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[[The McCoy|be in tune with their emotions and approach problem-solving by relying on their feelings and intuition]].
 
If a show has men and women both from an academic background, the man will typically have a degree in science, math, or engineering, while the woman will have one in arts or literature. (This may be why so many [[Mad Scientist|mad scientists]] are male.) Even if both characters are scientists, expect the man to research physics or mathematics and the woman to research psychology or biology. (This particular aspect is currently [[Truth in Television]] -- men—men usually outnumber women in university courses in mathematics, engineering, chemistry and physics, while women outnumber men in the humanities and in social and biological sciences.) Even when a character works in a field not usually associated with their gender, gender may still affect the approach they take -- fortake—for instance, a female engineer may be portrayed as understanding machinery in an intuitive way, while a male gardener might see himself more as a botanist than as a caretaker who loves beautiful flowers. Even people in the exact same careers will often change their approach; female doctors in fiction are likely to view themselves as compassionate healers, while men in the same profession will often see themselves as problem-solving scientists. This may lead to [[Harmony Versus Discipline]] conflicts.
 
Note that which approach is portrayed as better varies widely; see [[Romanticism Versus Enlightenment]]. In many works that come down on the side of Enlightenment, you'll see women portrayed as [[Hysterical Woman|hysterically]] [[Strawman Emotional|irrational]] and [[Weak-Willed|easily manipulated]], while their male counterparts' hard-nosed, [[Street Smart|pragmatic]] rationalism proves to be [[Science Hero|the key to saving the day]]. More Romanticist works, on the other hand, often portray men as [[The Stoic|cold]], [[Insufferable Genius|arrogant]], [[Lack of Empathy|heartless]], and [[Measuring the Marigolds|unable to appreciate beauty or emotional realities]], while the women are [[Closer to Earth|more balanced]], [[The Heart|compassionate]], and [[Nature Hero|in tune with nature]]. In some works, it will be suggested that [[The Kirk|both approaches are necessary]] and [[Emotions Versus Stoicism|have to balance each other]]. (Note that this doesn't entirely get rid of the [[Unfortunate Implications]] if it's still implied that your gender determines which approach you have to take.) Nowadays, due to widespread awareness of this trope and its [[Unfortunate Implications]], it's increasingly common to see [[Inverted Trope|inversions]], with [[Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy|a sensitive, emotional man and a cold, logical woman]]. Again, which one is portrayed as right will still vary, although works like this are perhaps slightly more likely to go with the "both sides are necessary for balance" approach.
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* In the initial cast of ''[[Farscape]]'', there is Crichton, a scientist (if one given to explosiveness under pressure), and Zhaan, a priestess. However, this might also count as an inversion, because Crichton is very emotional, and Zhaan at least tries to be calm and logical.
** For more, see "Inversions," below.
* In the new ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' it seems that Head Six and Head Baltar represent spirituality and logic respectively -- whilerespectively—while both agree they represent a higher power, Head Six calls it God and believes it demands religious worship, while Head Baltar seems to have a more abstract view of this power/entity.
* The fourth season of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' follows this theme, with the Slayers' magic vs. the Initiative's research in dealing with demonic forces.
* ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' is Father Science in contrast to Cameron/Cuddy/Thirteen/Adams/Wilson as Mother Nature.
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{{quote|'''Teacher:''' How do numbers make you ''feel''...}}
* ''[[The Secret Saturdays]]'' lives this trope. Doc Saturday is a scientist through and through, while his wife Drew is more a believer in the paranormal. Faced with any problem Doc will always seek a logical solution while Drew will explore more mystical alternatives. They're still [[Happily Married]] though so that's cool.
* The parents of [[Kim Possible]] are both [[This Ain't Rocket Surgery|highly qualified scientists]] -- but—but her father is a rocket scientist and her mother a brain surgeon.
* In ''[[Captain Planet]]'', the Planeteers are led by Gaia, the spirit of the Earth. The main villains are almost all male, [[Averted Trope|except for one ]]--Dr—Dr. Babs Blight, a rare ''female'' [[Mad Scientist]]. The male villains tend to be in business, though Duke Nukem used to be a scientist as well.
 
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