166 episodes
Mind & Matter Nick Jikomes
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- Science
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4.8 • 65 Ratings
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Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
“Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)“Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)“Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
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Dopamine, Reward, Motivation, Lateral Hypothalamus, Feeding Behavior & Eating Disorders | Melissa Sharpe | #164
About the guest: Melissa Sharpe, PhD is a neuroscientist. Her lab at the University of Sydney studies reinforcement and reward learning in rodents.Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Sharpe discuss: dopamine and its association with reward learning and motivation; reinforcement learning & the brain; the lateral hypothalamus and feeding behavior; and more. Related episodes:Drugs, Addiction & Neuroplasticity: Psychedelics, MDMA, Opioids, Cocaine, Amphetamine (Adderall), Nicotine, Marijuana &a...
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Anesthesia, Placebo Effects, Consciousness, Subjectivity, MDMA, Ketamine, Opioids, Psychedelics | Boris Heifets | #163
About the guest: Boris Heifets, MD, PhD is an anesthesiologist and researcher at Stanford University. His lab studies non-ordinary states of consciousness and psychoactive drugs like MDMA, ketamine, and psychedelics.Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Heifets discuss: anesthesia and how anesthetics work; placebo effects & expectations in clinical research; ketamine as an antidepressant, anesthetic, and recreational drug; the subjective effects of psychedelics and other drugs; MDMA and Lykos The...
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Drugs, Addiction & Neuroplasticity: Psychedelics, MDMA, Opioids, Cocaine, Amphetamine (Adderall), Nicotine, Marijuana & Alcohol | Robert Malenka | #162
About the guest: Robert Malenka, MD, PhD is psychiatrist & neuroscientist. He has spent most of his career at Stanford University, where his lab studies synaptic plasticity, mechanisms of drug action in the brain, and the neural basis of behavior.Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Malenka discuss: mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the brain, such as LTP & LTD; addiction & the dopamine reward circuitry of the brain; psychoactive drugs ranging from stimulants (cocaine, nicotine, amphe...
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GLP-1, Weight Loss Drugs, Ozempic, Obesity, NMDA Receptors, Metabolism & Brain Health | Christoffer Clemmensen | #161
About the guest: Christoffer Clemmensen, PhD is scientist running the Metabolism & Molecular Pharmacology group at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. His lab studies the biological basis of obesity & other metabolic disorders.Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Clemmensen discuss: GLP-1 & gut hormones; obesity & metabolic disease; GLP-1 agonists and weight loss drugs (e.g. Ozempic); novel, dual-action weight loss drugs his lab has created; and more.Previous discussion: Metabol...
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Diet, Hunting, Culture and Evolution of Paleolithic Humans & Hunter Gatherers | Eugene Morin | #160
About the guest: Eugene Morin, PhD is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Trent who studies Paleolithic humans and animals.Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Morin discuss evolution of Paleolithic humans; Neanderthal diet & cultural capacity; key human adaptations related to endurance and stamina; hunter gatherer hunting strategies; evolution of human digestion; and more.*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.Support the Show.All episodes (audio & video), show...
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Neuroscience of Social Behavior, Pain, Empathy, Emotion, Brain Mechanisms of MDMA | Monique Smith | #159
About the guest: Monique Smith, PhD is an assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of California-San Diego, where her lab studies the neuroscience of social behavior, pain, and emotion.Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Smith discuss: the neurobiology of pain perception; social & empathy-like behavior in animals; emotion; brain mechanisms of MDMA; serotonin; and more.*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.Support the Show.All episodes (audio & video), show not...
Customer Reviews
Favorite
One of my go to podcasts. I always learn something with his quality guests. He also makes sure to rephrase and/or have his guests explain the more technical or hard to grasp ideas so that the information is more easily absorbed. Great teaching skills. Much appreciated!
informative and easily digestible
the topics covered can be complex in nature, but Nick asks appropriate clarifying questions and summarizes points in a way that aids with clarity for the listener. thanks for all the work you do, the consistency of your episodes, and all of the new knowledge nuggets!
Awesome!
One of my new fav podcasts!