The New Science Of Female Attraction - Psychology Roundtable

In this evolutionary psychology roundtable, we explore: - If 20% of the men actually get 80% of the attention. - The biggest red and green flags to look out for in the dating pool. - Why women's sexual desire fades faster than men's. - and much more… Guests: - Macken Murphy is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Melbourne, a writer and a podcaster. - Steve Stewart-Williams is an evolutionary psychologist, a professor, and an author. - Rob Henderson holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Cambridge and is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. - Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠⁠https://chatgpt.com - 0:00 Is This the Most Attractive Dance Move? 3:14 Does Looksmaxxing Give Women the Ick? 13:07 Why Do We Get the Ick? 16:52 Are Chads Stealing All the Women? 25:23 Is Marriage Affirmative Action for Men? 31:00 Are Humans Meant to Be Serial Monogamists? 34:52 How Rich Women Change Men’s Resourcefulness 44:18 Abundance vs Scarcity: What’s More Attractive? 55:34 Do High-Earning Women Have Higher Standards? 01:05:03 Can Surveys Accurately Measure Sex Differences? 01:10:36 Are Dating App Users Worse Partners? 01:16:53 What Matters More: Height or Looks? 01:20:46 Why Male Beautification is Exploding 01:31:27 Do Women Prefer Formidable Men? 01:35:22 The Rise of Female Teacher Sex Scandals 01:42:56 Is Being Desired What Women Want Most? 01:47:32 The Dangers of Minimising Sex Differences 01:50:46 The Latest Evidence on Mate Switching 01:52:20 Why Marriage Kills Women’s Sex Drive 01:56:40 How Do We Determine Human Nature? 02:03:34 What Do Lesbians Find Attractive? 02:05:57 Where to Find the Guys - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spotify.modernwisdom.com or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.modernwisdom.com Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostRob HendersonguestMacken MurphyguestSteve Stewart-Williamsguest

Aug 6, 20262h 6mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: August 6, 2026
Duration: 2h 6m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this evolutionary psychology roundtable, we explore:
If 20% of the men actually get 80% of the attention.
The biggest red and green flags to look out for in the dating pool.
Why women's sexual desire fades faster than men's.
and much more…
Guests:
Macken Murphy is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Melbourne, a writer and a podcaster.
Steve Stewart-Williams is an evolutionary psychologist, a professor, and an author.
Rob Henderson holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Cambridge and is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
- Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get up to $350 off the Eight Sleep Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠⁠https://chatgpt.com - 0:00 Is This the Most Attractive Dance Move? 3:14 Does Looksmaxxing Give Women the Ick? 13:07 Why Do We Get the Ick? 16:52 Are Chads Stealing All the Women? 25:23 Is Marriage Affirmative Action for Men? 31:00 Are Humans Meant to Be Serial Monogamists? 34:52 How Rich Women Change Men’s Resourcefulness 44:18 Abundance vs Scarcity: What’s More Attractive? 55:34 Do High-Earning Women Have Higher Standards? 01:05:03 Can Surveys Accurately Measure Sex Differences? 01:10:36 Are Dating App Users Worse Partners? 01:16:53 What Matters More: Height or Looks? 01:20:46 Why Male Beautification is Exploding 01:31:27 Do Women Prefer Formidable Men? 01:35:22 The Rise of Female Teacher Sex Scandals 01:42:56 Is Being Desired What Women Want Most? 01:47:32 The Dangers of Minimising Sex Differences 01:50:46 The Latest Evidence on Mate Switching 01:52:20 Why Marriage Kills Women’s Sex Drive 01:56:40 How Do We Determine Human Nature? 02:03:34 What Do Lesbians Find Attractive? 02:05:57 Where to Find the Guys - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spotify.modernwisdom.com or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.modernwisdom.com Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Host of the Modern Wisdom podcast.
Rob Henderson
guest
Writer and author focused on social class and cultural commentary, including the memoir 'Troubled'.
Macken Murphy
guest
Early-career academic/researcher discussing evolutionary psychology and dating dynamics.
Steve Stewart-Williams
guest
Evolutionary psychologist and author of 'The Ape That Understood the Universe' and 'A Billion Years of Sex Differences'.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Rob Henderson, The New Science Of Female Attraction - Psychology Roundtable explores psychologists debate dating myths: ick, Chads, apps, and sex differences The panel argues that extreme “looksmaxxing” and conspicuous self-optimization can backfire by signaling vanity, inauthenticity, or short-term mating intent, even when appearance improvements raise baseline attractiveness.

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