In The Buzz Cut, we give our take on all of the intellectual and Internet-famous, celebrity and bizarre, buzzy and overlooked family and parenting news we gossiped about all week.

On the job. It is a painfully known fact that motherhood comes with a professional price. This article challenges the societal assumption that moms are liabilities in the workplace and recasts them as assets. Their value can’t be recognized (and rewarded) too soon, given this article about women having to give up on doing what they love for better paying jobs they don’t care about in order to meet their financial needs. And no woman should have to put up with sexual harassment or assault on the job, yet flight attendants say the airline industry hasn’t provided training on how to handle inappropriate or violating behavior on flights, or support for the employees subjected to it.

Between the sheets. Dating apps hold much more significance in a country where people have to pretend to be straight in front of society. But for India’s LGBTQ+ community, these apps are both a blessing and a curse. And speaking of online communities, some women express both their fandom and their sexuality via the safe space of erotic fanfiction. And in other sexually liberating news, the porn website Pornhub is now offering videos with subtitles for their deaf viewers. Finally, here’s one woman’s take on how to restart a sex life that’s been wrecked by postpartum depression: It’s not about reclaiming, but about rebuilding.

In the head. Physical injuries bring pain, but often psychological trauma, too; frustration and helplessness take time to heal, also, but rarely get attention they deserve. Speaking of pain, check out the latest scientific insights around how our brains perceive pain. Elsewhere, a psychologist explains why and how humans are capable of cruelty towards one another; surprisingly, it’s not dehumanization, but the very opposite – the recognition of humanity and morality in others.

On the screen. Deepika Padukone spoke to the Evening Standard about misconceptions around depression and within the film industry — like the misconception she needed a boob job to become a great actress. Elsewhere, Priyanka Chopra has a thoughtful take on her beauty pageant roots. And these women aren’t the only ones getting Hollywood nods: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the group behind the Oscars) has now invited 20 Indians to become members of the Oscar Academy, including Shah Rukh Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor as well as people from other film fields.

Around the world. In uplifting news, Saudi Arabia has lifted its ban on women driving. But this academic argues that economic necessity, not progressive values, is, well, driving the change. On the other side of the world, this piece takes readers into a classroom in China, where students are taught Maoist communism in attempt to re-popularize it.