Podcast

#07 Agustín Fuentes on Biological Anthropology, Sex as a Spectrum, and What It Means to be Human

Agustín Fuentes, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss his boundary-crossing work in anthropology; humanist questions around the power of belief; and the biological character of gender and sex. Dr. Fuentes is a biological anthropologist whose research challenges entrenched ideas about what it means to be human. A professor at Princeton University, he is known for his work on human evolution, cooperation, creativity, and is the author of influential books including Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being and Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You. His most recent book, Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary, was published in 2025.