The XX Lab

What does your voice say before you even finish a sentence?

Long before someone processes your words, their brain has already begun decoding your voice. In a fraction of a second, people can make surprisingly accurate judgments about your age, biological sex, emotional state, health, native language, and even aspects of your social relationships. The fascinating part? Most of this happens automatically.

In this episode of The XX Lab,...

Are women really less competitive than men, or have we been measuring competition the wrong way?

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Dr. Khandis Blake, PhD, evolutionary psychologist and researcher, to explore how hormones, competition, confidence, mate preferences, and modern environments shape women's behavior in ways that are often misunderstood.

Why do women compete differently than men?

Drawing o...

We have more health information than ever before, yet we're getting sicker, more stressed, and more overwhelmed. So what's missing?

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill welcomes Sarah Ann Macklin, registered nutritionist, former international model, host of Live Well Be Well, and author of Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard. Together, they explore why today's $8.5 trillion wellness industry isn't delivering better health and wh...

We're more connected than any generation in history, yet loneliness continues to rise. What happened?

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Dr. Bill von Hippel, evolutionary psychologist and bestselling author of The Social Paradox, to explore why the very freedoms that define modern life may also be driving us further apart.

Why does modern life leave so many people feeling isolated?

Drawing from evolu...

Dating apps promised more choice. But what if more choice is making relationships harder to build?

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Dr. Cari Goetz, evolutionary psychologist and relationship researcher, to explore the psychology of mate switching, online dating, sexual exploitability, casual sex, and the hidden forces shaping modern relationships.

Cari explains how humans evolved in environments with relat...

If a friend is gossiping to you, she's probably gossiping about you too. That's the unsettling rule of thumb Dr. Tania Reynolds lives by—and in this episode, she explains why. 

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Reynolds, a social psychologist and leading researcher on female friendship, cooperation, and competition, to unpack the evolutionary science behind how women build relationships—an...

How much of your behavior is shaped by biology without you even realizing it? From the clothes you choose to the people you find attractive, your hormones may be influencing more than you think.

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with evolutionary psychologist Dr. Kristina Durante to unpack the fascinating science behind hormones, decision-making, consumer behavior, relationships, and social dynamics. Drawing on...

Why are women told their hormones are essential at 45 — that losing them is a health crisis, that we must replace them to protect our brains and bones and hearts — while those same hormones are routinely shut down in women in their 20s with barely a second thought?

That contradiction is at the center of today's conversation. And once you see it, you can't unsee it.

On Today’s Episode, Dr. Sarah Hill welcomes Lara Br...

Why is making friends as an adult so difficult—and why are female friendships often both deeply supportive and unexpectedly complicated?

Friendship may be one of the most overlooked public health assets we have. Yet it's also one of the least studied areas of psychology. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with UCLA friendship researcher Dr. Jaimie Krems to unpack the science behind why friendships matter, why women expe...

Female sexuality is far more complex and fascinating than we’ve been taught.

In this episode of The XX Lab with Sarah Hill, Sarah sits down with pioneering sexuality researcher Dr. Cindy Meston to unpack the science of female desire, arousal, orgasm, menopause, antidepressants, birth control, and the psychology behind what actually creates satisfying sex for women.

From groundbreaking lab research measuring physiological arousa...

What if infertility is not just about getting pregnant, but one of the earliest warning signs that something deeper is happening in the body?

In this episode of The XX Lab with Dr. Sarah Hill, Sarah sits down with double-board certified fertility specialist Dr. Natalie Crawford to unpack the science of ovulation, egg quality, chronic inflammation, stress, PCOS, endometriosis, and the hidden factors affecting women’s reproducti...

What if the life you’re chasing is already inside you?

In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Gabby Reece to explore how self-trust, curiosity, and resilience shape a meaningful life. From growing up “feral” to navigating elite sports, modeling, motherhood, and marriage, Gabby shares how tuning out noise and listening inward became her greatest advantage.

They unpack the difference between pres...

What if the thing you’re craving most isn’t happiness, but feeling truly loved?

In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with happiness researcher Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky to unpack the science of happiness, connection, and why so many people feel unseen even when surrounded by others. From gratitude practices and social comparison to the hidden psychology of relationships, this episode explores what act...

What if the reason so many women feel anxious, burned out, and disconnected isn’t personal failure… but a misunderstanding of what women actually need?

In this inaugural episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill shares the deeply personal story behind the show and the science that transformed the way she understands herself, relationships, motherhood, ambition, and modern womanhood. Drawing from more than 25 years of resear...