
Men are better at maps until women take this course - cjg
http://nautil.us/issue/32/Space/men-are-better-at-maps-until-women-take-this-course
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cbanek
This reminds me of another recent story, about a language that doesn't use
left or right, but uses compass directions.

[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html)

Imagine yourself saying the fork is east of the plate, for example. It
requires a different kind of mental map, and knowing what direction you're
facing. And everyone does this, it's part of the culture. Part of the
language.

Makes me wonder if they have the same jokes about how men don't ask for
directions and women can't read a map in that language.

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roywiggins
This makes sense. It would be really weird if this particular skill was
completely unaffected by training, unlike... well, most other cognitive
skills.

I've always wondered whether 4-dimensional spacial skills could be taught in
an analogous way.

