H.D.N: novembro 2016

segunda-feira, 28 de novembro de 2016

Unapologetically Amy Schumer at UIC Pavilion

Saturday night at UIC Pavilion, comedian Amy Schumer, the first female comic to headline Madison Square Garden (which she played twice this year) and the first female comic to make Forbes' Highest-Paid Comedians list (she appeared at No. 4 with $17 million earned this year), spent 70 minutes talking dirty to a crowd of eager fans.

"If you came with your family, that is on you, and you are stupid," she said early on, before casting herself as the id of the female experience and confidently relating her sexual confessions and less-than-sexy follies while doling out blunt takes on sex in general (e.g. "If I'm laying on my back during sex … and I am").

Divorces of rich raise eyebrows, but new laws affect those of more modest means

For better or for worse, when it comes to divorce "for richer or for poorer" helps determine how much one spouse pays the other.

In an ongoing divorce trial due to resume in mid-December, the multimillionaire founder of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Richard Stephenson, and his ex-wife Alicia Stephenson are battling over whether she needs more than $400,000 a month to maintain her living expenses.

While the superrich duke it out over a standard of living most people will never experience, a shift in Illinois divorce law aims to reduce conflicts in dissolving marriages and establish better equity for former spouses with more modest incomes.

The policy changes are driven by attempts to correct past injustices that often left ex-wives with little money and no viable way to support themselves after years of raising children, divorce attorneys said. They mark the first major revamp of Illinois divorce law in almost 40 years.

"If you're in a difficult relationship, nothing will eliminate the fact that people don't get along," prominent divorce attorney Pamela Kuzniar said. "But because there's a template for agreement, it helps somewhat to resolve the issues."

In the wake of the women's liberation movement, divorce law in Illinois underwent major revisions in 1977, in particular to provide for divorcing wives with little or no education or who dropped out of careers to help their spouses advance. Before that, husbands typically kept most of a divorcing couple's assets and paid sometimes negligible alimony.

The first comprehensive changes to the law since then took effect this year and reflect other cultural shifts. The new version, for example, swaps out the language "husband and wife" with the gender-neutral "spouses" because of the legalization of same-sex marriage. It also reduces the previous two-year separation period to six months.

But perhaps the biggest change is that the old grounds for divorce — like adultery, bigamy and cruelty — have largely been eliminated, moving Illinois to a no-fault divorce system that generally streamlines the process because no party has to prove fault. Wait time has been reduced to six months in cases where one spouse opposes the dissolution.

The new law also eliminated the words "custody" and "visitation," replacing them with "parental responsibilities" and "parenting time." That means parents must propose and accept an agreement on who will have the kids when, and how the parents will jointly make decisions about their children's education, religion, health and extracurricular activities.

In addition, for the first time, Illinois' divorce laws have set a formula for determining maintenance, or what used to be called alimony. Previously, divorce attorneys said, there was little consistency in how such payment levels were set, and some downstate judges tended to not award maintenance at all.

Now, for couples making a combined gross income of less than $250,000, the payer — generally the spouse with the higher income — must pay 30 percent of his or her income minus 20 percent of the recipient's income. So if a husband earns $100,000 a year and his wife $50,000, he would pay her $30,000, minus $10,000, for a total of $20,000.

The duration of maintenance was left to the judge's discretion before; now it depends on the length of the marriage.

There's a minimum payment of $40 per month per child, and a maximum of 40 percent of combined income, and judges may still decide whether maintenance is appropriate, or may deviate from the guidelines if they see fit.

Not only has the new law made maintenance more predictable, courts are more willing to grant maintenance, and it goes on for a longer time, divorce attorney Roman Seckel said.

And rather than setting the amount of child support first and then the maintenance to get the desired overall split in income, now judges often set the maintenance by formula, then adjust child support, often downward, to reach the desired balance of income, Seckel said.

