A new study conducted by the City University of New York’s Brooklyn and Hunter colleges compared the vision of men and women aged 16 and older. The study found men are more perceptive to objects in motion and small details. On the other hand, women are more attune to notice changes in colour. It also showed women are able to decipher smells more accurately than men. All participants were required to have 20/20 sight and normal colour vision.

Israel Abromov, the study’s head researcher explained the differences in vision are controlled by sets of thalamic neurons in the brain’s primary visual cortex. Male sex hormones called androgens control these neurons when the embryo is developing into a fetus. He stated, “We suggest that, since these neurons are guided by the cortex during embryogenesis, that testosterone plays a major role, somehow leading to different connectivity between males and females. The evolutionary driving force between these differences is less clear.” 

The study explains the age old question between the two sexes, “Why can’t men and women see eye to eye?” It appears the answer to the question is in the details, and that we see them differently to begin with. Next time you and your significant other are arguing between Thai food or pizza, or over the greatest movie of all time perhaps its safer to agree to disagree. At the end of the day, you saw the same movie in a drastically different way to begin with. [Via CBS News]