Gina Rippon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gina Rippon
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Rippon in 2016
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| Born |
Georgina Mary Jane Rippon
1950 (age 74–75) |
| Nationality | British |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Cognitive neuroimaging |
| Institutions | Aston University, Birmingham |
| Thesis | The orienting reflex in normal and in schizophrenic subjects (1982) |
Gina Rippon, born in 1950, is a British scientist who studies the brain. She is a retired professor at Aston University in Birmingham. She specialized in cognitive neuroimaging, which means studying how the brain works using special scans.
In 2019, Professor Rippon published her book, Gendered Brain: The New Neuroscience that Shatters the Myth of the Female Brain. This book explores how both life experiences and biology help shape our brains.
Contents
Her Work
Brain Research
Professor Rippon earned her PhD in 1982. Her early research looked at how the brain works in people with schizophrenia. She uses special brain imaging tools like electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). These tools help her study how the brain processes information.
Her work has also focused on conditions like Autistic Spectrum Disorders and developmental dyslexia. These studies help us understand how different brains learn and think.
The Gendered Brain Book
In 2019, Professor Rippon released her book, Gendered Brain: The New Neuroscience that Shatters the Myth of the Female Brain. The book discusses whether there are true differences between male and female brains.
Book Reviews
Many experts reviewed Professor Rippon's book. Neuroscientist Lise Elliot wrote in Nature that the book successfully showed that the idea of a "gendered brain" is not true.
However, other scientists, Rhonda Voskuhl and Sabra Klein, disagreed. They wrote that biological and cultural reasons both play a part in brain differences. They also pointed out that sex differences appear in animals too, not just humans.
Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen wrote in The Times that most scientists believe both biology and culture shape brain differences. He felt that Rippon's book focused too much on culture alone. Rachel Cooke, writing for The Guardian, called the book a "brilliant debunking" of the idea of a "female brain."
Her Ideas
Against 'Neurotrash'
Professor Rippon often speaks out against what she calls 'neurotrash'. This is when neuroscience is used in a misleading way. She says 'neurotrash' tries to make people believe that differences in behavior between males and females are only due to biology. This idea suggests these differences cannot or should not be changed.
She wants to help people spot this "neurononsense." She believes that some people use science to support old ideas about male and female roles. Rippon says this can make people think that "biology is destiny." This means if you are born a certain way, you cannot change or fight against it.
Brain Differences
Professor Rippon does not believe there is one single "male brain" or "female brain." Instead, she thinks "every brain is different from every other brain." She says that each person's brain is a mix of things. These things are shaped by their biology and their life experiences.
She also challenges the idea that brain-based explanations are the only reason for gender differences. When asked for a big scientific discovery to compare her findings to, she mentioned "the idea of the Earth circling around the sun."
Professor Rippon agrees that there are some sex differences in the brain. She says these are related to different roles in reproduction. But she stresses that the importance given to biology in explaining all differences is what needs to be questioned.
Media Appearances
Professor Rippon has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today program. She was also on the BBC show No More Boys And Girls: Can Our Kids Go Gender Free?. She has been interviewed on podcasts to discuss her book, The Gendered Brain.
See also
In Spanish: Gina Rippon para niños
- Neuroscience of sex differences
- List of cognitive neuroscientists
