why can women find lost things better?

Effort.

what are you basing this on??

@love: How to put this diplomatically... This hasn't been my experience...

I think women have an easier time finding things because they pay attention to where things are and then remember. My experience has been that men put things wherever...they don't have places for things and they don't put things in their places. I have places for things and I put things where they belong and I notice when something is out of place. Just as men have a hard time finding lost things they also have a hard time figuring out what is out of place or what is different in a room or picture. This answer is based on my experiences.

I'm with seqdeha on this one- this hasn't been my experience. I think it just comes down to the persons personality regardless of gender.

I think patience is the key. We are often in such a rush to get somewhere or get something Now! That we get stressed out and can not look effectively. In my personal case my husband can never find anything he loses. He gets stressed out and angry, and I, more often than not, find it in the first place I told him to look. This also is true about finding directions when lost. He gets frustrated and angry and will never stop and ask. Things have improved a bit with the iPhone map , but he still will be lost for a while before he resorts to it. I guess I think women, a lit of the time, are better at finding lost things and lost ways. What do you think? I am not saying always ....but in my case....a lot!

Well I think you're right. It's about patience. But let's remember that there are men who are patient too. And there are women who are impatient.

Being tidy is not gender-related but depends on personality. I find myself often thinking of interesting things as I am doing boring tasks. Hence, lost lists, car keys, millk in freezer, etc. I now hear people on the phone to me as they drive, wash dishes, clank things around, move furniture and g*d-knows what else. Yesterday the checker at the supermarket was packing things in a cloth bag I brought w. me. She found my cell phone in the bottom.

I'm a woman, and I can't find my butt with both hands and a flashlight. But I have one female friend who can walk in and instantly locate whatever it is I've misplaced.

I don't think gender has anything to do with it.

All my shoes are always in the living room where I last took them off, hiding. I cannot find the ones I need at any given time. I can find SOME shoes at any time but only my husband knows where all of them are.
He can find most of his own stuff because he's very orderly, but if he generates new stuff, e.g. a list, he'll lose it and then blame me, which is fair, right?, because I can't keep track of my shoes.