Evolution's Rainbow, Revisited: Sex, Gender, and Evolution

About this episode

This episode explores how sex and gender diversity shape life, featuring a conversation between evolutionary biologist Joan Roughgarden and geneticist Nathan Lents.

Nature doesn't draw straight lines, and neither should we. In this special conversation, evolutionary biologist Joan Roughgarden and geneticist Nathan Lents explore how sex and gender diversity shape life itself - from fish that swap roles to humans who defy binary boxes. They'll unpack why variation isn't an exception in nature but one of its greatest strengths, and how embracing that truth can transform both science and society. This dialogue kicks off This View of Life 's new series on Sex, Gender Diversity & Evolution, where academic research meets the timeless question of what it really means to be alive and diverse.

People in this episode

Guests: Joan Roughgarden, Nathan Lents

Topics covered

• sex
• gender
• evolution
• diversity

Keywords

• evolutionary biology
• gender diversity
• nature
• science
• society

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Evolution's Rainbow, Revisited

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