But a new formula is due to be set for child support next year as well. Currently, the guidelines call for 20 percent of the noncustodial parent's net income for one child, 28 percent for two children, 32 percent for three and so on.

In the future, support is expected to be based on the concept of shared income, which some 38 other states use. The formula estimates the amount of money needed to raise a given number of children, then determines what share parents must pay based on their income.

Parents may reduce the amount of support they pay by increasing the amount of parenting time, which may become an even more contentious issue, lawyers warned.

For all the attempts at uniformity, though, the maintenance guidelines apply only to those who toil for combined incomes below $250,000. That means the rich, such as the Stephensons, still must either settle or fight out everything in court.

Divorcees and attorneys still complain about some aspects of the law, but the Illinois State Bar Association called it "improved" overall.

Wealthy spouses fighting over riches attract media attention, but it's far more common for poor couples to wrestle with the increased expense of maintaining two households instead of one, said attorney Alan Hoffenberg, past president of the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

"It's more than a rude awakening. It's sometimes devastating," he said. "It's hard for the breadwinner to understand why they have to pay a substantial portion of their income to their spouse. That's why blue-collar cases are so difficult, because there's just not enough money to go around."

Under past changes in the law, fathers have had to pay more while also losing custody of their children, Hoffenberg said. Now, the law provides for more collaborative parenting, and more experts are recognizing that children need both parents, he said.

"The new act goes a long way to remove a lot of the acrimony in custody disputes," he said. "The pendulum is swinging back in a fairly good way."

In general, fewer marriages are ending up in divorce court. From their peaks in the 1970s, marriage rates fell substantially in Illinois through 2013, the most recent year for which statistics are available, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Divorce rates have similarly dipped, though less dramatically.

Source: Chicago Tribune

2 dead, 15 wounded in Chicago shootings

At least two men were killed and 15 other people were wounded in shootings citywide since Sunday afternoon, according to police.

An 18-year-old man was fatally shot in the 8800 block of South Marshfield Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood just after 2 p.m., police said.

The man was sitting in a parked car when someone in an SUV that was driving north on Marshfield fired shots and hit him several times in the chest, police said. The man drove himself to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to police. He was pronounced dead at 2:22 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office, which was not releasing his name Sunday evening.

Just after 1:50 p.m. in the West Garfield Park area, a 37-year-old man was shot to death in the 3800 block of West Adams Street, according to police.

The man was with a group of people when a man or boy across the street started shooting at them, hitting the man, police said. The attacker then fled south on foot.

The man was identified as Rickey King, 37, of the 8800 block of Burley Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. King, who court records show also went by the names Ricky King and Anthony Thomas, was pronounced dead at 2:01 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office.

In other shootings:

