Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.
Neuroendocrinology (SEX & GENDER) Mega Encore with Daniel Pfau
It’s an updated mega-encore of one of my favorite episodes — with 2024 research — to learn: How many genders are there? How do you know if you’re queer? Is sexual orientation biological, and if so, how? The amazing neuroscientist and endocrinology researcher Dr. Daniel Pfau joins to share their path in academia finding the perfect research, understanding their own genderqueer identity, what animals in nature exhibit queer behavior, how hormones affect our moods, the variation of gender expression, queer lizards, how a strict gender binary is harmful to entire populations, hormone replacement therapy, hormones in sports, gender dysphoria, additional info on the Gender Unicorn and more. They are just charming and kind and wonderful and this episode will help you understand just how many ways there are to be human. I’m off in the woods this week for a wedding, and I can’t think of a better occasion to revisit this one.
Follow Dr. Daniel Pfau at Twitter.com/endokweer
A donation went to MarshaP.org
More links at alieward.com/ologies/NeuroendocrinologyEncore
Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes
Other episodes you may enjoy are up at Pride Month: Guests to Know and Love
Transcripts and bleeped episodes
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Editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn