This SciShow video reviews data concerning differences in the brains of biological males and biological females. The writers are careful to mention that research on this topic does not account for transgender or intersex individuals, and that neuroscience research as a whole is heavily focused on studying the brains of male humans and animals. You may also wish to discuss with students about the definition of “biological sex” and how that definition has changed throughout history.
Neuroscientists You Should Know: Ben Barres
Science education video host Alie Astrocyte gives a brief profile of the late transgender neuroscientist Ben Barres, his research, and his work on gender equity in science.
How many neuroscientists can you name off the top of your head? In this special episode of Neuro Transmissions, we're taking a moment to talk about a very awesome neuroscientist. Dr. Ben Barres is a brilliant researcher and a champion for glia (support cells for neurons), with nearly 150 research papers to his name and a whole host of awards for his science and his mentorship.
“Receiving [information to counter gender stereotyping] at an early age is critical; there has been a steady decline in the average age at which puberty begins..." (NYT & PNAS 2015)
“Receiving [information designed to counter gender stereotyping] at an early age is critical. There has been a steady decline in the average age at which puberty begins. Among those assigned female at birth, some breast development by age seven and eight is no longer an anomaly. The age of the onset of puberty has also fallen for those assigned male at birth, from an average of age 11 to 10.5.”
Tabuchi, H. (2015) “Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels” The New York Times. Retrieved on January 23, 2019 from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/ business/sweeping-away-gender-specific-toys-and-labels.html
Joel, D et al. (2015) “Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dec 2015, 112 (50) 15468-15473