About 3:10 a.m. Monday, a 24-year-old man was robbed and shot in the leg in Park Manor. He was in the 7200 block of South King Drive walking on the sidewalk when two females and two males--one of whom had a gun--walked up and announced a robbery. The man gave them some of his belongings, then the robber with the gun shot him in the left leg. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and his condition was stabilized.
At 12:40 a.m., two women were shot during a robbery in West Rogers Park. They were on the sidewalk in the 6100 block of North Maplewood Avenue when two males walked up and demanded money. When the women said they didn't have any, one of the robbers opened fire. A 23-year-old woman was shot in the foot and a 28-year-old woman was grazed in the left leg. Both went to Saint Francis Hospital and their conditions were stabilized.
Just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday, a 24-year-old pregnant woman was shot in the abdomen in West Garfield Park. Police were called to the 4600 block of West Adams Street for a call of a domestic disturbance with shots fired; the woman was found wounded and taken to an area hospital in serious condition. The suspected shooter was pursued by police, fired on officers two separate times, and was fatally shot by officers, according to statements by Chicago police.
A 44-year-old woman was shot about 11:05 p.m. in Back of the Yards. She heard gunfire while she stood on a front porch in the 800 block of West 51st Place, then realized she was shot in the right leg. She went to Stroger Hospital and her condition was stabilized.
About 10:55 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the 7200 block of South University Avenue in Grand Crossing. He was shot in the leg and went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.
About 10:20 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the left leg in Parkway Gardens. He was on the sidewalk in the 6500 block of South King Drive when someone fired shots from a passing green sedan. The man went to University of Chicago Medical Center and his condition was stabilized.
About 9:45 p.m., two men were shot by an employee of the West Rogers Park store they were trying to rob. The men, 18 and 20, went into the store in the 7400 block of North Western Avenue and announced a robbery, police said. A 21-year-old store employee with a concealed carry license fired his weapon at the would-be robbers. The 18-year-old man was shot in the right forearm and went to Swedish Covenant Hospital. The 20-year-old man was shot in the right shoulder and went to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Their conditions were both stabilized, and they are in police custody along with a third person.
Just before 7:35 p.m., a 33-year-old man was shot in the Douglas neighborhood. Someone in a dark-colored sedan fired shots at him as he walked in the 500 block of East 38th Street. He was shot in the wrist and went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. His condition was stabilized.
About 5:10 p.m., a 50-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in 1800 block of West 78th Street in the Gresham neighborhood, according to police. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The man told police he was walking with a 21-year-old man when two men or boys went up to them and one started firing a gun, hitting the 50-year-old, police said.
In the Uptown neighborhood, a 22-year-old man was shot in the 4800 block of North Sheridan Road about 4:45 p.m., police said. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg and was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition. The man told police he was walking in the area when he head gunshots and ran into a building in the 4600 block of North Sheridan, where he realized he had been shot.
A 24-year-old man was shot in the foot in an attack in the 1800 block of South Pulaski Road in the Lawndale neighborhood about 2:55 p.m., police said. He was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital following the shooting. The man got into a fight with several people in a business, and someone pulled him outside before he was shot in the foot, police said. The attackers then drove off in a black SUV, heading west.
A 27-year-old man was shot about 2 p.m. in the 3800 block of West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to police. The man was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital. The man told police he was walking down the street when someone came out of an alley and started firing a gun at him before he fled heading north in the same alley.
In the West Englewood neigborhood, a 23-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the left knee just before 1:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of West 69th Street, according to police. He was in good condition at Holy Cross Hospital, police said. The man told police he was walking west in an alley when someone in a van that was driving down the alley started firing shots before the van drove off heading west, then south.
In a shooting incident in the West Town area Sunday evening, a 38-year-old woman was injured when someone fired into a car she was riding in on the 900 block of W. Chicago Avenue about 6 p.m., according to police. The woman and a 33-year-old man were in a vehicle when a gray sedan pulled up next to them and a male passenger in the sedan started shooting, hitting the vehicle and breaking windows. The woman and man drove to the 100 block of West Maple Avenue, where one of them called 911, and the woman was treated at the scene for cuts to her shoulder, police said. Authorities weren't immediately certain whether she was shot or injured by flying glass. No one was in custody in the shootings, police said.

Source: Chicago Tribune

10 thoughts on the Bears' 27-21 loss to the Titans

The loss ensured the Bears will have a losing record for the third consecutive season and the franchise is now off to its worst start since beginning the 1997 season 1-10. At this point, the remaining five games are about the young players the Bears don’t know a whole lot about.

Source: Chicago Tribune

America's new architecture capital? 14 of Miami's most awe-inspiring buildings

Though the tropical idyll is synonymous with pastel-colored hotels on South Beach, and sprawling palm-lined manses on the city's famed private islands, these days, the cityscape is as diverse as its residents.

Rarely a month goes by without an announcement of a new Herzog & de Meuron being built for future generations, or a new starchitect-led development promising to put the city firmly on the cultural map.

No one building defines Miami, but rest assured: this boom city, where things happen fast, is rapidly becoming the architecture capital of America.

Source: CNN

Trudeau's Castro tribute raises eyebrows

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's tribute complimenting Fidel Castro as "remarkable" and a "larger than life leader who served his people" drew criticism and derision.

