But the newest research is showing that many properties of the brain are genetically organized, and don't depend on information coming in from the senses.

As women are empowered, violence can come down, for a number of reasons. By all measures, men are the more violent gender.

By all measures men are the more violent gender.

One of my favourite kinds of movie is the American picaresque, in which the characters make their way across the country, learning about life against the gorgeous backdrops of that vast land.

I remember, as a child, lying in my bed at night praying that I would wake up the next day and be a girl, to be my authentic self, and to just have my family be proud of me. I remember looking into the mirror struggling to say just two words, 'I'm transgender.'

When you're on tour, you really don't get to hang out with and spend the holidays with your family and friends. And there isn't usually much of a break in between performance dates.

I read a lot on self-esteem issues, and a mother has more impact on the self-esteem of her daughter than peer pressure or media or television.

Even as a child, you can recognise the innocence of Piglet or the strange adult qualities of Eeyore. You just know you are with friends and family.