No such thing as a male or female brain, neuroscientist claims

A leading academic from Aston University has rebuffed claims that male and female brains are wired differently - and branded the idea that men are from Mars and women are from Venus as "trash".

Studies into the human brain need to stop focusing on what sex they are, neuroscientist Gina Rippon said.

Studies down the decades have claimed that women are better at social skills, remembering things and multi-tasking - while men are more aggressive, better at maths and worse at listening.

However, Professor Rippon, of Aston University, said that gender differences come from environmental factors.

Speaking at the British Science Festival, which is taking place in Swansea, she said:

Prof Rippon believes that studies claiming differences between males and females are due to cultural and environmental factors.

She said that women become "wired" for multi-tasking not because of anything innate, but because that is what society expects of them.

And Prof Rippon said that the segregation between girls and boys even occurs from a young age - with them being given different toys to play with and different books to read - and that could change the way in which their brains develop.