Commentators viewed Trudeau's statement as gushing and tone-deaf -- one that ignored the Cuban leader's human rights abuses and record of political oppression.It inspired parody tributes with the hashtag #TrudeauEulogies.

In his statement, Trudeau expressed "deep sorrow" after learning of "the death of Cuba's longest serving president."

"Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation."

Source: CNN

France is paying the price for normalizing Islamophobia

Nicolas Sarkozy's defeat in the French Republican primary Sunday night could mean a reshuffling of priorities on the center right of French politics.

The race will now be between two former prime ministers, Alain Juppe and Francois Fillon, and the winner will then have to lead the mainstream right in what is set to be a decisive moment for France next year. Fillon's decisive and surprising victory in the first round could demonstrate that Juppé's more conciliatory tone has failed. With over 44% of the vote, Fillon may appear to many as a moderate compared to Sarkozy, but his neoliberal views -- coupled with a very conservative approach to societal matters, particularly with regard to identity, immigration and Islam -- should allow him to tap into the electorate of his defeated opponents. It was a strong sign that Sarkozy announced he would vote for Fillon as he conceded.

As France struggles to escape the woes of the global economic crisis, with growth failing to reach predictions and unemployment remaining high, much of the coverage of the campaign so far has given prominence to the far-right Front National party and its leader, Marine Le Pen.

After shocking victories by pro-Brexit forces and US President-elect Donald Trump, Le Pen seems emboldened, and the media's willingness to follow her lead will without a doubt make immigration and Islam central to next year's campaign. This will be compounded by the governing Socialist Party's failure to reject the politics of identity.

This shift towards fantasies of a pure French (even Gaulish) identity being threatened has been made more prominent by recent attacks, as terrorists have fueled a deep sense of insecurity and distrust within the French population.

This toxic atmosphere has been compounded and normalized by politicians reacting disproportionately to the attacks, calling for war against enemies from without and within.

Stance on burkini bans

The burkini bans this summer exemplified the lack of an alternative -- beyond stigmatization and exclusion -- that politicians are willing to put forward in France.

After being implemented in 31 towns, the bans on modest swimsuits worn by Muslim women were eventually suspended by the State Council, who claimed that such laws "constituted a serious and manifestly illegal infringement of fundamental liberties." The council also reminded mayors that the law "may only restrict freedoms if there are confirmed risks," something which clearly was not the case.

Despite such strong advice, and a similar condemnation by the UN Human Rights high commissioner, politicians on both the left and right have jockeyed to show who is toughest when it comes to legislating over the rights of women's bodies, particularly those from already stigmatized minorities. Sarkozy went the furthest, demanding that the constitution be changedto ban the swimsuits.

Fillon offered his support to the mayors who had passed burkini-ban laws, while Prime Minister Manuel Valls continued to criticise the burkini, stating that wilfully vilifying that piece of clothing was in no way attacking personal freedom.

Juppé took a more moderate approach, criticizing the law and the polemics surrounding it. His efforts to appease tensions may have reassured left-wing voters, but they failed to win over his own camp.

Following public opinion?

Such extreme reactions have not been targeting only the Muslim communities in France. They also have been aimed at migrants, as the recent debate over an infamous Calais migrant camp demonstrated.

In all cases, politicians defended their tough anti-immigrant stance on the basis that that they were merely following public opinion.

However, a recent survey by Eurobarometer suggests this is not the case. When asked, "What do you think are the two most important issues facing France at the moment?" respondents ranked unemployment first (51.8%), followed by terrorism (30%, up from 13% in 2015). Immigration came fourth with 13.7%.

When the same respondents were asked "And personally, what are the two most important issues you are facing at the moment?" rising prices/inflation came first (32.5%), followed by pensions (15.1%), taxation (14.4%) and unemployment (14%). Terrorism (7.2%) and immigration (3.8%) were respectively 13th and 15th.

