Send us a textShort Summary: A detailed examination of shamanism with anthropologist Manvir Singh, blending evolutionary theory and vivid storytelling.About the guest: Manvir Singh, PhD is an anthropologist at the University of California, Davis. His new book, "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion," comes out on May 25, 2025.Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.Episode Summary: Dr. Manvir Singh discusses shamanism’s role as a universal human practice, exploring its roots in cultural evolution, cognitive tendencies, and persistence across history and modern society. They discuss how shamans use altered states to address uncertainty—like healing or divination—while examining shamanism’s interplay with centralized religion, its psychological benefits, and parallels in today’s world, from tech gurus to medical placebos.Key Takeaways:Shamanism is a widespread cultural practice involving specialists who enter altered states to engage with unseen forces, often for healing or managing uncertainty.It’s not an archaic precursor to modern religion but a recurring expression of spiritual beliefs & practices, competing with other forms.Techniques vary widely—dance, music, psychedelics—but only about half of shamans historically used psychoactive substances.Modern parallels include tech CEOs and money managers who project exceptionalism to influence others, echoing shamanic charisma without trance.Open-label placebos (where patients know it’s fake) still work, suggesting rituals alone can trigger healing, much like shamanic practices.Singh sees shamanism as a cognitive technology, not inherently good or bad, shaping how we cope with chaos across cultures and time.Related episode:M&M #86: Shamanism, Psychedelics, Social Behavior, Religion & Evolution of Human Culture | Michael Winkelman*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, etc. at the M&M Substack Affiliates: Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for 10% off. Readwise: Organize and share what you read. Athletic Greens: Comprehensive & convenient daily nutrition. Free 1-year supply of vitamin D with purchase. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn and grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Use code MIND for 20% off. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Gary Miller, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University, dives into the crucial link between chemical exposures and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. He highlights how early detection and technology might improve outcomes. The conversation explores how lifestyle factors, such as caffeine and nicotine, could offer protective effects. Miller elaborates on exposomics—the study of lifetime chemical exposures—and its role in understanding the interplay between pollutants, diet, and health.

Mickey Pardo, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, dives deep into the fascinating world of animal communication. He discusses whether elephants have unique vocal 'names' and shares insights from his field research in Kenya. Pardo explores the complexities of elephant social structures and their emotional depth, including mourning behaviors. He also compares the communication of elephants with that of dolphins, revealing intriguing parallels and the evolution of language. It's a captivating look at animal sentience and the intricacies of nature.

Rahul Roychoudhuri, a Professor of Cancer Immunology at the University of Cambridge, dives deep into the fascinating interplay between the immune system and cancer. They discuss how cancer cells evolve to evade immune detection and the surprising role of low-dose aspirin in potentially preventing cancer metastasis. The conversation highlights the implications of inflammation on tumor growth and the prospects of new therapies enhancing immune responses. Aspirin's effects on T cells and its relationship with cancer treatment could reshape future cancer therapies.

Send us a textShort Summary: How dietary fructose affects the growth rate of cancer.About the guest: Gary Patti, PhD is a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, holding appointments in chemistry, medicine, and geneticsNote: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.Episode Summary: Nick Jikomes talks to Dr. Patti, exploring how cancer cells metabolize sugars like glucose and fructose, focusing on a recent study showing fructose indirectly boosts tumor growth in mice via liver-produced lipids called LPCs. The discussion covers cancer biology basics, Warburg effect, tumor microenvironments, and systemic metabolic impacts of cancer, while also touching on dietary implications, fasting, and the complexities of nutrient use in cancer progression.Key Takeaways:Cancer cells often rely heavily on glucose, excreting it as lactate even when oxygen is available (Warburg effect), but take up more than their mitochondria can handle.In a study, high fructose diets accelerated tumor growth in mice by 4x, not because cancer cells use fructose directly, but because the liver converts it to LPCs, which tumors use to build membranes.Tumors are not just cancer cells; they recruit healthy cells in their microenvironment, and their metabolic effects ripple across the entire body, altering distant tissues.Excessive fructose consumption may worsen tumor growth, but cutting it poses little risk and could benefit cancer patients, pending human studies.Fasting may reduce cancer initiation risk in animals, but its effect on existing tumors is less clear and could worsen wasting (cachexia) in late stages.The body tightly regulates blood glucose via the liver, so simply cutting dietary glucose won’t starve tumors, highlighting cancer’s metabolic adaptability.Related episode:M&M #200: Dietary Fats & Seed Oils in Inflammation, Colon CancerSupport the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, etc. at the M&M Substack Affiliates: Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for 10% off. Readwise: Organize and share what you read. Athletic Greens: Comprehensive & convenient daily nutrition. Free 1-year supply of vitamin D with purchase. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn and grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Use code MIND for 20% off. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Send us a textShort Summary: How diet shapes the gut microbiome and impacts health, with microbiologist Dr. Peter Turnbaugh breaking down the complex science.About the guest: Peter Turnbaugh, PhD is a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he leads a lab studying the gut microbiome’s role in nutrition and drug response.Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.Episode Summary: Nick talks to Peter Turnbaugh discuss the pitfalls of oversimplified diet labels in research, Turnbaugh’s studies comparing plant-based and animal-based diets in humans, and how these shifts rapidly alter gut microbes and short-chain fatty acid profiles. Key Takeaways:The term “high-fat diet” in research is often misleading, as it can include high carbs and vary widely, complicating study comparisons.In a 2014 study, switching humans to a plant-based (high-fiber) or animal-based (ketogenic, no-fiber) diet changed their gut microbiome within one day, showing its remarkable adaptability.Ketogenic diets reduce Bifidobacterium in the gut, which may lower inflammation-linked immune cells (Th17), potentially aiding conditions like multiple sclerosis.Short-chain fatty acids (e.g., butyrate) don’t just come from fiber; they persist even on zero-fiber ketogenic diets, hinting at alternative microbial pathways.Gut microbes can activate or deactivate drugs, like antibiotics or digoxin, suggesting microbiomes may explain why drugs work differently across individuals.Ketone bodies like BHB alone can mimic some ketogenic diet effects on the microbiome and immunity, simplifying research and hinting at therapeutic potential.Related episode:M&M #203: Metagenomics, Microbiome Transmission, Gut Microbiome in Health & Disease | Nicola Segata*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, etc. at the M&M Substack Affiliates: Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for 10% off. Readwise: Organize and share what you read. Athletic Greens: Comprehensive & convenient daily nutrition. Free 1-year supply of vitamin D with purchase. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn and grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Use code MIND for 20% off. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Scott Soleimanpour, a physician-scientist from the University of Michigan, dives deep into the complex biology of diabetes. He sheds light on the critical roles of pancreatic beta cells in blood sugar regulation and the duality of the pancreas in digestion and metabolism. The conversation reveals the rising rates of type 1 diabetes, interconnected with environmental factors beyond genetics. Soleimanpour also discusses the multifaceted causes of type 2 diabetes, emphasizing lifestyle choices, dietary habits, and the need for improved treatment strategies.

