Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us a text A "food desert" is an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food, and the designation considers both the type and quality of food available, as well as the accessibility of the food through the size and proximity of the food stores. In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that 23.5 million people in the U.S. lived in food deserts, meaning that they live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban or suburban areas and more than 10 miles from a supermarket in rural areas. Food deserts tend to be inhabited by lower-income residents with reduced mobility, making them a less attractive market for large supermarket chains and available foods are often of the highly processed type, high in sugars and fats, which are known contributors to the proliferation of obesity and other chronic diseases. It’s estimated that the contribution of food deserts to healthcare costs in the U.S. is over $70 billion annually. Top Box Foods is a non-profit, community-based, social business, with an innovative model of getting healthy and affordable grocery boxes to food-insecure neighborhoods, creating year round access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and proteins, in communities in Chicago, and Lake County, IL, as well as in New Orleans, LA. Mr. Christopher Kennedy, along with his wife Sheila Kennedy, is a co-founder of Top Box Foods. In addition to Top Box Foods, Mr. Kennedy is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc., treasurer of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, serves on the public boards of Interface, Inc., and Knoll Inc., and is a trustee for the Marine Biological Laboratory at University of Chicago. Mr. Kennedy earned his BA from Boston College and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he serves on their Global Advisory Board. Mr. Kennedy has also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the University of Illinois, and president of Merchandise Mart Properties, a commercial property management firm based in Chicago. Mr. Kennedy is one of the children of Ethel Kennedy and the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Support the show

Send us a text When one mentions the topic of “head transplantation” (or a related topic – the “brain transplant”), for most people, it remains a topic purely in the context and sphere of science fiction. Yet most people are unaware of the following history: In 1908, Nobel Prize winner Alexis Carrel, a French surgeon who had developed surgical methods to connect blood vessels in the context of organ transplantation, collaborated with the American Charles Claude Guthrie perform the first head grafts between dogs. In 1954, Vladimir Demikhov, a Soviet surgeon who conducted important work to improve coronary bypass surgery, performed experiments in which he grafted a dog's head and upper body, onto another dog; the effort was focused on how to provide blood supply to the donor head and upper body. In 1965 American neurosurgeon Robert J. White did a series of experiments in which he attempted to graft the vascular system of isolated dog brains onto existing dogs monitoring brain activity with EEG and also monitored metabolism, and showed that he could maintain high levels of brain activity and metabolism by avoiding any break in the blood supply. In 1970 he did four experiments in which he cut the head off of a monkey and connected the blood vessels of another monkey head to it. From 1970-1994, Paul A. Pietsch was a Professor in the School of Optometry and an Adjunct Professor of Anatomy at Indiana University, and conducted and published on a long series of "brain shuffling" / transplantation experiments in regenerative organisms between salamanders and frogs. Related "brain switching" experiments have routinely taken place in the world of embryology to this current day, between species such as chickens and ducks, and quails and finches. Dr. Ren Xiaoping, is an orthopedic surgeon from China, and is most well known for being part of the team that achieved the first hand transplant in China. Dr. Ren attended the Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China, and received his M.D. in 1984. From 1996 to 2000, he continued his education, performing research relating to anatomy and hand surgery. During this period, specifically on January 25, 1999, the first hand transplant was performed on Matthew Scott, and Ren was an influential figure in this achievement. He is currently a partner with Italian neurosurgeon Dr. Sergio Canavero in a project (HEAVEN - Head Anastomosis Venture) to plan and attempt the first human head transplant, known as a Cephalosomatic Anastomosis, an operation that has never been done before. Support the show

Send us a text Dr. Nicole Prause, PhD is an American neuroscientist researching human sexual behavior, addiction, and the physiology of sexual response. She is also the founder of Liberos LLC, an independent research institute and biotechnology company. Dr. Prause obtained her doctorate in 2007 at Indiana University Bloomington, with joint supervision by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, with her areas of concentration being neuroscience and statistics. Her clinical internship, in neuro-psychological assessment and behavioral medicine, was with the VA Boston Healthcare System's Psychology Internship Training Program. Her research fellowship was in couples' treatment of alcoholism was at Harvard University. Dr. Prause became a tenure track faculty member at Idaho State University at the age of 29. After three years there, she accepted a position as a Research Scientist at the Mind Research Network, a neuro-imaging facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2012, Dr. Prause was elected a full member of the International Academy of Sex Research and accepted a position as a Research Scientist on faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles in the David Geffen School of Medicine. While there, she was promoted to Associate Research Scientist in 2014. Dr. Prause founded Liberos LLC in 2015 and she continues to practice as licensed psychologist in California. Support the show

