8 March 2013

'The Battle of the Sexes?' - Café Science Extra on 13th March

We've all heard sayings like 'men are from Mars and women are from Venus', but what's the real story behind gender differences?

The next Café Science Extra event will see Dr Kate Cross, from the University of St Andrews, officiate in the battle of the sexes at Dundee Science Centre on Wednesday, 13th March.

Dr Cross is a psychologist whose main research interest is in understanding sex differences from an evolutionary perspective. A funny and engaging speaker, she has previously used stand-up comedy as a way of disseminating her research to a non-science audience at the popular Bright Club events.

"Differences between men and women never fail to grab column inches, spark debate, and get people thinking," explained Dr Cross. "But do we ever get the whole story? What does it really mean to say that a sex difference is 'evolved' or 'cultural'?

"Using a few examples from my own work on personality and aggression, I'll be looking at sex differences research, where it's come from, where it's going, and why it is so worthwhile."

Café Science was launched in January 2008, and has attracted over 4000 visitors since then. The monthly events are informal discussions led by leading local researchers that allow members of the public the opportunity to learn more about the ground-breaking science happening locally.

Café Science Extra allows members of the public to meet with up-and-coming scientists from the Universities of Dundee, St Andrews and Abertay, the James Hutton Institute, and Dundee Science Centre.

'The Battle of the Sexes?' takes place at Infusion coffee shop, Dundee Science Centre, at 6pm on Wednesday, 13th March. Doors open at 5.30pm, and the event is free and open to all. There is no need to book in advance but an early arrival is recommended.

Live tweets from the event will be sent from the @revealsresearch Twitter account, and people can take part in the online discussion using the hashtag #CafeSciDundee.

More information is available at www.cafesciencedundee.co.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head. Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902