The Smartest Woman Alive

Have you ever heard someone say “Be careful, you’ll become a crazy old cat lady” as if being an independent boss bitch with pet cats is something to look down on? Why is that? Why do cats, especially when linked to a single woman, have this negative connotation? I mean yeah, if you die a cat will likely eat you if no one finds you for a few days, but a dog might eat your face off, and a cute little hamster might build a nest from your skin. Yep. Its true, just ask real live Bones aka forensic anthropologist Carolyn Rando. So, what’s with all the pussy cat prejudice? Well, it wasn’t always so. Cats have been around us humans for thousands of years, Ancient Egyptians are well known for their feline affinity, Bastet (or Bast) was the goddess of protection, fertility, pleasure and the bringer of good health. In Norse Mythology, one of the most renowned goddesses Freyja rode a chariot drawn by cats, and she was the goddess of love, fertility, battle and death. Cats were depicted in reli...

A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Far Away. I study Ancient History. When I tell people, they all usually have the same general response. It is an irrelevant, albeit interesting, field of study, and they are usually unsure as to why I am even undertaking to learn about such irrelevant things.  So why do I, and why should we all, care about things that happened so long ago, in what seems like a different world? The answer, first and foremost, is simple. The study of Ancient History, or any other period of history, is the study of humanity and human behaviour.  Why do we do what we do?  The fact is, that the trials, tribulations, morals and priorities of those in the past are not that dissimilar than those that we have today, and developments in the humanities are providing us with new ways of looking at the past, and bringing these similarities to light. Concatenation of scientific and humanitarian disciplines is providing a more wholistic view of ancient empires, civilisat...

Have you ever felt that your period product, pads or tampons, were not cutting it? Don't worry, it's not you, it's them.  Every menstruating person on earth knows the trials and tribulations of finding and using period products. Out of everything we go through each month, you would think period products would be the lest complicated. Yes, they are uncomfortable,. Yes they will stick to the wrong things, or nothing at all. Yes, its really hard to figure out what you need for what flow. But, they are made for this right? Turns out, they haven't been. Made for, but not tested with. Turns out, period products are not designed, or tested using actual blood. Yes, you read that right. A recent study conducted by the Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland is the first to actually measure period products with actual blood. And when I say recent, I mean RECENT. It was August 2023.  Lets back up a bit.... Whilst the use of pads and tampons can be ...

I'm Leea.  41 year old mother to two, wife to one, and I love doing research and learning new things.  I have also been around since the internet was invented, so was able in my younger days to snag the amazing thesmartestwomanalive  email address. I love all things tech, and have loved watching as new and exciting things come out each year. Having the world at your fingertips was not something I grew up with (I am a Xennial after all) and the awesomeness of that wealth of information has never been lost to me.  Having the world at your fingertips, whilst amazing, can also be totally overwhelming.  Our daily lives are overloaded with millions of tiny decisions each day, our individual executive function is at capacity, so sometimes you need someone to do those hard yards for you. Someone to read the plethora of reviews, to troll through the seemingly endless options available... and that's just what I have done. I have never bought anything, gone anywhere, or ev...