Send us a text Today we’re joined by Melodie Yashar - Designer, Researcher, Technologist, co-founder of the firm Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), Senior Research Associate with San Jose State University Research Foundation at NASA Ames Research Center, and an Associate Researcher within the UC Davis Center for Human/Robotics/Vehicle Integration and Performance (HRVIP). She also teaches undergraduate and graduate design at Art Center College of Design and is a 2019-2020 Future Space Leaders Fellow. Melodie’s current work focuses on the relationship of advanced software & hardware systems for spaceflight and maintains ongoing research interests in the design of augmented environments, human-machine interaction, human performance studies, and space technology development. As an undergraduate Melodie studied at UC Berkeley and at Art Center, and she holds graduate degrees in architecture and human-computer interaction with an emphasis in robotics from Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively. She also served as a Visiting Professor at Pratt Institute, as a researcher within Carnegie Mellon’s Morphing Matter Lab and Design Director of Sonic Platforms. Having come from an interdisciplinary background, Melodie appreciates those who see research and design as a confluence of different fields—allowing problem solving to become a more thoroughly collaborative exercise. Support the show

Send us a textThe Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (https://www.humandevelopment.va/it.html​) was established at the Vatican, by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in 2016, and deals with a range of issues concerning migrants, refugees and victims of slave trade, human trafficking, justice and peace, the progress of peoples, the promotion and protection of dignity and human rights, disarmament and armed conflicts, as well as their tragic consequences on civilians and the natural environment. Since 1st of January 2017, the Dicastery has been created merging the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. The Dicastery includes the Commission for Charity, the Commission for Ecology and the Commission for Health Care Workers, each operating according to its norms. Cardinal Dr. Michael Czerny, S.J. serves as Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Cardinal Dr. Czerny entered the Society of Jesus in English Canada in 1963, and was ordained in 1973. He did graduate studies at the University of Chicago in an inter-disciplinary program in humanities, social thought and theology and earned the doctorate in 1978. Dr. Czerny was the founding director of the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice, Toronto (1979 – 1989). After the 1989 assassination of the Jesuits at the Central American University (UCA) in San Salvador, he became Director of its Human Rights Institute (1990 – 1991) and Vice-Rector of the UCA (1991). For 11 years Dr. Czerny served as Secretary for Social Justice at the Jesuit General Curia, Rome (1992 – 2002). In 2002, he founded the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), which assists Jesuits to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic; he directed AJAN for 8 years. From 2010-2016, Fr. Czerny worked with Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as his advisor or counselor. From 1 January 2017 he has served as Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. On October 4, 2019, Fr. Czerny was consecrated titular archbishop of Benevento by Pope Francis, who on October 5 created him cardinal deacon of St. Michael the Archangel.Support the show

Send us a textDr. Graham Ryan, is the Director at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), in Montserrat, WI. Dr. Ryan has 17 years’ experience in volcanology and geothermal geophysics, using his skills to better understand the nature and behavior of magmatic systems and fluid flow through geothermal systems. His current interests include ground deformation associated with the volcanic systems of the Eastern Caribbean and the use of joint interpretation and inversion to determine the architecture of geothermal and magmatic systems in the region. With a masters in Physics at The University of Manchester and a PhD in volcanology at Lancaster University (during which he performed controlled explosions in the laboratory to simulate repetitive volcanic explosions and magma flow in volcanic conduits), he has published over 20 articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed international publications. In addition to his work at Montserrat Volcano Observatory Dr. Ryan also spent six years at the University of Auckland in New Zealand studying fluid flow pathways in geothermal systems, particularly with an eye to targeting geothermal wells for energy production. Whilst based in New Zealand he worked on systems in several countries including Montserrat, New Zealand, Rwanda, Chile and the USA, developing novel methodologies for modelling subsurface geothermal systems using joint interpretation of data sets. Dr. Ryan also developed expertise in electromagnetic induction, particularly the magnetotelluric technique, a useful technique for imaging systems deep within the Earth’s crust. He also taught short courses in both general geothermal technology and magnetotellurics. Support the show

