Myth, checked
Are Men Smarter Than Women?
Women's brains often show denser connections between the left and right hemispheres. the average IQ for men and women is identical.
The Brain on the Stand
Case Number 24: Who is smarter? Man versus Woman. It's a question as old as arguments themselves. The charge on the docket today is that one is fundamentally, biologically, smarter than the other. We're putting that belief on trial.
The prosecution's first piece of evidence is Exhibit A: the male brain. It's a simple, physical fact that on average, a man's brain is about ten percent larger by volume than a woman's. For many, the case seems closed right there.
But the defense raises a crucial objection. If size equaled smarts, we'd be bowing to sperm whales, whose brains are six times heavier than ours. Even an elephant's brain is three times bigger. Size isn't intelligence. The case for brute size is dismissed.
The real story is the wiring. Brain scans reveal something fascinating. Women's brains often show denser connections between the left and right hemispheres. It's a different design, not defective.
The IQ Test Fraud
The next witness is the IQ test, used for a century to measure intelligence. Our man and woman sit for the exam.
The scores are in. It's a dead heat. When you average the scores of millions, the average IQ for men and women is identical. The gap is zero. The prosecution's case falters.
But the average hides a crucial detail. Men's scores are more variable–more at the very top and the very bottom. Women's scores are more tightly grouped around the middle. The shape of the bell curve is different.
And the test itself is flawed. It's like judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree. It tells you nothing about creativity, wisdom, or social intelligence.
The Verdict
The trial of man versus woman for the 'smarter' title rests on a flawed premise. We ask 'who is smarter?'. The evidence demands we ask 'how are they smart?'. Intelligence isn't a single trophy to be won.
A better model is a toolbox. Both our man and our woman have a full set of tools. While their toolboxes are 99% identical, there are slight average differences in specialties: spatial reasoning for men, verbal fluency for women.
The verdict is in. The belief that one gender is smarter is found guilty. It ignores the beautiful complexity of the mind. The truth is collaboration.
Their brains are not identical, but they are absolutely equivalent. Two different keys, each beautifully crafted to unlock the same world. What other "facts" need a trial?
Every claim, checked
This is the whole list, including the ones we could not confirm. Verified means a checker confirmed it and named a source that exists. Wrong means both checkers said so. The rest failed in three different ways, and we say which. Not established: we checked and nobody could pin it down. No source: a checker backed it, but the citation did not hold up. Second check disagreed: the first reading confirmed it and the second one would not. Each line also says how the verdict was reached: searched means we went to the web to confirm the source exists, not searched means the verdict rests on what the checkers already know. The rest is in how we check things.
on average, a man's brain is about ten percent larger by volume than a woman'sNot establishednot searchedMeta-analyses of brain imaging studies confirm men's brains are approximately 8-10% larger by volume on average. This is well-established in neuroscience literature. Source dropped: Gur et al., NeuroImage (2022); general neuroscience consensus is not a study, an organisation or a reference work. Second checker: Multiple anatomical studies report that, on average, adult male brains are larger than adult female brains by roughly 8–11% in volume/weight after adulthood; the commonly cited ~10% figure matches these published averages. Source dropped: McCarthy et al., Handbook of Clinical Neurology (sex differences chapter), and d is not a study, an organisation or a reference work.
sperm whales' brains are six times heavier than oursNot establishedsearchedSperm whale brains weigh approximately 7.8 kg compared to human brains at ~1.4 kg, roughly 5.6 times heavier–close to the stated six times. Second checker: Adult sperm whale brains weigh on the order of 7–9 kilograms while modern human brains average ~1.3–1.4 kg, so sperm whale brains are roughly ~5–7 times heavier than human brains; 'six times' is within that commonly reported range. Source dropped: Manger, P. R. (2013) "The comparative anatomy of large-brained mammals" discussi is not a study, an organisation or a reference work. Source dropped: no trace of Marine biology reference works and cetology studies on the web.
an elephant's brain is three times biggerNot establishednot searchedElephant brains weigh 10-13 kg versus human ~1.4 kg, approximately 7-9 times larger by weight. However, by volume the ratio is closer to 3-4 times in some comparative studies; the script's figure of three times is in the lower range but defensible. Source dropped: Comparative neurology and elephant cognition literature is not a study, an organisation or a reference work. Second checker: Adult elephant brains typically weigh about 4.5–5.5 kg; compared with ~1.3–1.4 kg for humans, that is roughly 3–4 times larger, so 'three times bigger' is a reasonable, supported approximation. Source dropped: Shoshani, J. & Kupsky, W. J. (2000) "The brain of elephants" (anatomical reviews is not a study, an organisation or a reference work.
Women's brains often show denser connections between the left and right hemispheresVerifiedsearchedIngalhalikar et al., PNAS (2014)
the average IQ for men and women is identicalVerifiedsearchedLynn & Irwing meta-analyses; American Psychological Association
Men's scores are more variable–more at the very top and the very bottomVerifiedsearchedNijenhuis et al., Intelligence (2007); Arden & Plomin, Intelligence (2006)
Their toolboxes are 99% identicalNot establishednot searchedNo quantified measure of genetic or neurological similarity between male and female brains is standardly reported as a percentage. This appears to be a rhetorical figure rather than a citable neuroscientific claim. Second checker: The qualitative claim that men score slightly higher on many spatial tasks and women slightly higher on many verbal tasks is supported by meta‑analyses; however the numeric claim '99% identical' is not a documented, sourced statistic and is unverifiable. Presenting it as a precise percentage is misleading. Closest thing found: For spatial: Voyer, D., Voyer, S., & Bryden, M. P. (1995) "Magnitude of sex diff.
there are slight average differences in specialties: spatial reasoning for men, verbal fluency for womenNot establishednot searchedMeta-analyses show small average gender differences favoring men on some spatial tasks and women on some verbal fluency measures, though effect sizes are modest and overlaps large. Source dropped: Hyde & Linn, Psychological Bulletin (1988); general cognitive psychology consens is not a study, an organisation or a reference work.
The IQ test, used for a century to measure intelligence.VerifiedsearchedBinet, A. & Simon, T. (1905) original intelligence scale; Terman, L. (1916) Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales; historical summaries in psychology textbooks and encyclopedias
The test itself is flawed. It tells you nothing about creativity, wisdom, or social intelligence.VerifiedsearchedAmerican Psychological Association, "Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns" (1996) and Sternberg, R. J. (1997) work on practical and creative intelligence explaining limits of standard IQ tests
People also ask
Is the male brain bigger than the female brain?
Yes, on average a man's brain is about ten percent larger by volume than a woman's. However, the article notes that brain size is not a measure of intelligence, as other animals have much larger brains than humans.
Do men and women have the same average IQ?
Yes, the average IQ for men and women is identical. After averaging the scores of millions of people, the measured gap between the two is zero.
How do IQ scores differ between men and women?
Although the average score is the same, the distribution of scores is different. Men's scores are more variable, with more men scoring at the very highest and lowest ends, while women's scores are more concentrated around the average.
Are IQ tests a good measure of overall intelligence?
No, the article describes the test as flawed for measuring total intelligence. It does not account for other important qualities like creativity, wisdom, or social intelligence.
One myth a week, redrawn.
One email per video: the myth, what's actually true, and links to the research. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.