

Mind & Matter
Nick Jikomes
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)
Episodes
Mentioned books

38 snips
Jun 9, 2022 • 1h 58min
Psychoactive Drugs & Memory (Sedatives, Stimulants, Cannabinoids, Psychedelics, MDMA) | Manoj Doss | 74
Send us a textNick talks to cognitive psychopharmacologist Dr. Manoj Doss about the effects of psychoactive drugs on memory, including sedatives, stimulants, psychedelics, cannabinoids, and MDMA. They also talk about recent research on the effects of psilocybin on the human brain.*Not medical adviceSupport the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Jun 2, 2022 • 1h 44min
Emotion, Cognition, Consciousness, Behavior & Brain Evolution | Joseph LeDoux | 73
Send us a textNick talks to neuroscientist Dr. Joseph LeDoux, who runs a research lab at New York University. His research focuses on the neurobiology of emotion, memory and behavior and he has written several popular science books including, "The Deep History of Ourselves." They discuss: brain evolution; what is behavior? what are emotion and cognition, and how are they intertwined; consciousness, language, and memory.*Not medical advice.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

May 26, 2022 • 1h 18min
Ketogenic Diet, Cancer, Microbiome, Nutrition & the Immune System | Maayan Levy | 72
Send us a textDr. Maayan Levy is an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, where her lab studies the communication between the microbiome and its host, with a focus on the gut microbiome and its relationship to diet, immune system function, and disease. We discuss: her recent study linking the ketogenic diet to lower risk of colon cancer; what the ketogenic diet is and what the metabolic state of ‘ketosis’ does in the body; molecules called ketone bodies, such as BHB, and the extent to which BHB supplementation can recapitulate some of the physiological effects of the ketogenic diet; how the microbiome influences the function and development of the immune system; and the hygiene hypothesis, the idea that modern human cultures may be too clean, or rely too heavily on antibiotics and other technology, and interfere with our microbiome in ways that may be detrimental to metabolic and immunological health.*Not medical advice.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

May 19, 2022 • 1h 31min
Chemistry of Magic Mushrooms, DMT Analogues, Entourage Effects in Cannabis & Fungi, Novel Psychedelics, Psychedelic Startups | Andrew Chadeayne | 71
Send us a textNick talks to chemist & patent attorney Dr. Andrew Chadeayne, who is the CEO of the psychedelic startup CaaMTech. They discussed: the chemistry of magic mushrooms, including compounds beyond psilocybin, found in many species of psilocybin-containing mushrooms; the so-called entourage effect, the idea that multiple compounds found in plants and fungi might work together in a synergistic fashion to produce specific psychoactive or therapeutic effects; Cannabis and magic mushrooms; DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and novel DMT analogues; how we went from academia, to patent law, to founding CaaMTech; the prospect of developing novel psychedelic drugs, non-hallucinogenic psychedelic drug analogues, and some of the details on how these various drugs differ in terms of their chemical structure. Learn more about psychedelic science.*Note medical advice.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

10 snips
May 12, 2022 • 2h 12min
Mitochondria, Aging, Cellular Energy, Metabolism, Gray Hair Reversal & Brain-Body Communication | Martin Picard | 70
Martin Picard, an Associate Professor at Columbia University, dives into the fascinating world of mitochondria—powerhouses of our cells. He explains their crucial role in energy production, metabolism, and even emotional health. Picard discusses the surprising reversibility of gray hair linked to life stress, and how diet and exercise profoundly impact mitochondrial function. He also explores the mind-mitochondria connection, revealing how our cellular energy influences our psychological states and perceptions of time.

May 5, 2022 • 1h 27min
Cellular Aging, Oxidative Stress, Antioxidants, Life Extension & Health Supplements | Leonard Guarente | 69
Send us a textNick talks to biologist Dr. Leonard Guarente about the biology of aging, life extension, health supplements, and related topics. Dr. Guarente is a Professor of Biology at MIT, where his lab has studied the molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging for many years. He is also the co-founder and Chief Scientist of Elysium Health, which uses the science of aging to develop health supplements to combat age-related decline and technologies to help consumers understand their rate of aging. Nick and Dr. Guarente discussed many topics related to aging, including: how and why aging occurs; whether humans can achieve immortality; NAD and the core metabolic processes of cells; resveratrol, pterostilbene, and other anti-aging molecules; epigenetics and technology that can be used to calculate biological age vs. chronological age. *Not medical advice.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Apr 28, 2022 • 1h 37min
Biology of Sex Hormones, Chromosomes, Development & Evolution of Sexual Reproduction | Blanche Capel | 68
Send us a textNick talks to cell & developmental biologist Dr. Blanche Capel. They discussed the nature of sexual reproduction and sexual dimorphism, including when these these things evolved, the evolutionary reasons for sexual reproduction, and the amazing diversity of mechanisms that determine the development of sexual traits across the animal kingdom; the contribution of genetic vs. environmental factors in sex determination, and how these vary across species; sex chromosomes, such as the X and Y chromosomes of humans and other mammals; sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen; as well as how gametes and gonads develop - these are the sex cells, such as sperm or egg, and the reproductive organs that produce them and the major sex hormones that shape sexual development; what we know, and don’t know, about the biology of puberty and sexual development after birth, as well as whether environmental factors, such as components of the diet an environmental contaminants, could be influencing sexual development.*Not medical advice.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Apr 21, 2022 • 1h 38min
Stress, PTSD, Intergenerational Trauma, Epigenetics & Psychedelic Medicine | Rachel Yehuda | 67
Send us a textNick talks to neuroscientist & clinical researcher Dr. Rachel Yehuda, who is a professor of psychiatry & neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York. They discuss the biology and neuroscience of stress, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), why people can be sensitive or resilient to stress, epigenetics, intergenerational trauma, and how MDMA and psychedelics are being explored for their ability to treat stress-related mental health conditions. *Not medical adviceSupport the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Apr 14, 2022 • 1h 33min
Psychology of Human Power, Social Status & Influence | Robert Greene | 66
Send us a textNick speaks to writer Robert Greene, who is the author of several books exploring different, and sometimes dark, aspects of human psychology. The discussion focuses on the subject of his first book, "The 48 Laws of Power." They discuss what power is and how it's used. Different psychological traits that people who successfully acquire power tend to have. Strategies that have been useful throughout history for acquiring more power, as well as those that lead to a loss of power. Robert talks the political scientist Niccolo Machiavelli, and how he is often misunderstood. He also gave his perspective on some influential people with power today, including Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, and Elon Musk. More content on social psychology & behavior.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts

Apr 7, 2022 • 2h 20min
Consciousness, Perception, Evolution, Spacetime & the Nature of Reality | Donald Hoffman | 65
Send us a textNick talks to cognitive scientist Dr. Donald Hoffman, who is professor emeritus of cognitive sciences at UC-Irvine and the author of many scientific papers and books, including "The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes.” They discussed a variety of topics related to consciousness, the nature of perception, and evolution, including: how perception works; whether our conscious perceptions are accurate representations of underlying reality; the interface theory of perception, which likens our conscious perceptions to the digital icons displayed on your computer screen; language; psychedelic experiences; and the nature of reality itself, such as whether space and time are fundamental aspects of the universe, or artifacts of perception.*Not medical advice.Support the showAffiliates: Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app. KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime) Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount. For all the ways you can support my efforts


