Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site houxu.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!floyd!whuxle!pyuxll!abnjh!u1100a!pyuxn!pyuxww!mhuxm!mhuxl!houxm!houxu!welsch From: welsch@houxu.UUCP Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Male/Female Roles Message-ID: <301@houxu.UUCP> Date: Fri, 27-Jan-84 22:38:16 EST Article-I.D.: houxu.301 Posted: Fri Jan 27 22:38:16 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 31-Jan-84 02:36:16 EST Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 33 (to the eater of first lines) If we are going to discuss the topic that Tom Twiss has proposed I recommend some ground rules to try to keep the pitch below a "flame" level. The ground rules are: 1. Provide a reference for all controversial work referred too. 2. References should be no more than 10 years old. 3. Leave personal biases out of the discussion. 4. No anecdotes. To start I, I would like to make the proposal that genius's tend to boys. The reference is Science, 23 December 1983, Vol. 222, No 4630 page 1312, article "Math Genius May Have Hormonal Basis" by Gina Kolata. The article refers to a study Norman Geschwind, a neurologist at Harvard medical school. He has proposed that left handedness, immune system disorders, autism dyslexia, stuttering and giftedness in the arts, music, and mathematics can be linked together. Specifically, he theorizes they are all caused by an excess of testosterone or unusual sensitivity to testosterone during fetal life that alters brain anatomy. More interesting after Geschwind made his predictions, Benbow and Stanly at Johns Hopkins University did a study and found Geschwind's predictions held up beautifully. Since boys are more exposed to testosterone in utero is more likely for them to be mathematically inclined. It is also more likely for males to suffer from autism and dyslexia, ie. males are more variable than females. Larry Welsch houxu!welsch