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The Brains of Men and Women Aren't Really That Different, Study Finds (sciencemag.org)
sciencehabit writes: In the mid-19th century, researchers claimed they could tell the sex of an individual just by looking at their disembodied brain. But a new study (abstract) finds that human brains do not fit neatly into "male" and "female" categories. Indeed, all of our brains seem to share a patchwork of forms; some that are more common in males, others that are more common in females, and some that are common to both. The findings could change how scientists study the brain and even how society defines gender.
Zombies agree, they're both tasty.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
I thought it was long-known that what might be true on a general basis has poor predictive value on an individual basis when it came to just about anything dealing with the brain.
This is about structural differences. I imagine the chemical/hormonal differences remain... different?
your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
...is that we lack the measurement tools to discern the brain structures that influence macro phenomena.
Dance like you're hurt, Love like you need money, and work when somebody's watching.
-Scott Adams
...any guy who claims the *software* isn't, clearly has never met a woman...
In the mid-19th century, researchers claimed they could tell the sex of an individual just by looking at their disembodied brain.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Now that brain that you gave me. Was it Hans Delbruck's?
Igor: No.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Ah! Very good. Would you mind telling me whose brain I DID put in?
Igor: Then you won't be angry?
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: I will NOT be angry.
Igor: Abby someone.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby someone. Abby who?
Igor: Abby... Normal.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
The only documented exception being Steven Ballmer.
The study identified several regions of the brain that are "male" vs "female" in nature. Hence, there are variations in structures in those regions that do tend to dominate on one gender vs another. However, what the study found is that there is no one "combination" of such regions that statistically dominates to define a definite male or female brain, and that each individual person possesses variation between the two types.
and the New and Improved xyyy.
Gee... these measures vary continously between A and B. Therefore there is no A and no B. /barf. What would be interesting is if there were no way predict sex (greater than chance) from brain structures. That is a strong result. This is just junk dressed up as a strong result, but it isn't strong at all.
Like all pain, suffering is a signal that something isn't right
Now they'll have to open with "What's the deal with airline food?"
SCIENTISTS UNCOVER A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SEXES
Sex does matter: key molecular process in brain is different in males and females
- See more at: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2015/08/scientists-uncover-a-difference-between-the-sexes.html#sthash.kQJxCnEr.dpuf
I hate replying to trolls, and I hate replying to ACs, and you're both. But anyway, for the benefit of those who might actually think you're serious...
The brains of humans and other primates are very different. Humans have much larger cranial capacity, for one (about 3 times that of chimps, our closest ancestors), whereas the difference in cranial capacity between men and women is only a few percent, and that is explained mostly by body size (men and women of the same weight & height have no statistically significant difference in brain size). Human brains have much larger frontal lobes than other primate brains. There are a bunch of other differences too.
Anyway, similarity is relative. A chimp brain is way more similar to a human brain than, say, a rat brain.
A fool and his hard drive are soon parted.
Exactly. I'm not sure why yet another study confirming this is a big deal, or why it's a big deal when people such as Larry Summers make statements that, yes, there are tendencies for gender differences when talking about brains on a general basis, even if you can't make a specific prediction about any one individual based on that general tendency.
This one is from Tel Aviv University. Maybe it is a more useful study for people to cite who are having gender policy discussions within various Jewish communities.
(Although it will not be enough to change certain Orthodox policies, like IIRC women don't count when determining if you have a quorum for a prayer.)
In the 1990s, scientists began to compare these sexually dimorphic regions in the brains of transsexuals and the rest of humanity. Early work in this area required the examination of brains postmortem; recent studies use images of the living brain.
The results show that when individuals of Sex A—despite having the chromosomes, gonads and sex hormones of that sex—insist that they're really Sex B, the gender-affected parts of the brain typically more closely resemble what's usually seen with Sex B.
Consider an obscure brain region called the forceps minor (part of the corpus callosum, a mass of fibers that connect the brain's two hemispheres). On average, among nontranssexuals, the forceps minor of males contains parallel nerve fibers of higher density than in females. But the density in female-to-male transsexuals is equivalent to that in typical males.
As another example, the hypothalamus, a hormone-producing part of the brain, is activated in nontranssexual men by the scent of estrogen, but in women—and male-to-female transsexuals—by the scent of androgens, male-associated hormones.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Good thing zombies don't need to eat heart-healthy.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
MRI scans of transgender people have consistently shown that transgender peoples brains show the same patterns as those of the gender they identify as, Caitlyn's patterns would show up as female on a scan.
If they focus on just sexuality section, that too follows the same pattern, gay men and straight women show up the same.
The story you're posting on is literally fucking claiming that MRI scans show barely any difference between the brains of men and women.
Yet you're literally fucking claiming that MRI scans can match transsexual brains to one of two distinct genders.
You can't have it both ways, SJWs.
If you want to push your narrative that transsexuals have a brain of the gender they want to be but they're trapped in the wrong body, you have to define and differentiate the brains of men and women.
If you want to push your narrative that women aren't into science and math as much as men NOT because of a difference in interest but because of oppression, you have to show that the brains of men and women are the same.
Also, every brain of a woman is inside the head of a woman. While every brain of a man is inside the head of a man.
Every now and then, the thinking part of a man is inside the body of a woman.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
If I had to wager, given what we currently know, I'd submit that it is probably a bit more pre-programmed (or influenced by chemicals such as testosterone and estrogen) that you seem to think and less predictive than others are inclined to think. I strongly suspect that there's straight up differences in trait strengths and weaknesses. To use your example of black people, they are - indeed, physically different as a general rule. This doesn't make them less than or better than however, it does mean they have dominant traits more frequently than others.
Denying this does nothing to further humanity. Using it as an excuse to limit, prejudge, or separate does hinder our further humanity. It's not too painful to admit that we're different. It's okay. In fact, it's a wonderful thing to accept and be aware of diversity and to break those boundaries is a great thing. Not each and every person is going to be the same and some may well be exceptional. That doesn't mean that we're not different as a general rule. It's quite likely that one gender will be more adept at various things (see spacial awareness with me) than another. To think otherwise isn't very smart.
Equal opportunity is an important thing to have but that doesn't necessarily result in equal outcomes. To be more specific, this doesn't mean that women can't do tech. To assume that it means that is just silly. It might mean that men are predisposed to it on a more frequent basis than women are. That's okay. Let people reach for the clouds but make sure they know that the higher they reach the harder the fall. Accept that failures happen and that we're not all the same. Expecting equal outcome is absolutely silly - to the point where it's irrational. What matters is that we've equal opportunity.
The headline is misleading. "It's not really that different" translates to "it's different." It doesn't mean one is better than the other. It just means they're different. There's no reason to read more into it than that. Some are just going to have traits at a greater frequency than others, they're pre-programmed to excel in certain areas. This doesn't prohibit them from working to excel in other areas, it just means that they must work to do so.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
19th century scientists claimed they could identify the sex of a person based solely on their disembodied genitalia.
However, as 21st century gender scientists know, sex reassignment surgery would utterly befuddle such no-nothing pseud-scientists from the bad old days.
Seastead this.