logo
episode-header-image
May 2020
49m 50s

The Biology Of Sex

NPR
About this episode
Many of us were taught biological sex is a question of female or male, XX or XY ... but it's far more complicated. This hour, TED speakers explore what determines our sex. Guests on the show include artist Emily Quinn, journalist Molly Webster, neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi, and structural biologist Karissa Sanbonmatsu.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jul 4
The state of fashion
Whether you love or hate fashion, we all have to get dressed in the morning. And the industry affects us in complex ways. This hour, the outrageous, environmental and seedy sides of fashion. Guests include designer Machine Dazzle, supply chain expert Aparna Mehta, journalist Aman ... Show More
49m 39s
Jun 27
How taking a second look can change your everything
A second glance can change everything. This hour, TED speakers will make you think twice about robots, history lessons and even wine bottles. Guests include artists Agnieszka Pilat and Tavares Strachan, chemical engineer Franziska Trautmann and musician Mike Posner. TED Radio Hou ... Show More
49m 39s
Jun 20
Uncovering the mysteries of the animal kingdom
From the bugs in our backyards to prehistoric reptiles, animal biology and behavior are full of puzzles and conundrums. On this episode, we hear from experts solving the mysteries of the animal kingdom. Original broadcast date: July 14, 2023.Guests include paleontologist Dean Lom ... Show More
49m 37s
Recommended Episodes
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
Apr 2021
The Biology of Sex | TED Radio Hour
Over a century ago, one part of our DNA got labelled the "sex chromosomes." Science journalist and Radiolab producer Molly Webster explains the consequences of that oversimplification. This is an excerpt from the TED Radio Hour episode The Biology of Sex. To listen to the whole e ... Show More
13m 27s
Jan 2019
The way we think about biological sex is wrong | Emily Quinn
Did you know that almost 150 million people worldwide are born intersex -- with biology that doesn't fit the standard definition of male or female? (That's as many as the population of Russia.) At age 10, Emily Quinn found out she was intersex, and in this wise, funny talk, she s ... Show More
14m 4s
Nov 2019
The Rise and Fall of Sex | Daphna Joel, Barry Barnes, Stuart Ritchie
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesAlthough most of us are critical of gender stereotypes, few deny the existence of two discrete biological sexes. Yet biology itself shows dozens of combinations of human sex chromosomes. Could biol ... Show More
36m 3s
Jan 2019
The biology of gender, from DNA to the brain | Karissa Sanbonmatsu
How exactly does gender work? It's not just about our chromosomes, says biologist Karissa Sanbonmatsu. In a visionary talk, she shares new discoveries from epigenetics, the emerging study of how DNA activity can permanently change based on social factors like trauma or diet. Lear ... Show More
12m 51s
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 43s
Jun 2015
19: Why We Love, Lust, and Live
A leader in the psychology of human mating, and an expert on both the cultural and biological foundations of love, Helen Fisher shares science-backed information on attraction, mate selection, infidelity, the neuroscience of love and the effects of culture on our biology. There’s ... Show More
43m 49s
Oct 2019
[Rerun] Helen Fisher on Why We Love, Lust, and Live with Helen Fisher
A leader in the psychology of human mating, and an expert on both the cultural and biological foundations of love, Helen Fisher shares science-backed information on attraction, mate selection, infidelity, the neuroscience of love and the effects of culture on our biology. There’s ... Show More
44m 14s
Mar 2023
The Scientific Realities of Biological Sex || Debra Soh, Marco Del Giudice, & Buck Angel
Today we welcome Debra Soh, Marco Del Giudice, and Buck Angel.Dr. Debra Soh is a neuroscientist who specializes in gender, sex, and sexual orientation. She holds a PhD in neuroscience with scientific expertise in paraphilias, hypersexuality, and child sexual abuse prevention. As ... Show More
1h 33m