| JREF Homepage | Swift Blog | Events Calendar | $1 Million Paranormal Challenge | The Amaz!ng Meeting | Useful Links | Support Us |
![]() |
|
|
|
|||||||
| Notices |
| Welcome to the JREF Forum, where we discuss skepticism, critical thinking, the paranormal and science in a friendly but lively way. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest, which means you are missing out on discussing matters that are of interest to you. Please consider registering so you can gain full use of the forum features and interact with other Members. Registration is simple, fast and free! Click here to register today. |
|
|
#1 |
|
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,824
|
There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
(CNN) -- It's an argument that's as old as it is contentious: that male and female brains work differently.
It's also spawned countless self-help books (think "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus") and bland jokes about women being unable to read maps, or men never asking for directions. It's a brave expert who'll chart a course through these controversial waters. But that hasn't stopped Michael Gurian, psychologist and author of "What Could He Be Thinking?". He believes there are about a hundred structural differences that have been identified between the male and female brain. "Men, because we tend to compartmentalize our communication into a smaller part of the brain, we tend to be better at getting right to the issue," he said. "The more female brain (will) gather a lot of material, gather a lot of information, feel a lot, hear a lot, sense a lot," he said. Scientists say males have more activity in mechanical centers of the brain, whereas females show more activity in verbal and emotional centers. The differences can be noticed from early childhood, Gurian said, such as when an adult gives a child a doll. "That doll becomes life-like to that girl, but you give it to a two-year-old boy and you are more likely, not all the time, but you are more likely than not to see that boy try to take the head off the doll," he said. "He thinks spatial-mechanical. He's using the doll as an object". To find out why these differences exist, scientists have taken voyages deep inside the gray matter using MRI scans. The scans show that in most women, the corpus callosum area, which handles communication between the brain's two "hemispheres", is larger. In layman's terms, it means that the two sides of the female brain "talk" better to each other -- which could explain why studies show women tend to multi-task better. On the other hand, the scans show men tend to move information more easily within each hemisphere. It all boils down to genes, according to Dr. Marianne Legato Partnership for Gender Specific Medicine Columbia University. Women are born with two X chromosomes, and men with an X and a Y. "And on that Y chromosome are at least 21 unique genes unique to males which control many of the body's operations down to the level of the cells," Dr Legato said. She also said those genetic differences explain other differences, like why men can drink more alcohol than women without becoming intoxicated. "Women do not have the enzyme in their stomach that degrades alcohol which men have," she said. http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science...ain/index.html My teachers (the liberal ones) always have said "Oh, there's no such thing as gender differences physically. It's because of culture." Well, no it's not. |
|
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Graduate Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,862
|
Strange... I've never known any teacher to claim there are no physical differences between men and women. There are some very obvious differences.
|
|
__________________
A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent. -- William Blake |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,567
|
Btw, How many out of these can be said as 'manmade'? You can also include ' manmade evolutionaries'--I mean which are evolutionarized due to human's/men's social practices.
Furthur, Is there any differance between eyes of men & women? |
|
__________________
Noble/Logical non-technical views only, no commitments.Live & Let Live. Keep the eyes open till anything is existing in mass but yet unclear. Can Chemical Medicines+Potentised Remedies be the solution for many unclear disorder to cover both Matter & Energy. |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Hipster alien
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: not measurable
Posts: 16,827
|
Only a man would count the precise number of differences between men and women.
|
|
__________________
Is the JREF message board training wheels for people who hope to one day troll other message boards? It is not that hard to get us to believe you. We are not the major leagues or even the minor leagues. We are Pee-Wee baseball. If you love striking out 10-year-olds, then you'll love trolling our board. |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Posts: 9,538
|
There's always a huge amount of bunkum that comes out of serious research in this field. I recall that about a year before "Mars and Venus" came out, (John Gray-phoney PHD.) A book was published by a researcher at my university titled, as I recall, "You're Just Not Listening", which detailed research on the different ways females and males handled communication issues, and why there was so much difficulty in relationships.
Apparently, Gray took the main idea and ran with it.... Science Friday has had a number of segments recently on the fact that men and women, in presented with various mental tasks, exhibit different areas of the brain in use. What's even more interesting is that though different "processes" may be used, the effectiveness in handling most tasks is very similar. |
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,567
|
Quote:
![]() We can get some clues on looking at animals. |
|
__________________
Noble/Logical non-technical views only, no commitments.Live & Let Live. Keep the eyes open till anything is existing in mass but yet unclear. Can Chemical Medicines+Potentised Remedies be the solution for many unclear disorder to cover both Matter & Energy. |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Advaitin
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Here
Posts: 3,809
|
Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
|
|
__________________
Im too busy living, why waste my time believing? |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Wits' End
Posts: 21,647
|
Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Posts: 9,538
|
One might read Stephen Pinker's The Blank Slate for more on this.
