WLS Chicago Radio. January 26, 2024. On this episode of PM Chicago…, Kim Gordon brings us an interview with Professor Justin Rhodes about a study out of University of Illinois about whether men or women are better at directions.
BBC. January 25, 2024. Research finds men are better at reading maps, but there’s a catch
The author of a new study discusses the reasons for men’s slightly superior navigation skills (as spoofed this week on Saturday Night Live): and the answers might surprise you. On a recent episode of Saturday Night Live, Colin Jost, who co-anchors the Weekend Update segment, joked that men are better than women at reading maps, according to a new study. Researchers indeed found this map-reading sex gap to be true, but not for the reasons one might think.
The New York Post. January 18, 2024. Men actually are better with directions than women, study says
Phys.org. January 18, 2024. Slight male navigational advantage likely due to cultural differences, researchers find
A team of psychologists, social scientists, philosophers and evolutionary researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has found evidence suggesting that the slight advantage males have in navigation ability is likely due to differences in the ways male and female children are raised.
ABC News. January 18, 2024. Men may be better at directions than women, but new study says this isn’t due to an evolutionary advantage, as long believed
Good Morning America. January 18, 2024. Research has shown that men tend to have better navigational skills than women, but a new study shows it may be due to a different reason than some people may think.
The Messenger. January 18, 2024. Men Really Are Better Than Women With Directions:
But it has nothing to do with evolution
Fox 26 Houston. January 18, 2024. NEW STUDY: Men have superior navigation compared to woman due to childhood exposure
Today Show. January 18, 2024. Are men better at navigating than women? New study gives insight
New Scientist. January 16, 2024. Men are better at navigating than women – but not because of evolution
The myth may have been debunked after a group of multi-institutional researchers found that men may not have naturally evolved this way, after all. Their findings are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Newsweek. January 16, 2024. Scientists Debunk Myth That Males Are Better at Navigating
It’s a common stereotype that men are just naturally better at navigating than women. But is it really true?
The myth may have been debunked after a group of multi-institutional researchers found that men may not have naturally evolved this way, after all. Their findings are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Daily Mail January 17, 2024. Men really are better with directions than women, study finds… and the reason may surprise you
Men are said to be better with directions than women, and a new study claims to have uncovered the source of their skills. While theories have suggested the ability stems from evolution, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign determined it comes down to how different genders are raised.
Healthline. April 24, 2023. How exercise can boost brain health
“Exercise is known to improve cognitive health by changing hippocampal neurons in the brain,” Ki Yun Lee, a PhD student in mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the study’s lead author, told Healthline. “Our study provides new insights into how chemical signals from contracting muscles in vitro can accelerate the maturation of hippocampal neurons and promote the formation of neuronal networks.”
Inverse. June 25, 2022. Why “micro workouts” can have significant mental and physical benefits
Scientists are still debating the exact mechanism through which this works. The most important thing to know though, says Rhodes, is that “every time you get up and run really quickly, the hippocampus becomes very activated…and the faster you run, the more neural activity is in that part of the brain.”