Paying the price

The hype created around such hot topics by the media and politicians does not only distract the electorate from other concerns. It also legitimizes a type of discourse that had long been marginalized. In France, this race to the bottom within the mainstream has allowed Le Pen and the Front National to take the back seat. At the FN summer conference, Le Pen posited herself as the "normal" candidate, more moderate than many of her mainstream counterparts.

However, it would be wrong to assume that this normalization of Islamophobia in France is simply the result of a panicked reaction from politicians following deeply traumatic events. The recent explosion of Islamophobia in mainstream political discourse is the result of decades of stigmatization towards Muslim communities in France, starting with the hijab affair in the late 1980s.

The rise of simplistic exclusionary speech towards a diverse part of the population has been in part facilitated by the conscious misuses of the term laïcité. The word has traditionally protected freedom of religion while preventing interference from the state. But politicians have twisted its connotations into a tool for general stigmatization and exclusion.

slam has become the perfect scapegoat for French politicians who claim Muslims' incompatibility with "our" ways -- no matter how unclear these are -- became no longer a question of race but of culture and religion. But the end point is similar, and what has been called "new racism" is in fact very much still racism.

As I have explained at length elsewhere, "Muslimness" in this "new racism" is defined by the onlooker in a position of power, not the bearer of the identity, and is imposed onto people through generalization, misperception and stigmatization made ubiquitous by public discourse and repetition.

Sexism, violence and other generalizations become problems described as being located within the so-called "Muslim community." This in turn justifies subjugating a minority to special and often violent treatment. And it prevents us from looking at the more systemic shortcomings of our societies in terms of gender violence and other forms of inequality and injustice.

Dystopia as the new norm?

Such a diversion has proven a blessing for mainstream politicians as they have failed to offer their people (including the minorities they willfully stigmatize) more hopeful avenues for politics. Dystopia has become the new norm.

With less than six months to go before the first round of the French presidential election, it seems that none of the mainstream candidates are willing to denounce Islamophobia in all its forms. While Juppé has taken a more conciliatory approach, his underwhelming performance in the first round of the Républicans' primaries could spur a tougher approach in the coming week

While the situation is particularly worrying for minorities in France, polls revealing incredible levels of political dissatisfaction could point to a different future (up to 9 out of 10 respondents to the Eurobarometer survey say they don't trust political parties). While Brexit and Trump's successful campaigns did indeed capitalize on far-right sentiments, both did little to sufficiently address the more important economic issues that concern the electorate.

While the far right has so far managed to tap into this resentment most successfully, at least in appearance, a progressive and inclusive alternative could turn the tide, as mainstream parties have proven their inability to retain or win back voters even when faced with an unpalatable alternative.

The question for the French people who believe in a different future than that offered by the FN is thus both simple and impossibly complicated: Can they wait for traditional parties to provide such an alternative, or should they take matters into their own hands?

Source: CNN

Japan's giant sinkhole is sinking again

A giant sinkhole that was hastily repaired in Japan earlier this month is showing signs of movement.

Traffic was stopped at the busy intersection in Japanese city of Fukuoka on the weekend after the road was seen to sink some seven centimeters (2.7 inches).

Earlier this month, a 30 meter (98 feet) wide, 15 meter (50 feet) deep hole suddenly opened, swallowing five lanes of road and flooding with water.

It was repaired in a matter of days in what was seen as a testament to Japanese engineering and efficiency.

Some doubt was raised over those plaudits Saturday however, when traffic had to be stopped around the hole as a section of road began sinking again. The road has since been re-opened.

On Facebook, Fukuoka mayor Soichiro Takashima apologized for not warning residents the ground could sink again.

City officials told CNN some movement had been expected as the sand and cement used to fill the hole settle.

