Another week has flown by here at HowStuffWorks, which means there are two new Stuff Mom Never Told You podcasts that you can check out. First up this week, we discussed the Chinese practice of foot-binding. It was very interesting to learn about the women who bound their feet in secret after the Chinese government banned the practice in 1912. The women would undo the bandages during the day, when they might be seen by inspectors, only to re-bind them at night. We talked about some of the reasons why three-inch feet were prized in China, and we wondered if any of the beauty regimes we undergo today will be thought of as similarly barbaric in the future.

Our sources for this episode:

• “Bound by History,” by Simon Montlake, Wall Street Journal
• “Painful Memories for China’s Footbinding Survivors,” by Louisa Lim, NPR
• “Perspectives on Foot-binding,” by Dorothy Ko, ASIANetwork Exchange
• “Chinese Girl with Bound Feet,” The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco
• “A Second Look at the Big Squeeze,” by Jennifer Ruark, Chronicle of Higher Education (available via library database)
• “Foot Binding: Beauty and Torture,” by John Mao, Internet Journal of Biological Anthroplogy (available via library database)

On Wednesday, we celebrated a belated anniversary — the passing of Title IX. The legislation created enormous change for women in academia, though today we mostly associate Title IX with sports. The National Organization for Women estimates that prior to Title IX, only one in 27 girls played varsity high school sports; in 2001, that number was one in 2.5 girls. However, Title IX isn’t without controversy. Some claim that the legislation discriminates against boys and young men, and there is continual discussion about changing the way that Title IX is administered and monitored.

Sources for the Title IX episode:

• Title IX Fast Facts, National Center for Education Statistics
• Education and Title IX, National Organization for Women
• “‘Too Strong for a Woman’ — The Five Words that Created Title IX,” by Bernice R. Sandler
• “Protection for Title IX Whistleblowers,” by David Moltz, Inside Higher Ed
• “Sidelined: Title IX Retaliation Cases and Women’s Leadership in College Athletics,” by Erin E. Buzuvis, Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy
• “Education Department Nixes Bush-Era Policy on Title IX Compliance,” by Libby Sander, Chronicle of Higher Education
• “Let’s not gloss over Title IX’s faults,” by Allison Kasic, Christian Science Monitor
• “As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividends,” by Tara Parker-Pope, New York Times
• “Group raises concerns over Title IX, men’s soccer,” by Noah Trister, USA Today

We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on these podcasts, as well as any ideas you may have for upcoming episodes. You can send us an e-mail, leave a comment here, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.