Subscribe now

IF YOU’RE a twin, your womb-mate may well have influenced your interests and
abilities. Experiments reported at the conference show that girls who develop
with a twin brother seem to have slightly more “masculine” brains than girls
with a twin sister.

Scientists have begun to suspect that part of the reason male and female
brains differ is that hormones like testosterone alter brain development in the
womb. One clear difference is that men’s brains tend to have a dominant side
when it comes to hearing words. Women register words more evenly in both sides
of the brain.

So Celina Cohen…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop