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Eldanen · 03-22-2008, 06:25 AM

From: University of Bath News - Academics find that the finger of destiny points their way

“This research now suggests that lower than average testosterone levels in men lead to spatial skills that can give a man the ability to succeed in science. Other research has in the past also suggested that an unusually high level of testosterone can do the same thing by encouraging the development of the right hemisphere.

"This right brain development is at the expense of language abilities and people skills that men with a more usual level of testosterone develop and which can help them in social science subjects like psychology or education.”

Doesn't this go contrary to the most popular belief with testosterone/estrogen levels? Usually, it's said that higher testosterone levels go hand in hand with higher spatial/mathematical ability, while higher estrogen levels work well with linguistic/critical reading ability.

To quote: Finger Length Foretells Academic Performance: Study

Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said.

Perhaps the difference in ability with the male scientists doesn't come from an objective difference in testosterone levels, but a relative one? Someone explain this disparity?

Edit: Clarification:
When I mean a relative difference, I mean that the end result (higher mathematical and spatial ability) would not necessarily be created by the difference in the levels themselves, but just by the fact that they are inversely different from the norm.

03-22-2008, 06:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
Eldanen Arcesso pulli gingerios! Join Date: Apr 2007 Type: ENTP Location: USA Posts: 690	From: University of Bath News - Academics find that the finger of destiny points their way “This research now suggests that lower than average testosterone levels in men lead to spatial skills that can give a man the ability to succeed in science. Other research has in the past also suggested that an unusually high level of testosterone can do the same thing by encouraging the development of the right hemisphere. "This right brain development is at the expense of language abilities and people skills that men with a more usual level of testosterone develop and which can help them in social science subjects like psychology or education.” Doesn't this go contrary to the most popular belief with testosterone/estrogen levels? Usually, it's said that higher testosterone levels go hand in hand with higher spatial/mathematical ability, while higher estrogen levels work well with linguistic/critical reading ability. To quote: Finger Length Foretells Academic Performance: Study Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. Perhaps the difference in ability with the male scientists doesn't come from an objective difference in testosterone levels, but a relative one? Someone explain this disparity? Edit: Clarification: When I mean a relative difference, I mean that the end result (higher mathematical and spatial ability) would not necessarily be created by the difference in the levels themselves, but just by the fact that they are inversely different from the norm.