Send us a textShort Summary: A rare, insider’s look at the messy realities of scientific research with Stanford’s Dr. John Ioannidis. The good, the bad, and the ugly about how scientific research actually works.About the guest: John Ioannidis, MD, PhD is a professor at Stanford University in medicine, epidemiology, population health, and biomedical data science, with an MD from the University of Athens and a PhD from Harvard in biostatistics. He directs the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), focusing on improving research methods and practices. Renowned for his paper “Why Most Published Research Findings Are False,” he’s among the most cited scientists globally, tackling biases and reproducibility in science.Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.Key Takeaways:Science’s “replication crisis” isn’t new—it’s baked into how tough and bias-prone research is, hitting all fields, not just “soft” ones like psychology.Ioannidis’s famous claim, “most published findings are false,” holds up: stats show many “significant” results are flukes due to weak studies or bias.Peer review’s a mixed bag—only a third of papers improve, and unpaid, tired reviewers miss a lot, letting shaky stuff slip through.Publishing’s a $30 billion game with 50,000+ journals; big players like Elsevier rake in huge profits from subscriptions and fees, often over $10,000 per paper.Researchers game the system—think fake co-authorships or citation cartels—boosting metrics like the H-index, which tracks papers with matching citation counts.Ioannidis’s early COVID-19 fatality rate (0.2-0.3%) was spot-on but sparked a firestorm as politics warped science into “clan warfare.”NIH funding’s clogged by red tape and favors older researchers, starving young innovators and risky ideas that could shake things up.He’s building tools like a public database of scientist stats (4 million downloads!) to spotlight gaming and push for transparent, fair research.*Not medical advice.Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, etc. at the M&M Substack Affiliates: Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for 10% off. Readwise: Organize and share what you read. Athletic Greens: Comprehensive & convenient daily nutrition. Free 1-year supply of vitamin D with purchase. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn and grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Use code MIND for 20% off. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Michael Snyder, a Professor of Genetics at Stanford University and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, shares groundbreaking ideas on personalized health. He discusses the role of wearable technology in transforming health monitoring, emphasizing big data's impact on individual health insights. The conversation covers diabetes subtypes, dietary influences, and the crucial link between short-chain fatty acids and gut health. Snyder also highlights the potential of innovative technologies to revolutionize disease prevention and extend healthy living.

Send us a textShort Summary: Insider’s look at the COVID-19 pandemic response from a seasoned epidemiologist, unraveling myths and lessons with straightforward science.About the guest: Martin Kulldorff, PhD is an epidemiologist and biostatistician with decades of experience in infectious disease monitoring and vaccine safety. He was formerly a professor at Harvard Medical School. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack. Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other information on Substack.Episode Summary: Dr. Martin Kulldorff discusses the COVID pandemic response, reflecting on the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed lockdowns in favor of protecting the vulnerable. They explore the virus’s fatality rates, asymptomatic spread, and vaccine efficacy, contrasting textbook epidemiology with real-world decisions. He critiques institutional failures, like the CDC’s misleading claims. He shares optimism for future pandemics with better leadership and public awareness.Key Takeaways:Lockdowns ignored basic public health principles, causing collateral damage like missed cancer screenings, while Sweden’s focused protection approach led to lower excess mortality.Early data showed COVID’s risk was 1000x higher for older people, yet lockdowns didn’t prioritize them, unlike textbook strategies.Asymptomatic spread made containment impossible, unlike Ebola, where isolation works due to clear symptoms.Natural immunity was downplayed despite 2500 years of evidence, leading to wasted vaccines on those already immune.CDC falsely claimed vaccines stopped transmission, eroding trust when people got sick anyway, fueling vaccine skepticism.mRNA vaccine boosters lack proper trials, and their long-term effects need rigorous study, not assumptions.Kulldorff’s new Journal of the Academy of Public Health pushes open peer review to rebuild trust in science.Related episode:M&M #100: Infectious Disease, Epidemiology, Pandemics, Health Policy, COVID, Politicization Support the showAll episodes, show notes, transcripts, etc. at the M&M Substack Affiliates: Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for 10% off. Readwise: Organize and share what you read. Athletic Greens: Comprehensive & convenient daily nutrition. Free 1-year supply of vitamin D with purchase. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn and grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Use code MIND for 20% off. For all the ways you can support my efforts