The Dissenter | 8 June 2026 | 1h 54m | Listen Later 
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Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Steve Stewart-Williams about his book A Billion Years of Sex Differences. Argues for the reality of sex differences, cautioning against ‘gender’s’ ambiguity. Highlights five lines of evidence – developmental timing, cross-cultural consistency, persistence against social pressures, prenatal hormones, and cross-species patterns – to show differences are neither solely nature nor nurture. Critiques ‘minimiser’ and ‘exaggerator’ biases, emphasising that most differences are modest but real. The evolutionary rationale centres on reproductive variance, driving divergent mate preferences (men’s for youthfulness, women’s for resources/status) and behaviours like aggression. Advocates for gender role individualism, prioritising individual freedom and well-being over prescribed norms.
See also other episodes about his earlier book The Ape that Understood the Universe: How the Mind and Culture Evolve. Stewart-Williams is a great follow on Twitter, in part, for his curation and retweeting of other excellent content.