There are still people who associate the heart with the seat of our feelings, our emotions, our character, love and even our soul. I recently received a reader’s letter which stated: “The professor keeps hammering on the brain, while the heart and its emotions is the exact counterpart of the brain”.

Of course, madam, we sometimes feel our heart pounding with excitement, but that is in response to a signal from our brain, transmitted through the autonomic nervous system to ensure that our body is ready to flee, to fight or to make love.

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It is said that girls and boys learn their stereotypical behaviour from their social environment. This is not true: such behaviour is already determined in the womb.

Gender differences in the brain and in behaviour are found in areas other than those associated with reproduction. One of the typical gender differences between boys and girls, which are often thought to be learned from the social environment, is the way they play. Boys are more active, wilder and prefer playing with soldiers and cars while girls like playing with dolls.

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