Source: CNN

sábado, 26 de novembro de 2016

Child in Human Zoo Belgium (Circo 1958)

Deep Racism: The Forgotten History Of Human Zoos | Throughout the late 19th century, and well into the 1950′s, Africans and in some cases Native Americans, were kept as exhibits in zoos. Far from a relic from an unenlightened past, remnants of such exhibits have continued in Europe as late as the 2000′s. Above photograph is from Brussels, Belgium in 1958.

Quotes from Augusto K. Campos (November 2016)

Quotes from Augusto K. Campos (November 2016)

'' FOR EVERY WRONG DECISION, HAVE MANY PLANS OF IMPROVEMENT.''

´´ LIFE DOES NOT PRESS ANYONE, OUR INTERESTS, YES.´´

´´ OUR VANITY HAS NO POWER, TO FACE THE EFFECTS OF AGE.´´

´´IN THE LAW OF SUCCESS, MATHEMATICS IT'S SIMPLE; FOR EVERY MAN THAT IGNORE YOU, GOD GIVES YOU 1000 ADMIRATORS.´´

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sexta-feira, 25 de novembro de 2016

How do women really know if they are having an orgasm?

In the nascent field of orgasm research, much of the data relies on subjects self-reporting, and in men, there’s some pretty clear physiological feedback in the form of ejaculation.

But how do women know for sure if they are climaxing? What if the sensation they have associated with climax is actually one of the the early foothills of arousal? And how does a woman know when if she has had an orgasm?

Neuroscientist Dr Nicole Prause set out to answer these questions by studying orgasms in her private laboratory. Through better understanding of what happens in the body and the brain during arousal and orgasm, she hopes to develop devices that can increase sex drive without the need for drugs.

Understanding orgasm begins with a butt plug. Prause uses the pressure-sensitive anal gauge to detect the contractions typically associated with orgasm in both men and women. Combined with EEG, which measures brain activity, this allows for a more accurate picture of a woman’s arousal and orgasm.

When Prause began studying women in this way she noticed something surprising. “Many of the women who reported having an orgasm were not having any of the physical signs – the contractions – of an orgasm.”

It’s not clear why that is, but it is clear that we don’t know an awful lot about orgasms and sexuality. “We don’t think they are faking,” she said. “My sense is that some women don’t know what an orgasm is. There are lots of pleasure peaks that happen during intercourse. If you haven’t had contractions you may not know there’s something different.”

Prause, an ultramarathon runner and keen motorcyclist in her free time, started her career at the Kinsey Institute in Indiana, where she was awarded a doctorate in 2007. Studying the sexual effects of a menopause drug, she first became aware of the prejudice against the scientific study of sexuality in the US.

When her high-profile research examining porn “addiction” found the condition didn’t fit the same neurological patterns as nicotine, cocaine or gambling, it was an unpopular conclusion among people who believe they do have a porn addiction.

“People started posting stories online that I had falsified my data and I received all kinds of sexist attacks,” she said. Soon anonymous emails of complaint were turning up at the office of the president of UCLA, where she worked from 2012 to 2014, demanding that Prause be fired.

Does orgasm benefit mental health?

Prause pushed on with her research, but repeatedly came up against challenges when seeking approval for studies involving orgasms. “I tried to do a study of orgasms while at UCLA to pilot a depression intervention. UCLA rejected it after a seven-month review,” she said. The ethics board told her that to proceed, she would need to remove the orgasm component – rendering the study pointless.

Undeterred, Prause left to set up her sexual biotech company Liberos, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 2015. The company has been working on a number of studies, including one exploring the benefits and effectiveness of “orgasmic meditation”, working with specialist company OneTaste.

Part of the “slow sex” movement, the practice involves a woman having her clitoris stimulated by a partner – often a stranger – for 15 minutes. “This orgasm state is different,” claims OneTaste’s website. “It is goalless, intuitive, and dynamic. It flows all over the place with no set direction. It may include climax, or it may not. In Orgasm 2.0, we learn to listen to what our body wants instead of what we think we ‘should’ want.”

