds on their hats? Laura Poppick introduces the women who rallied against the trend. What did Francis Crick do for the rest of his life, after discovering (or stealing the discovery, depending on who you ask) DNA? Eva Amsen argues that he didn’t disappear, he just drastically changed fields.
Links From Around the Webz:
Today’s homework: This About Feminism manifesto should be required reading for everyone.
Just a thought: Could we stop throwing money at entitled bros? Here's Uber’s CEO bragging about how many ladies he’s getting. Snapchat’s CEO is as big of a douchebag as you thought. And, not to be outdone, Rap Genius’ Co-Founder was fired after posting appallingly sexist and insensitive comments on mass murderer Elliot Rodger’s memoir. Yay.
Dear nerdy men: You are not entitled to women or sex. Just thought you should know.
Visualizing sexism: 70% of Google’s workforce is male, and 61% of their US employees are white. And here’s a visualization of the spread of #YesAllWomen on Twitter.
Stuff to Get You Out of the House:
June 4th
Aquapalooza: Party Like a Pirate, Aquarium of the Bay, San Fransisco, $25 (includes 2 free drinks and after hours admission to the museum)
Drinking, dancing, science and pirates. Need we say any more?
June 7th
Anatomical Venuses, Dime Museums, and Waterfront Dives: A Walking Tour from Barnum to the Bowery, New York, $20
In just 90 minutes, you’ll take a trip back in time to 19th century New York City. With writer Andrea Janes as your guide, the tour will make stop at Almack's Dance Hall, Kit Burns' Rat Pit and McGurk's Suicide Hall, among others.
June 8th
Spring Tree Identification, Brooklyn Brainery, $13
It’s finally spring and the trees and in bloom, so why not learn their names? Head to the Brooklyn Brainery to meet Lisa Nett and learn exactly which trees are triggering your allergies this spring.
Want to write for us?
Send your pitches, questions, comments, and fan mail to ladybitsladies@gmail.com!
Keep up with our day-to-day on twitter, facebook, and tumblr.
The LadyBits Download V.1.6
We’re sure growing to like this weekly routine, dearies. Pretty soon, it’ll be time to start cooking dinner together and meeting each other’s parents. But first, let’s have a bit more fun with the latest Medium articles and new links around the web. And because every relationship needs a little variety, there’s fun offline activities you can do at the end. See you again soon!
The Week in LadyBits Content:
Did you know that brewing beer was once women’s work? Men stole it away during the industrial revolution — and for a while men actually thought that having if women got near the fermentation chambers their hormones would change the taste of the beer. Now, Women are Taking Back Beer, and our very own Erin Biba caught up with them. Bonus: these awesome women want us to drink more beer. Who are we to argue?
Toy companies have long been called out for their decades old practice of marketing science-based toys to boys and girls separately — with the girls’ ones featuring pinkwashed, malfunctioning microscopes and fewer awesome characters like astronauts. But now, a new wave of online activism is demanding a Change in Toyland, and getting it.
On to grown-up toys (or gadgets, as we call them these days), developers have started a new Kickstarter campaign to put your dreams in their your own hands. Learn How A Pair Of Goggles Can Make You Lucid Dream on Refinery 29.
Links From Around the Webz:
Mansplaining: The dudes at Dropbox a are turning their office into a literal Bromance Chamber.
Hallelujah: When Anil Dash decided to only retweet women in 2013, he preemptively wrote answers to the dumb questions he expected to get.
Brunch talk: For the first time ever, more women are more educated than their husbands.
Buy me now: There’s a genius new Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Plan your evening accordingly.
Stuff to Get You Out of the House:
Thursday, February 27 and Friday, February 28
Lesbians Who Tech, San Francisco, Free with registration
Join the group’s inaugural summit in the historic Castro Theatre, sponsored by Google! Speakers include trailblazers like Megan Smith, Google[x] Vice President, Kara Swisher, Re/Code Co-Executive Editor, Sara Sperling, Facebook Diversity & Inclusion, and Moya Watson, SAP Innovation Project Manager.
Tuesday, March 4
Kickstarter School: A Workshop for Scientists, Engineers, and Educators, NYC, Prices vary
Join Kickstarter Art Program Director Stephanie Pereira for a primer on how to bring a crowdfunded project to life. You’ll take a look at past successful projects from across the site and discuss helpful tips like what kinds of rewards work best and how to spread the word about your project. Reception to follow.
Saturday, March 8
Women, Art and Entrepreneurship, Washington D.C., Free
In celebration of International Women’s Day, hear five successful women entrepreneurs and advocates from the cultural community (Juanita Britten, owner of Anacostia Arts Gallery and Boutique; Louise Kennelly, executive director, D.C. Arts and Humanities Collaborative; Kate Taylor Davis, director, Anacostia Arts Center; and others. Moderated by Camille Akeju, director, Anacostia Community Museum) share their perspectives on definitions of success. This special panel includes.
This edition of the LadyBits Download was generated thanks to efforts by Delia Paunescu, Alexandra Dao, Alexandra Ossola, Rose Eveleth, and Arikia Millikan.
Want to write for us?
Send your pitches, questions, comments, and fan mail to ladybitsladies@gmail.com!
Keep up with our day-to-day on twitter, facebook, and tumblr.
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