Saturday, December 09, 2006

Brizendine on brain size

Deborah Solomon interviews Dr. Louann Brizendine:
How big is the average male brain?
It's about the size of a cantaloupe. It's 9 to 10 percent larger than the female brain.

But the size of one's brain is unrelated to one's level of intelligence, right?
Yes. Remember, the female brain has more connections between the two hemispheres, and we have 11 percent more brain cells in the area of the brain called the planum temporale, which has to do with perceiving and processing language.

If women have superior verbal skills, why have they been subservient to men in almost all societies?
Because of pregnancy.
So let me get this straight. If your brain is smaller then the difference has nothing to do with intelligence. But if a brain part is bigger, then that proves superior mental skills.

For those who hate stereotypes, read this:
Are you concerned that you are rehabilitating outdated gender stereotypes that portray women as chatterboxes ruled by female hormones?
A stereotype always has an aspect of truth to it, or it wouldn?t be a stereotype. I am talking about the biological basis behind behaviors that we all know about.

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