People Fear Male-Named Hurricanes More

L i f e s t y l e FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014 People fear male-named hurricanes more hich scares you more: Hurricane No official names Victor or Hurricane Victoria? People But Susan Cutter, director of the University Ware slightly less likely to flee an of South Carolina’s Hazards and Vulnerability oncoming storm with a feminine name than a Research Institute, dismissed the idea that masculine one, a new study finds. But here is female-named storms are deadlier. She con- Victoria’s secret: Hurricanes with feminine sidered the study results just coincidence. To names turn out to be deadlier in the United examine past death rates, Shavitt and doctor- States than their more macho-sounding al student Kiju Jung used Shavitt’s scale that counterparts, probably because their rated names from 1 to 11 in terms of mas- monikers make people underestimate their culinity and femininity. They looked at death danger, the researchers conclude. In fact, the rates going back to 1950 and found that, in two deadliest storms to make landfall in the general, the deadlier storms were more femi- US since 1979, when male names were intro- nine. However, male-named storms weren’t duced, were named Katrina and Sandy. introduced until 1979. The study, which didn’t involve any Only female names were used for storms experts in meteorology or disaster science, is from 1953 to 1978. From 1950 to 1952, mili- published Monday in the Proceedings of the tary-style phonetic names (like Able, Baker, National Academy of Sciences. Atlantic hurri- Charlie) were used and before that, there cane season started Sunday. In six different were no official names for storms. experiments, more than 1,000 test subjects While since 1979, female storms have been told behavioral scientists at the University of deadlier - even with the outlier of Katrina Illinois in Champaign that they were slightly removed - the sample size is so small that the more likely to evacuate from an oncoming trend from 1979 is not statistically significant. storm named Christopher than Christina, But it is significant when combined with data Victor than Victoria, Alexander than Alexandra This Aug 30, 2005 file photo shows floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina coverig a portion from 1950, Shavitt said. Also telling is that the and Danny than Kate. They found female of New Orleans. — AP amount of damages is not much different names less frightening. about gender perception differences, she not all found merit in the work, noting that it between male and female storms, indicating “People are looking for meaning in any said. Sandy, while it can also be a male name, is more about psychology rather than physi- the big difference is not the size of the storm information that they receive,” said study co- was chosen as a female name by weather cal science. Emanuel said confusion over but how people react to it, Jung said. author Sharon Shavitt, a professor of market- authorities in 2012. Shavitt said it also ranked whether 2012’s Sandy was called a hurricane This year’s hurricane names will be Arthur, ing. “The name of the storm is providing peo- as rather feminine when she asked a small or post-tropical storm did cause confusion, so Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, ple with irrelevant information that they actu- group of people to assess names on a mascu- maybe names could make a difference too. Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, ally use.” Shavitt said both men and women line-feminine scale. He joked that maybe names matter and per- Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, rated female storms less scary and they both Hurricane and disaster science experts, haps meteorologists should start using scari- Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. Jung and Shavitt “are likely to believe that women are milder such as MIT’s Kerry Emanuel, were skeptical at er-sounding ones like Jack-the-Ripper or King said one name jumps out at them for danger: and less aggressive.” It fits with other research first. Then after more consideration some but Kong. Dolly. It’s considered highly feminine. — AP Singing nun prepares for Italy talent show final singing nun who has won over millions performance of “No One” has received more with soulful renditions and a self-effacing than 50 million hits on YouTube and Keys said it Amanner put her faith in a higher power was “pure energy”. The performances have also ahead of yesterday’s final of The Voice of Italy. beaten viewing records at Rai Due public televi- The 25-year-old Suor Cristina is already a talent show sensation thanks to her habit-clad performances but also has on her side the critics, who say her popularity stems from novelty val- ue. “I have a gift and I am gifting it to you,” the irrepressible Italian nun told a panel of shocked judges when she started out in March in the amateur contest. Public enthusiasm has been high in this mainly Catholic country for her lustful cover ver- sions including tunes from Flashdance and Dirty Dancing as well as Alicia Keys’ “No One” and the These hand-out photos released yesterday by the RAI TV press office shows Sister 80s hit “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. As the sus- Cristina Scuccia performing during the Italian State RAI TV program ‘The Voice of Italy’, in pense mounted, the Italian sister said on Milan. — AFP photos Wednesday she was leaving her future “in the hands of providence” and would remain a sion with audience shares of up to 15 percent. maturity and artistic fullness thanks to a mysteri- “humble servant” if she wins. She has already sung alongside Kylie Minogue ous and special force. By giving herself to the She attributed her popularity to a “thirst for and Ricky Martin and a flirtatious panel judge, Lord, she has enriched her art,” Koll from the joy, for love, for a message that is beautiful and Italian rapper J-Ax said she could be the “holy Star Rose Academy said in a recent interview. pure”. “Since Pope Francis talks of a bible of joy... water” to his “devil”. Suor Cristina has described herself as a for- I think I’m on the right track,” said the small- mer rebel who distanced herself from religion town native from Sicily, who trained at a musical ‘Insult to showbusiness’ but then received her vocation when she audi- academy before becoming a nun. Fame has brought media attention to her tioned for a part in a musical about the founder Sister Cristina Scuccia, who is up against past, including interviews with a former of the Ursuline Order, Saint Angela Merici. She three other finalists, has also won celebrity boyfriend and with Claudia Koll, the director of became a novice in 2009 and worked with poor endorsements including Whoopi Goldberg, the the musical academy where she trained-herself children in Brazil before formally entering the star of the comedy “Sister Act”, who tweeted: a former starlet who is now a lay sister. order and still has to take her final vows even as “For when you want a taste of sister act”. Her “Cristina’s personal journey has brought her to a musical career beckons. —AFP.

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