logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
40m 24s

Sex and Gender

Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy
About this episode
There has been lots of discourse about gender expression recently, and “science” is often trotted out as an argument to deny the experience of others. “Feel however you want,” these arguments typically begin, “but there are only two sexes, and they’re easily defined, and that’s just science.” That’s … well it’s crap. This week on Sawbones, join us as we m ... Show More
Up next
Feb 24
Sawbones: Would a Healing Vape be More Efficient Than a Healing Potion?
The snow’s piling up outside so we’re cozying down with another batch of listener medical questions! Can I take all my antibiotics at once? If my twin has an allergy, do I have it too? Are prenatal vitamins good for people who do not want to get pregnant? And can air literally ge ... Show More
42m 44s
Feb 17
Sawbones: Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel sydrome, or an irritation of the median nerve, is often thought of as a more "modern" ailment, exacerbated by 8-hour days at a computer and video game hobbies. Dr. Sydnee talks about the history of the first diagnosis of this syndrome, and Justin talks about his rec ... Show More
38m 47s
Feb 10
Sawbones: Sauna
Even though it's associated with Nordic countries, the Sauna has been around in many different cultures for as long as people have been trying to get warm in a hot box. But how about health benefits? Dr. Sydnee talks about the history of saunas and spirituality, as well as the as ... Show More
39m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2017
The Edge of Gender
<p>Gender is one of the first things we notice about the people around us. But where do our ideas about gender come from? Can gender differences be explained by genes and chromosomes, or are they the result of upbringing, culture and the environment? This week, we delve into the ... Show More
49m 50s
Feb 2023
[HORS-SÉRIE] Celui où on parlait de sexe w/ Mansplaining
tail spinning
35m 4s
Mar 2023
Gender/Sex and the Body || Anne Fausto-Sterling
Today we welcome Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling. She is the Nancy Duke Lewis Professor Emerita of Biology and Gender Studies in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Brown University. Her books and scholarly articles are referenced widely in feminist and scie ... Show More
56m 42s
Mar 2020
The weird history of the "sex chromosomes" | Molly Webster
The common thinking on biological sex goes like this: females have two X chromosomes in their cells, while males have one X and one Y. In this myth-busting talk, science writer and podcaster Molly Webster shows why the so-called "sex chromosomes" are more complicated than we may ... Show More
13m 30s
Jul 2016
Battle of the Sexes
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by Professor Sophie Scott, Professor Steve Jones and comedian Sara Pascoe. They will be tackling the age old battle of the sexes, and asking whether men really are from Mars, and women really are from Venus? Probably not, according to ... Show More
45m 41s
Dec 2018
The Science Of Being Transgender
Recently we’ve been hearing a lot about transgender identity. That made us wonder… what makes us the gender that we are? And what should you do if your kid doesn’t fit the mold? To find out, we talked with endocrinologist Dr. Joshua Safer, psychologist Dr. Laura Edwards-Leeper, a ... Show More
38m 49s
Dec 2021
Using Math To Rethink Gender (encore)
Gender is infused in many aspects of our world — but should that be the case? According to mathematician Eugenia Cheng, maybe not. In her new book, x+y, she challenges readers to think beyond their ingrained conceptions of gender. Instead, she calls for a new dimension of thinkin ... Show More
13m 56s
Feb 2021
Geschlecht ist mehr als Mann und Frau
Trans* heißt nicht gleich krank, stellt Annette Güldenring im Podcast klar. Die Leiterin einer Transgender-Ambulanz erklärt, was wir alle verändern können – durch Umdenken – auch in der Hausarztpraxis. 
20m 12s
Apr 2022
What is a Woman?
Zoe Strimpel asks the seemingly simple question 'what is a woman', but finds no simple answer as she explores the question through a brief history of feminist thought. She explores the ongoing controversy over trans women in women's competitive sport, and the reluctance of public ... Show More
9m 47s
Mar 2023
A conversation about sex and gender
Conversations around sex and gender today are rife with acrimony and seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints. It can be hard to find places of agreement or even commonly held definitions. But Elizabeth Sweeny Block and Abigail Favale are two Catholic scholars who have modeled civil d ... Show More
51m 16s