Human Energetics Research with Dr. Cara Ocobock

That Anthro Podcast

Welcome Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Human Energetics Laboratory at Notre Dame, Dr. Cara Ocobock. We begin the episode by breaking down a piece Dr. Ocobock wrote for Sapiens called “Sexism Still Winning at the Olympics” https://www.sapiens.org/biology/olympics-sexism-regulations/. She explains how this article came about, and how it was important to collect lines of evidence surrounding the issue that were accessible for freshmen through seniors in her anthropology of sports class. Discussions from these classes helped bust myths students thought to be true, like that testosterone is the sole key to athletic success, and it inspired her to take this piece to a wider audience at Sapiens. She details her own experiences with sexism and harassment as a female athlete, but explains how it was an experience she has taken a lot from. https://www.sapiens.org/biology/female-male-athletes-differences/ Cara also is very close with her family, and during the pandemic she decided to create a lab manual of science experiments for her niece Ruby. Well, upon completion she posted it on Twitter and it’s been a HUGE success! Check it out for FREE below. Ruby’s Lab Manual: https://sites.nd.edu/cara-ocobock/outreach/rubys-laboratory-manual/ Her academic research focuses on cold climate populations and the physiological adaptations required to survive in harsh environments. Primarily, her conducts her research in Finland studying brown fat and human energetics. She also co-hosts a podcast! Sausage of Science Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sausage-of-science/id1340030371 Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content. Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629