

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

Apr 9, 2021 • 1h 57min
Scientific Publishing, Academic Peer Review & the Business of Science | Michael Eisen | 17
Send us a textNick talks to Dr. Michael Eisen, a biologist at UC-Berkeley and editor-in-chief for eLife, a non-profit open access science journal. Throughout his career, Dr. Eisen has been an advocate of open science, the free release of the results of scientific research, and has been critical of traditional forms of scientific publishing, which often place scientific results behind a paywall.They discuss a variety of topics related to how academic science is conducted, including how it gets funded and what is involved in running a research lab. Much of the discussion centers on the business of scientific publishing, including what scientific journals are and their history, as well as the business models of for-profit journals and how they work. They also talk about open access journals and new ways that people are using technology to get around paywalls. Scientific publishing is an industry that most people have little awareness of (including many scientists), and the size and profitability of large scientific publishing groups may surprise you. *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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Apr 2, 2021 • 1h 44min
Sleep, Dreaming, Memory & the Brain | Robert Stickgold | 16
Send us a textNick talks to Dr. Bob Stickgold, a cognitive neuroscientist and sleep expert. Dr. Stickgold is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and has been studying sleep, dreams, and memory for over 25 years. They discuss a variety of sleep topics, included sleep architecture and why there are different stages of sleep; the relationship between sleep stages and memory; how different drugs and disease states relate to sleep; how sleep differs as we develop and between species. Dr. Stickgold also shares various sleep-related health tips, including why it's important to get adequate sleep when you get vaccinated. *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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Mar 31, 2021 • 28min
Chemical Analysis of Magic Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest | Michael Beug | Bonus Episode
Send us a textThis bonus episode is a lecture given by mushroom expert Dr. Michael Beug (probably from the 1980s). Professor Beug describes the results of his work analyzing the chemical contents of various psilocybin-containing ("magic") mushrooms native to the Pacific Northwest. You'll learn some interesting observations about different Psilocybe mushrooms, including how psilocybin content varies across species, and which species tend to be the most potent. 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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Mar 26, 2021 • 1h 30min
Medical Marijuana, Cannabis, Clinical Research & Cannabinoid Therapeutics | Ziva Cooper | 15
Send us a textDr. Ziva Cooper, Director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, discusses the latest medical cannabis research. She goes into everything from the potential interactive of effects of cannabinoids and terpenes, to the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD), to sex- and age-dependent differences in how cannabinoids affect the body. *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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Mar 20, 2021 • 1h 20min
Demetrix & Bioengineering Rare Cannabinoids | Jeff Ubersax | 14
Send us a textNick Jikomes talks to Jeff Ubersax, PhD, CEO of the biotechnology company Demetrix (who supported this episode). Jeff discussed the science behind how Demetrix is engineering baker's yeast to produce cannabinoids at an industrial scale, with a focus on making rare cannabinoids other than THC and CBD.Jeff also discussed how he transitioned from academic science to running his own company, and offered advice for academic scientists in training who might be thinking about moving into biotechnology.Episode Support: This episode was supported by Demetrix, a biotechnology company using cutting edge fermentation technology to produce rare cannabinoids that are safe, legal, and effective for health and wellness. 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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Mar 12, 2021 • 1h 33min
Social Networks, Dominance Hierarchies & Animal Behavior | Elizabeth Hobson | 13
Send us a textNick talks to Elizabeth Hobson, PhD, whose lab studies the evolution of decision-making, social cognition, social networks, and dominance hierarchies using a combination of naturalistic field observations of animal behavior combined with computational modeling and network analysis. They discuss social behavior in animals, including when and why members of a group display aggression, how animal dominance hierarchies form and change, and how changes in the environment can cause sudden “tipping points” where group behavior suddenly changes. We also discussed whether human societies may be near tipping points today, and how changes due to COVID have impacted remote learning. *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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Mar 4, 2021 • 1h 56min
Cities, Companies, Organisms and the Science of Growth & Scale | Geoffrey West | 12
Send us a textNick talks to theoretical physicist Dr. Geoffrey West about the universal scaling laws that describe how organisms, companies, and cities grow and die. Dr. West is the Shannan Distinguished Professor and former President of the Santa Fe Institute, as well as author of, "Scale: The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies." *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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Feb 27, 2021 • 1h 46min
Endocannabinoid System, Stress & PTSD | Matthew Hill | 11
Send us a textNick talks to Dr. Matthew Hill about the role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating stress and emotional behavior. They also discuss how plant cannabinoids from Cannabis, such as THC and CBD, impact the endocannabinoid system. *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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Feb 19, 2021 • 2h 26min
Human Evolution, Neanderthals, Paleoanthropology, Ancient DNA & Human Diversity | John Hawks | 10
Send us a textNick talks to paleoanthropologist John Hawks about the story of human evolution.Listen to a more recent conversation with John Hawks.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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts

Feb 15, 2021 • 1h 33min
Medical Marijuana, Plant Medicine, Cannabis, Cannabinoids, Terpenes & the Entourage Effect | Ethan Russo | 9
Send us a textNick talks to neurologist and plant medicine expert Dr. Ethan Russo about medical cannabis and related topics, such as cannabinoids (e.g. THC, CBD, CBG, THCV), terpenes (myrcene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene), endocannabinoid biology, and Ethan's thoughts on the legal cannabis industry, including whether the terms "Indica" and "Sativa" are meaningful.*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. AquaTru: Reverse osmosis water filters. Remove metals, microbes, endocrine disruptors and toxins from drinking water. $100 off AquaTru filters through link. 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. MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off For all the ways you can support my efforts