Science Women

In the 1950s, anthropologists who traveled to Australia to study the aborigines reported that the men bonded with each other and kept their women at bay with secret ceremonies and dazzling displays of magic they said came from the gods. It was not until a woman anthropologist recently studied the same peoples that it was learned that aborigine women knew the magic was a hoax, indulgently humored the men and had a good laugh about it behind their backs.

For many women, it felt like a slap in the face. They had been given hormones for years at menopause to gain relief from hot flashes and night sweats. But as the years went by they were told something far grander: By continuing to take the drugs well past menopause, they could not only lessen their risk of osteoporosis but also possibly of heart disease, the leading cause of death for women. Now it seems the promise was not so bright.

Angelica Gavaldon won her second-round match Wednesday at Wimbledon, which means she soon will be kneeling in the bathtub again. It was a routine day for Gavaldon, the 16-year-old from Coronado, Calif., who beat Sara Gomer, 7-5, 0-6, 7-5, then reaffirmed her position as possibly the quirkiest player in tennis. In her first season as a professional, Gavaldon has proved to be a veteran of superstitions.

The debate over abortion in this country has been described as the politics of symbolism. The symbols invoked are powerful and jarring: aborted fetuses, bloody coat hangers and chanting protesters who block public access to medical clinics.

Fit or fat? Women don't have to choose one or the other, according to researchers at Oregon State University. They can be both. During a nine-month study, 15 overweight women ate less fat and exercised regularly but not strenuously. Only six lost weight, but 11 in the group improved their health-risk factors. Blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure dropped, and aerobic capacity increased. Collaborating on the study were Jane Moore and James E.

The debate over abortion in this country has been described as the politics of symbolism. The symbols invoked are powerful and jarring: aborted fetuses, bloody coat hangers and chanting protesters who block public access to medical clinics.

For many women, it felt like a slap in the face. They had been given hormones for years at menopause to gain relief from hot flashes and night sweats. But as the years went by they were told something far grander: By continuing to take the drugs well past menopause, they could not only lessen their risk of osteoporosis but also possibly of heart disease, the leading cause of death for women. Now it seems the promise was not so bright.

Women are nearly twice as likely as men to die from a common form of coronary artery surgery--a fact that researchers now suspect reflects a tendency among physicians to neglect heart disease symptoms in women.

Who's smarter, men or women? It's a topic of common -- and often comic -- musings, but it has also become a serious policy issue for colleges and this nation's students. After 17 years of concentrated effort to raise the academic achievement of girls, who in previous decades had often received less attention in the classroom and been steered away from college-prep courses, the nation can brag that female students have progressed tremendously. Though still underrepresented in calculus and other advanced-level science and math courses in high school, women now outnumber men applying to and graduating from college -- so much so that it appears some colleges are giving male applicants an admissions boost.

ACADEMICS Five members of the UC Irvine women's cross-country team received Academic All-Big West honors. Seniors Allyson Kulak, a psychology/social behavior major from Fullerton, and Kareen Nilsson, an English/drama major from Chino Hills, were among those honored. To qualify, student-athletes must have at least a 3.2 grade-point average, at least sophomore standing and have competed in at least 50% of a team's contests.

Angelica Gavaldon won her second-round match Wednesday at Wimbledon, which means she soon will be kneeling in the bathtub again. It was a routine day for Gavaldon, the 16-year-old from Coronado, Calif., who beat Sara Gomer, 7-5, 0-6, 7-5, then reaffirmed her position as possibly the quirkiest player in tennis. In her first season as a professional, Gavaldon has proved to be a veteran of superstitions.

Women are nearly twice as likely as men to die from a common form of coronary artery surgery--a fact that researchers now suspect reflects a tendency among physicians to neglect heart disease symptoms in women.

Fit or fat? Women don't have to choose one or the other, according to researchers at Oregon State University. They can be both. During a nine-month study, 15 overweight women ate less fat and exercised regularly but not strenuously. Only six lost weight, but 11 in the group improved their health-risk factors. Blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure dropped, and aerobic capacity increased. Collaborating on the study were Jane Moore and James E.

In the 1950s, anthropologists who traveled to Australia to study the aborigines reported that the men bonded with each other and kept their women at bay with secret ceremonies and dazzling displays of magic they said came from the gods. It was not until a woman anthropologist recently studied the same peoples that it was learned that aborigine women knew the magic was a hoax, indulgently humored the men and had a good laugh about it behind their backs.

An unaesthetic picture of a crushed, smoking, lipstick-stained cigarette and ashes surrounded by the caption "Kiss Your Butt Good-bye" in large, bold letters is the eye-catching--and some will say not very genteel--new message aimed particularly at women by the American Lung Assn. of Los Angeles County. It will appear on buttons, posters and even T-shirts. The copy goes on to say, "There are two ways to kiss your butt good-bye. One is to quit smoking. The other is to keep smoking . . .

Women are keepers of each other's secrets, boosters of one another's wavering confidence, co-conspirators in life's adventures. Through laughter, tears and an inexhaustible river of talk, they keep each other well, and make each other better. Across species and throughout human cultures, females have banded together for protection and mutual support.