Male and female brains are the same, but people are all different – and that gives me hope | Deborah Orr

A new study has given credence to the idea that gender is more cultural than biological. It won't stop the human urge to seek out like minds and avoid unlike ones - but it can remind us that our strength is in our infinite diversity

A study led by Daphna Joel at Tel Aviv university has shown that there's really not much in the way of difference between male brains and female brains. There are features that are more prevalent in the brains of women and features that are more prevalent in the brains of men. But human brains tend to have a highly individual mix of such characteristics.

Interestingly, while hardly anyone has anything like the full set of mostly male features or the full set of mostly female features, by no means everyone with a significant collection of "female end" features is female, and vice versa. What's more, many of these characteristics aren't fixed. Environment and experience also play their part in shaping the brain, increasing its individuality.