Agustín Fuentes at BioMed Realty

Harvard Book Store and BioMed Realty welcome Agustín Fuentes—science communicator and professor of anthropology at Princeton University—for a discussion of his new book Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary.

This event is the first event in our newly announced BioMed Realty Discover Here Author Series, an engaging collaboration between BioMed Realty and Harvard Book Store. This series will feature thought-provoking talks by authors of recently published books on a variety of topics, including science, mental wellness, AI, history, and more. Each event includes an insightful discussion or presentation, followed by light refreshments and a book signing by the author. The series is open to both tenants of BioMed Realty and the general public.

There are two ticket options available for this event.

Free General Admission Ticket: Includes admission for one.

Book-Included Ticket: Includes admission for one and one hardcover copy of Sex Is a Spectrum.

Why human biology is far more expansive than the simple categories of female and male.

Being human entails an astonishingly complex interplay of biology and culture, and while there are important differences between women and men, there is a lot more variation and overlap than we may realize. Sex Is a Spectrum offers a bold new paradigm for understanding the biology of sex, drawing on the latest science to explain why the binary view of the sexes is fundamentally flawed--and why having ** or XY chromosomes isn't as conclusive as some would have us believe.

In this lively and provocative book, leading biological anthropologist Agust n Fuentes begins by tracing the origin and evolution of sex, describing the many ways in the animal kingdom of being female, male, or both. Turning to humans, he presents compelling evidence from the fossil and archaeological record that attests to the diversity of our ancestors' sexual bonds, gender roles, and family and community structures, and shows how the same holds true in the lived experiences of people today. Fuentes tackles hot-button debates around sports and medicine, explaining why we can acknowledge that females and males are not the same while also embracing a biocultural reality where none of us fits neatly into only one of two categories.

Bringing clarity and reason to a contentious issue, Sex Is a Spectrum shares a scientist's perspective on why a binary view of sex and gender is not only misguided but harmful, and why there are multitudes of ways of being human.

Agustín Fuentes is a science communicator and professor of anthropology at Princeton University. His writing has appeared in Scientific American, American Scientist, Science, and Nature, among other publications. His previous books include Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You: Busting Myths about Human Nature; Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being; and The Creative Spark: How Imagination Made Humans Exceptional.

Event Venue

650 E Kendall St, 650 East Kendall Street, Cambridge, United States