The Science of Testosterone || Carole Hooven

Today we welcome Dr. Carole Hooven. For the past six years, she served as a lecturer and co-director of undergraduate studies at Harvard’s department of Human Evolutionary Biology. She has received numerous teaching awards, and her popular Hormones and Behavior class was named one of the Harvard Crimson’s “top ten tried and true.” Currently, Dr. Hooven has moved to the Psychology department where she works as an associate at Steven Pinker’s lab. Her latest book is called T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us.

In this episode, I talked to Dr. Carole Hooven about the science of testosterone. Why do males have higher rates of physical violence, take on more risk, and desire more sexual partners? Dr. Hooven’s research points to testosterone as the answer. Although sex differences may stem from biology, variations in behavior may be better explained by genetics interacting with culture. We also touch on the topics of evolutionary biology, gender dysphoria, gender-affirming care, and academic freedom.

Website: carolehooven.com

Twitter: @hoovlet

Topics

02:49 Dr. Carole’s background and expertise

09:26 Sex differences in mental rotation

21:38 How hormones work

24:47 The uses and effects of testosterone

28:00 Testosterone, risk, and violence

31:23 Genetic and cultural differences

35:33 Trans women’s athletic advantages

38:51 Let scientists conduct research

44:22 Side effects of puberty blockers

49:31 Evidence-informed view of transitioning

56:30 There is no trans phenotype

59:22 The TERFs vs trans debates

1:03:28 Suppression of academic freedom

1:06:48 Untangle science from politics

1:09:15 Can we modify our chromosomes?

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