Sexual neuroscience PhD: The engineer who wrote the ‘Google memo’ is right – The College Fix

James Damore got fired from Google because the highly educated engineer(with a PhD in systems biology from Harvard) said biology appears to play some role in the career pursuits of men and women, including at Google.

He has the right enemies, and the right allies.

Human sexuality science writer Debra Soh, who has a PhD in sexual neuroscience from York University, writes in The Globe and Mail that Damores internal memo was fair and factually accurate.

She points to studies that show higher levels of prenatal testosterone (typical in boys) are associated with a preference for mechanically interesting things and occupations in adulthood, including in girls with a certain genetic condition:

When they are born, these girls prefer male-typical, wheeled toys, such as trucks, even if their parents offer morepositive feedbackwhen they play with female-typical toys, such as dolls. Similarly, men who are interested in female-typical activities were likely exposed to lower levels of testosterone.

As well, newresearchfrom the field of genetics shows that testosterone alters the programming of neural stem cells, leading to sex differences in the brain even before its finished developing in utero.

One of the most cited studies that found male and female brains cant be differentiated by sex has been refuted byfour yes,fouracademicstudiessince, Soh writes.

She echoes Damores point that group traits dont dictate preferences for any given individual, but its ignorant to claim group traits simply dont exist:

In fact, research has shown that cultures with greater gender equity have larger sex differences when it comes to job preferences, because in these societies, people are free to choose their occupations based on what they enjoy.

Contrary to what detractors would have you believe, women are, on average, higher in neuroticism and agreeableness, and lower instress tolerance.

She scolds the witch hunt leaders who went after Damore for denying biological reality and being content to spend a weekend doxxing a man so that he would lose his job.

Read the op-ed.

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Sexual neuroscience PhD: The engineer who wrote the 'Google memo' is right - The College Fix

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