204. Carole Hooven on T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us

The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer

Dialogue, Science, Reason, Michaelshermer, Natural Sciences, Skeptic

4.4 • 921 Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2021

⏱️ 107 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In episode 204, Michael Shermer speaks with codirector of undergraduate studies in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, Carole Hooven, PhD about testosterone. While most people agree that sex differences in human behavior exist, they disagree about the reasons. But the science is clear: testosterone is a potent force in human society, driving the bodies and behavior of the sexes apart. But, as Hooven shows in T, it does so in concert with genes and culture to produce a vast variety of male and female behavior. And, crucially, the fact that many sex differences are grounded in biology provides no support for restrictive gender norms or patriarchal values. In understanding testosterone, we better understand ourselves and one another — and how we might build a fairer, safer society.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to The Michael Shurmer Show.
0:07.0	Welcome to the Michael Shurmer Show.
0:09.0	I'm your host Michael Shurmer.
0:11.0	My guest today is Carol Hoven. Her book is T. Such a great title and
0:16.9	fabulous cover. Look at that cover. The story of testosterone, the hormone that dominates and divides us.
0:24.0	Carol Hoven is a lecturer and co-director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Human
0:30.0	Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.
0:33.1	She earned her PhD at Harvard studying sex differences
0:36.1	and testosterone and has taught there ever since.
0:39.6	Ovena has received numerous teaching awards
0:41.8	in her popular hormones and
0:43.6	behavior class was named one of the Harvard Crimson's top 10 tried and true
0:48.8	classes. In this conversation we talk about her non-traditional career into biological
0:56.6	anthropology why there are two different departments in anthropology,
1:00.6	biological versus cultural anthropology.
1:04.0	And that is reflective of the extent to which people think that human behavior is largely culturally determined
1:11.0	versus largely biologically determined.
1:13.3	Clearly neither extreme is correct, but we explore some of that.
1:18.6	Chemistry, biology, and neurobiology of T, testosterone and other related hormones like steroids, human growth
1:26.4	hormones and effects on, say, athletes trying to enhance their performance or
1:31.4	just people in general.
1:33.8	Differences between chimps and bonobos in terms of sexuality and violence and
	...

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