Dr. Paige Harden on Huberman Lab: Why puberty ages you

Faster puberty tracks faster biological aging via DNA methylation; polygenic overlap connects addiction, aggression, and impulse risk in the prenatal brain.

Dr. Kathryn Paige HardenguestAndrew Hubermanhost

Feb 9, 20262h 42mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: February 9, 2026
Duration: 2h 42m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden, PhD, is a psychologist, behavioral geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. We discuss how genes interact with your upbringing to shape your level of risk-taking and morality. We also discuss how genes shape propensity for addiction and impulsivity in males versus females. Finally, we discuss how biology impacts societal views of sinning, punishment and forgiveness. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/jKPoOgG Pre-order Protocols: https://go.hubermanlab.com/protocols-yt *Thank you to our sponsors* AG1: ⁠https://drinkag1.com/huberman BetterHelp: ⁠https://betterhelp.com/huberman Lingo: ⁠https://hellolingo.com/huberman Our Place: ⁠https://fromourplace.com/huberman Helix Sleep: ⁠https://helixsleep.com/huberman *Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com *Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden* Website: https://www.kpharden.com Newsletter: https://kathrynpaigeharden.substack.com Original Sin (new book): https://amzn.to/4r7dDxV The Genetic Lottery (book): https://amzn.to/3Oec56q Academic profile: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/kh24738 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathrynpaigeharden X: https://x.com/kph3k The Texas Twin Project: https://sites.la.utexas.edu/twinproject/what-weve-found Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=az3EwhEAAAAJ&hl=en *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Kathryn Paige Harden 00:03:10 Adolescents, Genes & Life Trajectory; Adolescence Ages 00:06:44 Puberty, Aging & Differences; Epigenome; Cognition 00:14:05 Sponsors: BetterHelp & Lingo 00:16:45 Puberty Onset & Family; Communication & Empathy 00:22:26 7 Deadly Sins, Substance Use & Conduct Disorders, Genes 00:27:33 Family History; Genes & Brain Development 00:33:05 Personality & Temperament, Motivation, Addiction; Trauma 00:37:59 Knowing Genetic Risk & Outcomes; Understanding Family History 00:46:06 Sponsor: AG1 00:46:57 Genetic Information & Decision Making; Personal Identity & Uncovering Family 00:52:12 Nature vs Nurture, Bad Genes?; Aggression, Childhood & Males 01:00:17 The Original Sin; Whitman Case & Brain Tumor; Genetic Predisposition 01:10:31 Free Will; Genes & Moral Judgement; Skillful Care for Kids; Social Cooperation 01:21:03 Breaking the Cycle; Genetic Recombination & Differences; Identity 01:25:21 Sponsor: Our Place 01:27:01 Status, Dominance, Science; Positive Attributes of Negative Traits 01:36:15 Relational Aggression & Girls; Male-Female Differences & Conflict 01:40:36 Genes, Boys vs Girls, Impulse Control 01:45:00 Behavior Punishment vs Rewards, Responsibility 01:51:29 Sponsor: Helix Sleep 01:53:03 Accountability; Suffering, Cancel Culture & Punishment 02:00:01 Life Energy & Punishment, Prison 02:08:16 Backward vs Forward-Looking Justice; Forgiveness, Retribution, Power, Choice 02:16:11 Reward, Unfairness & Inequality 02:21:59 Punishment, Reward & Power; Online vs In-Person Communities 02:29:49 Identical Twin Differences; Genetic Influence & Age; Sunlight & Genes 02:39:24 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Genetics #Science Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden
guest
Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden and Andrew Huberman, Dr. Paige Harden on Huberman Lab: Why puberty ages you explores genes, adolescence, and moral judgment: balancing responsibility and compassion today Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden explains why adolescence (roughly puberty through the mid-20s) is a critical window where genetic predispositions and life experiences begin to “canalize” into distinct adult trajectories for mental health, substance use, and antisocial behavior.

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