In this book, Robert M. Sapolsky delves into the fascinating world of stress and its impact on our bodies. He explains why zebras, unlike humans, rarely suffer from stress-related illnesses. Sapolsky combines cutting-edge research with practical advice and engaging anecdotes to illustrate how prolonged stress can cause or intensify a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, and heart disease. The book also provides essential guidance on managing stress responses and offers new insights into how stress affects sleep, addiction, anxiety, and personality disorders[3][4][5].
This book is a collection of sharply observed and humorously written essays that delve into the biology of human culture and behavior. Sapolsky draws from his career as an evolutionary biologist and neurobiologist to discuss various topics such as the role of testosterone in aggression, the behavior of wild primates, and the neurobiological roots of religious belief. The essays marry cutting-edge science with rich observations and personal anecdotes, making complex scientific concepts accessible to the general reader.
In this book, Sapolsky delves into the complex interplay of biological processes, including neuroscience, genetics, and hormones, to explain why humans behave in various ways. He examines behavior on multiple time scales, from the immediate neural responses to actions that occur over centuries and millennia. The book addresses topics such as tribalism, xenophobia, hierarchy, competition, morality, and free will, providing a nuanced and multifaceted understanding of human behavior. Sapolsky's approach integrates cutting-edge research across several disciplines to offer insights into the biological basis of human actions, both good and bad.
In this episode, I interview Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Neurology & Neurosurgery at Stanford University. We discuss stress, what defines short-term versus long-term stress, and how stress can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on the context. We also discuss stress mitigation and how our sense of control over stress mitigation techniques, including exercise, determine health outcomes. Dr. Sapolsky explains some of the key effects of the hormone testosterone — how it can amplify pre-existing tendencies for aggression or sexual behavior, but that it does not produce those behaviors per se. He also explains how testosterone impacts our social hierarchies, sense of confidence, and willingness to embrace challenges of different kinds. He also explains how our behaviors and perceptions shape testosterone levels. And we discuss estrogen and the powerful role it plays in brain development, health and longevity. Finally, we discuss free will, what it means to have free will, and if we have any free will, including how knowledge alone might allow us to make better decisions for ourselves and society.
Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction: Dr. Robert Sapolsky
00:02:25 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up
00:06:30 Stress: Short & Long-Term, Good & Bad
00:09:11 Valence & Amygdala
00:11:00 Testosterone: Common Myths vs. Actual Truths
00:15:15 Behaviors that Affect Testosterone
00:17:20 Mindsets & Contexts that Affect Testosterone
00:20:28 How Finger Length Ratios Reflect Prenatal Hormone Levels
00:22:30 Aggression: Male-Female, Female-Male, & Female-Female
00:24:05 Testosterone: The Challenge Hypothesis
00:29:20 How Dopamine Impacts Testosterone & Motivation
00:32:32 Estrogen: Improves Brain & Longevity BUT TIMING IS KEY
00:39:40 Are Testosterone & Sperm Counts in Males Really Dropping?
00:42:15 Stress Mitigation & Our Sense of Control
00:51:35 How Best to Buffer Stress
00:57:04 Power of Perception, Choice & Individual Differences
01:00:32 Context-Setting, Prefrontal Cortex & Hierarchy
01:11:20 How Dr. Sapolsky Accomplishes Deep Thinking
01:13:17 Do We Have Free Will?
01:20:50 How to Apply Knowledge & Learning
01:23:44 Robert’s New Book: “Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will”
01:28:27 Reflections, Support of Podcast, & Supporting Stress Research
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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