Rebecca Coffey

Humans are Great Apes, a taxonomic family of primates that includes orangutans, gorillas, and pans (chimps and bonobos). The job of the human male is to spread his seed widely. The job of the female is to be selective about whose seed she receives. Those are dramatically different biological blueprints. And therein lies one explanation for the many recent headlines about sexual misconduct by men. Our animal nature is undeniable. But is beastly behavior inevitable? This speech sheds light on the #MeToo movement and some of the controversies surrounding it. Speaker Coffey is author of "Science and Lust" (Beck and Branch, 2018), which Kirkus called "entertaining and envelope-pushing popular science," likening Coffey to Mary Roach, known for her research, curiosity, and humor.

There’s a paper in the June 2018 issue of "Personality and Individual Differences" that puts an interesting evolutionary spin on why women regret casual sex more often than men do. The research is from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Seven hundred sixty-three men and women in Norway and the United States were surveyed. Women regretted casual sex far more often than men and enjoyed it less. Having felt pressured to have sex in the first place contributed significantly to women’s regret, as did worry about pregnancy. But the single strongest factor in regret for women was the experience of disgust, and that’s what intrigued researchers most. Arguably, men’s biological imperative is to spread seed widely. Because they must make a bigger investment in raising progeny, women’s biological imperative may be to be selective about whose seed they accept. This is where disgust may help as a selection strategy.... Coffey is author of the 2018 book "Science and Lust."

The children being held in huge encampments near the Mexican border: Do they get regular visits from their parents? Do they live in small “family” groups headed by Mexican and Central American refugees who are familiar with the children’s cultures of origin? Is someone watching each child closely and seeing how his or her fears come to life through play? You say “No?” and “Probably not”? Well, that’s alarming—considering that, since World War II, visits from parents, life in “family” groups, and help handling difficult emotions have constituted a virtual catalog of universally respected ways that caring people use with children living in institutional settings. It was Sigmund Freud’s daughter, Anna Freud (author of the ground-breaking book Beyond the Best Interests of the Child) who educated teachers and others about the emotional needs of immigrant children.... Rebecca Coffey is author of th, fact-based, highly acclaimed novel, "Hysterical: Anna Freud's Story" (SWP, 2014).