Differences in cognitive abilities between the sexes

Academics have been sacked for suggesting that there may be differences in intelligence between men and women.

A UCL Lunch Hour Lecture on Tuesday 15 January 2008 at University College London will explore this controversial topic.

Professor Adrian Furnham from UCL Psychology will examine the evidence from 25 studies conducted in as many countries, showing that females tend to give significantly lower estimates than males of their own intelligence - around five IQ points - which is currently the estimate of the actual difference between how the sexes score in IQ tests. Professor Furnham will discuss the many implications of this controversial area of research.

Other lectures that will run this spring include:

• Reconstructing a face after cancer surgery, Mr Nicholas Kalavrezos (University College Hospital), Thursday 17 January 2008
• The return of syphilis, Dr Patrick French (Mortimer Market Centre), Thursday 24 January 2008
• What can Venus, Mars and Titan tell us about Earth? Professor Andrew Coates (UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory), Tuesday 29 January 2008
• The pleasures of driving, Professor Iain Borden (UCL Bartlett School of Architecture), Tuesday 5 February 2008

UCL Lunch Hour Lectures are free and open to all. The full list of lectures for Spring 2008 can be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl/.

Notes for Editors

1. Admission is free without a ticket, no need to book. However, entry is on a first-come first-served basis.

2. Lectures are held in the Darwin Lecture Theatre, University College London, Gower Street (entrance via Malet Place), London WC1E 6BT. Lectures run from 1.15 pm to 1.55pm.

3. The full listing of UCL Lunch Hour Lectures for Spring 2008 can be found at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl/.

4. Journalists seeking more information can contact Jenny Gimpel in the UCL Media Relations Office on tel: +44 (0)20 7679 9726, mobile: +44 (0)7747 565 056, out of hours +44 (0)7917 271 364, e-mail: j.gimpel@ucl.ac.uk.