The talk about brain differences in the sexes earlier this week was interesting. I was hoping for a bit of professor vs. professor debate (or all out biology vs. social construction cage match), but it was still very informative to hear about the differences between the brains in the sexes of many species.

What I really wondered, coming away from that lecture, was whether or not any of this had practical implications. If, on average, women have more connective tissue between the left and right sides of their brain than men, does that have any meaning in the real world? Even when it comes down to slight differences in the way men and women think, are there any ramifications of that in the world at large? Is the difference enough to change the way we think about the sexes?

I also wondered how these purported brain differences manifested in intersex individuals, or in individuals who didn't identify as the gender they were assigned at birth. It was mentioned in class that sexuality had some affect on regions of the brain. What of gender identity? I would imagine that would have a bigger impact still, but that comes from the point of view of a complete and utter layperson.

I without a doubt align myself with the social constructionist camp, but the biology of sex differences in the brain is still fascinating, and I'd be interested in learning more about it. What I question, though, is whether these brain differences are meaningful or not, and if they are, if that meaning is large enough to have any application in day to day life.