Episode 20: Carole Hooven - T: The Story of Testosterone

Carole Hooven is a scientist, a professor, an educator, and she co-directs the undergraduate program in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She is the author of "T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us." During our conversation, Carole talks about the crucial role of testosterone in shaping male and female nature, contemporary attacks against science, cultural pressure against freedom of speech in our society, and attempts to censor her knowledge within academia.

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Show notes

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(00:00) Intro

(02:24) Get to know Carole Hooven

(02:45) How did Carole get interested in the subject of testosterone?

(12:34) What is the general difference in expression of testosterone between men and women?

(17:36) What is testosterone?

(20:34) What changes in body and behavior could be observed if a female took male testosterone levels or if a male took female levels of estrogen?

(21:18) Carole shares her experience interviewing three trans men who lived as women until their early 20s or 30s

(24:55) Carole recounts her experience being a guest on the "Transparency" podcast

(29:59) Is testosterone the most important hormone that distinguishes the genders?

(30:51) Carole explains testosterone transitions in transgender people and what that means for non-transgender people understanding sex differences

(32:46) The physical and reproductive differences between females and males

(35:05) How can we explain why some men are more nurturing than others?

(36:17) How to view high testosterone rates in men

(37:30) The ranges of healthy, high, and low levels of testosterone in men and women

(40:18) Why elevated testosterone levels in men need not necessarily imply an increased sex drive or aggression

(44:21) Carole’s experience as a woman in academia

(45:20) About Carole’s students at Harvard

(48:26) Carole’s experience over the past year teaching her subject matter

(53:20) Where does the reluctance to speak openly about academic subjects come from

(01:02:17) Why is there an opposition to speak against subjects of academic interest?

(01:13:32) Carole talks about her life at Harvard

(01:14:22) Carole explains her fondness for her students at Harvard

(01:17:20) How has social media increased instances of bullying against academic researchers

(01:18:48) Carole talks about the DEI groups in colleges

(01:20:43) How can we overcome the hindrance to free speech?