Modern academia apparently embraced the notion that there is no "human nature" back around the turn of the century, and it's still a prevalent idea. Everything we do is the result of experience and culture. Pinker pretty well demolishes the idea. |
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Persnickety Insect
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sunny Munuvia
Posts: 14,914
|
Re: Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
![]() Ten dollars says that ten minutes on google will find someone who says exactly that. |
|
__________________
Free blogs for skeptics... And everyone else. mee.nu What, in the Holy Name of Gzortch, are you people doing?!?!!? - TGHO |
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Wits' End
Posts: 21,647
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Persnickety Insect
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sunny Munuvia
Posts: 14,914
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
Well, I could waste another five minutes searching, or I could cough up the ten dollars.
|
|
__________________
Free blogs for skeptics... And everyone else. mee.nu What, in the Holy Name of Gzortch, are you people doing?!?!!? - TGHO |
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Wits' End
Posts: 21,647
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Persnickety Insect
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sunny Munuvia
Posts: 14,914
|
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and fema
Quote:
... $4 postage and packing?
|
|
__________________
Free blogs for skeptics... And everyone else. mee.nu What, in the Holy Name of Gzortch, are you people doing?!?!!? - TGHO |
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Advaitin
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Here
Posts: 3,809
|
Whats the difficult thing about it? Different brain structures qualify as physical differences. If we account behavioural differences as caused by different structures then we most say that males and females act different because they brains are different.
But they say that no, we act different because our culture raise us different (I know, to many different words in this text ).
|
|
__________________
Im too busy living, why waste my time believing? |
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 12,542
|
Re: Re: Re: There are 100 differences in the brains of males and females
Quote:
Unfortunately, this area is one (among many in our society today, actually) that causes a wave of hypersensitive whining and denial (ad nauseum) from generally insecure people who think if someone says "different" they mean "inferior/superior." ![]() What Gurian said (at least in the above quotes) is all obviously true, but hardly news... |
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Illuminator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 4,758
|
Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Wits' End
Posts: 21,647
|
Quote:
There are a few well-established differences in abnormal behavior. For example, men are overwhelmingly more likely than women to acquire aphasia as a result of left-hemisphere brain injury. This can be tied in with PET scan data (although not to any known structural differences) suggesting that men's language processing is more localized, and specifically localized in the left hemisphere. Damage to the left hemisphere is much more likely to cause significant damage to the language processing "centers" in men, therefore. However, the specific theory presented in the OP -- "scans show that in most women, the corpus callosum area, which handles communication between the brain's two "hemispheres", is larger. In layman's terms, it means that the two sides of the female brain "talk" better to each other -- which could explain why studies show women tend to multi-task better" -- is a good example of prejudice masquerading as science. The studies that "show" women tend to multi-task better don't present any evidence to suggest that it's innate instead of cultural (or learned), and even the scientists who work in this area (Gorski, Meyer, etc.) don't claim that. In fact, most of the scientists who work on multitasking specifically don't even see gender differences. This apparent behaviour difference may not even exist --- and yet you're postulating a structural cause for a nonexistent effect. |
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Advaitin
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Here
Posts: 3,809
|
Quote:
In any case, I take for granted that the differences are there, because I find it as the most plausible answer to the differences in behavior that I see. Not conclusive at all, I know, but unless someone show us some proof that cant be doubted, we are trapped in what we, as individuals, believe is the most plausible answer. Like in several other fields, btw. |
|
__________________
Im too busy living, why waste my time believing? |
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Perfectly Poisonous Person
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West
Posts: 4,205
|
There are two bathrooms upstairs in our house. Supposedly one is for parents, and the other is for kids.
Except that daughter refuses to go in and use the bathroom used by her brothers becaues it is disgusting. One big difference is what yuck each will put up with. Dear hubby spent Valentine's Day evening cleaning most of their bathroom... including a situation dealing with #2 son's cat whose litter box is in there similar to this: http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzz...-20050214.html Today I am hanging out here, avoiding the promise I made to scrub the floor, shower and wall behind toilet. Oh, as anyone who has been in a long-term heterosexual relationship can attest to... there are differences which point to what duties each one will take. Dear hubby does the computer management, income, guiding the kids into their chores, cleaning the toilets, vacuuming the fridge grills, many indoor cleaning bits, Sunday breakfast and dinner, and all soccer related items excluding laundry. I am in charge of household finances, long term memory storage (hubby has short term memory for most appointments and non-soccer related kid events), laundry, yard work and kid lunches. There are differences... but there are LARGE variations inside of a particular population. So I tend to ignore those that say that one subsection of population is this way or that and then assumes that ALL of those in that population is that way. Statements like "all girls like dolls" would be foolish in light of the fact my daughter hates dolls (prefers plushies, specifically the anime type). Editted to add: my daughter did remove all the heads of her dolls. (also added: in my house I am the mechanical reasoning person, since I was an engineer -- hubby thinks in bits and bytes) Oh, rats... I guess I have to tackle that bathroom floor now. sigh |
|
__________________
I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/
|
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,567
|
There can be 'natural evolutions AND 'social evolutions' effected by our previous exposures to which we become habitual, addicted & adapted to. Adaption & adoptions or nature vs. nursure may be few words.
|
|
__________________
Noble/Logical non-technical views only, no commitments.Live & Let Live. Keep the eyes open till anything is existing in mass but yet unclear. Can Chemical Medicines+Potentised Remedies be the solution for many unclear disorder to cover both Matter & Energy. |
|
|
|
![]() |
| Bookmarks |
| Thread Tools | |
|
|