Pink Brain, Blue Brain

Here’s an interesting book on gender stereotyping that starts from a young age.

An example of the research carried out says it all.

“In one of the eye-opening studies cited in Lise Eliot’s masterful new book on gender and the brain, mothers brought their 11-month-olds to a lab so the babies could crawl down a carpeted slope. The moms pushed a button to change the slope’s angle based on what they thought their children could handle. And then the babies were tested to see how steep a slope they could navigate.

The results?

Girls and boys proved equally adept at crawling and risk-taking: On their own, they tried and conquered the same slopes. But the mothers of the girls — unlike the mothers of the boys — underestimated their daughters’ aptitude by a significant margin.”

Forgive the stereo typing, but this is my blog and right now I feel entitled to some irrational generalization.

Blue brains don’t have the patience to read through the review. They assume it’s just a “women’s lib” sort of rant against gender differences.

One such response from an obviously blue brain triggered me to write some doggerel:

blue brain, blue brain!
too much thought gives it a sprain.
keep it safe away from rain
lest it melt and go down the drain!

—
a friend’s addition to it on FaceBook:

… and has to be hoisted with a crane?

😀