Prause wants to determine whether arousal has any wider benefits for mental health. “The folks that practice this claim it helps with stress and improves your ability to deal with emotional situations even though as a scientist it seems pretty explicitly sexual to me,” she said.

Prause is examining orgasmic meditators in the laboratory, measuring finger movements of the partner, as well as brainwave activity, galvanic skin response and vaginal contractions of the recipient. Before and after measuring bodily changes, researchers run through questions to determine physical and mental states. Prause wants to determine whether achieving a level of arousal requires effort or a release in control. She then wants to observe how Orgasmic Meditation affects performance in cognitive tasks, how it changes reactivity to emotional images and how it compares with regular meditation.

Brain stimulation is ‘theoretically possible’

Another research project is focused on brain stimulation, which Prause believes could provide an alternative to drugs such as Addyi, the “female Viagra”. The drug had to be taken every day, couldn’t be mixed with alcohol and its side-effects can include sudden drops in blood pressure, fainting and sleepiness. “Many women would rather have a glass of wine than take a drug that’s not very effective every day,” said Prause.

The field of brain stimulation is in its infancy, though preliminary studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which uses direct electrical currents to stimulate specific parts of the brain, can help with depression, anxiety and chronic pain but can also cause burns on the skin. Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses a magnet to activate the brain, has been used to treat depression, psychosis and anxiety, but can also cause seizures, mania and hearing loss.

Prause is studying whether these technologies can treat sexual desire problems. In one study, men and women receive two types of magnetic stimulation to the reward center of their brains. After each session, participants are asked to complete tasks to see how their responsiveness to monetary and sexual rewards (porn) has changed.

With DCS, Prause wants to stimulate people’s brains using direct currents and then fire up tiny cellphone vibrators that have been glued to the participants’ genitals. This provides sexual stimulation in a way that eliminates the subjectivity of preferences people have for pornography.

“We already have a basic functioning model,” said Prause. “The barrier is getting a device that a human can reliably apply themselves without harming their own skin.”

There is plenty of skepticism around the science of brain stimulation, a technology which has already spawned several devices including the headset Thync, which promises users an energy boost, and Foc.us, which claims to help with endurance.

Neurologist Steven Novella from the Yale School of Medicine uses brain stimulation devices in clinical trials to treat migraines, but he says there’s not enough clinical evidence to support these emerging consumer devices. “There’s potential for physical harm if you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said. “From a theoretical point of view these things are possible, but in terms of clinical claims they are way ahead of the curve here. It’s simultaneously really exciting science but also premature pseudoscience.”

Biomedical engineer Marom Bikson, who uses tDCS to treat depression at the City College of New York, agrees. “There’s a lot of snake oil.”

Sexual problems can be emotional and societal

Prause, also a licensed psychologist, is keen to avoid overselling brain stimulation. “The risk is that it will seem like an easy, quick fix,” she said. For some, it will be, but for others it will be a way to test whether brain stimulation can work – which Prause sees as a more balanced approach than using medication. “To me, it is much better to help provide it for people likely to benefit from it than to try to create fake problems to sell it to everyone.”

Sexual problems can be triggered by societal pressures that no device can fix. “There’s discomfort and anxiety and awkwardness and shame and lack of knowledge,” said psychologist Leonore Tiefer, who specializes in sexuality. Brain stimulation is just one of many physical interventions companies are trying to develop to make money, she says. “There’s a million drugs under development. Not just oral drugs but patches and creams and nasal sprays, but it’s not a medical problem,” she said.

Thinking about low sex drive as a medical condition requires defining what’s normal and what’s unhealthy. “Sex does not lend itself to that kind of line drawing. There is just too much variability both culturally and in terms of age, personality and individual differences. What’s normal for me is not normal for you, your mother or your grandmother.”

And Prause says that no device is going to solve a “Bob problem” – when a woman in a heterosexual couple isn’t getting aroused because her partner’s technique isn’t any good. “No pills or brain stimulation are going to fix that,” she said.

Source: The Guardian