Send us a text Today we are going to discuss the topic drug enforcement from a very interesting technological angle. Brian Drake, is the Director of Artificial Intelligence for the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Directorate of Science and Technology. Mr. Drake works with the DIA’s Future Capabilities and Innovation Office, and he also leads an initiative to test the effectiveness of different applications of artificial intelligence at solving various mission problems, including using AI to combat the opioid crisis with a DIA program known as SABLE SPEAR. Previous to this role Brian was a Senior Intelligence Analyst and Branch Chief in the DIA’s Americas and Transregional Threats Center (ATTC) and prior to joining ATTC, Mr. Drake was a Management Analyst with DIA's Chief of Staff. For DIA's intelligence analysis mission, he has worked worldwide targets in narcotics, emerging and disruptive technologies, and weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Drake was stationed in the Pentagon as an Intelligence Briefer in the Executive Support Office, served on the Information Review Task Force, and has led several interagency technical and counterterrorism intelligence teams. Prior to his time in DIA, Mr. Drake was a management consultant at Deloitte and Toffler Associates where he served commercial clients in various industries and government clients at the ODNI, FBI, CIA, NSA, and the US State Department. Apart from his government service, Brian is the President and CEO of the Defense Intelligence Memorial Foundation; a scholarship fund for the children of fallen defense intelligence officers. He is a graduate of Mercer University and earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from Georgetown University. Support the show

Send us a text Today we are joined by none other than the “Father of Biohacking” himself, bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and serial entrepreneur, Dave Asprey, Founder & Chairman, of the Bulletproof 360, a high performance coffee and food company, and creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, host of the Webby award-winning podcast Bulletproof Radio, and has been featured on the Today show, Fox News, Nightline, CNN, and dozens more. Over the last two decades Dave, has worked with world-renowned doctors, researchers, scientists and global mavericks to uncover the latest, most innovative methods, techniques and products for enhancing mental and physical performance. Dave has personally spent over $2 million taking control of his own biology – pushing the bounds of human possibility all in the name of science, evolution and revolution. He’s also creator of the Bulletproof Diet, Collagen Protein supplements and many more advances in commercial wellness products. Dave’s mission is to empower the entire globe with information and knowledge that unlocks the Super Human in everyone at any age. Dave earned his undergraduate degree in computer information systems from California State University and later earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Support the show

Send us a textNeuromodulation is defined as "the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body". It is carried out to normalize – or modulate – nervous tissue function. Neuromodulation is an evolving therapy that can involve a range of electromagnetic stimuli such as a magnetic field, an electric current, or a drug instilled directly in the sub-dural space (i.e. intra-thecal drug delivery). Emerging applications involve targeted introduction of genes or gene regulators and light (optogenetics), but most clinical experience has been with electrical stimulation. Existing and emerging neuromodulation treatments also include application in medication-resistant epilepsy, chronic head pain conditions, and functional therapy ranging from bladder and bowel or respiratory control, to improvement of sensory deficits, such as hearing and vision. Neuromodulation therapy has been investigated for other chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, chronic pain, and as an adjunctive treatment in recovery from stroke. Dr. Amílcar dos Santos, is a practicing Psychiatrist at the Psychiatry Service of Hospital Vila Franca de Xira, in Lisbon, Portugal, with expertise in Neuromodulation / Neurostimulation, Hospitalization of acute patients, Psychiatric Emergency Service, Outpatient Psychiatry, Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and Psychoeducation for Bipolar Disease. Dr. dos Santos has a Degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL) and Post-Graduate in Neuroscience at FMUL. He also interned at the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University, USA, in 2013/14, at the Nicolelis lab, with a focus on studies on brain-machine interfaces, acquiring surgical skills for implanting electrodes in the brain and spinal cord, and has performed a range behavioral research experiments on organisms studying real-time analysis of brain activity, doing respective data analysis techniques, as well as participating in spinal cord stimulation in the treatment / reduction of convulsive activity and in epilepsy. Dr. dos Santos is also a lecturer in Psychiatry at NOVA Medical School, Lisbon. Support the show

Send us a text The 711th Human Performance Wing, under the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory leads the development, integration, and delivery of Airman-centric research, education, and consultation enabling the U.S. Air Force to achieve responsive and effective global vigilance, global reach, and global power now and in the future. It’s comprised of the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the Airman Systems Directorate, whose science and technology competencies include Training, Adaptive Warfighter Interfaces, Bioeffects, Bioengineering, and Aerospace and Operational Medicine. The Individualized Neural Learning System, or iNeuraLS, is a new augmented learning platform that will enable rapid learning by closed-loop modulation of cognitive states during skill acquisition. Essentially, the AFRL team seeks to develop a capability that will give Airmen the ability to rapidly acquire knowledge and skills on the fly through direct brain interfaces with the help of neurotechnologies. And we have not 1, but 2 fascinating guests on the show with us today: Dr. Nathaniel Bridges serves as the Neural Interfaces Team Lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Cognitive Neuroscience Section. In this role, he and his team seek to find and enable ways to link the human brain/nervous system with technology in a manner that will benefit the Air Force. This in part relies on testing and evaluating current and emerging Brain Machine/Computer Interface technologies for the Air Force and investigating the impact of various neuromodulation technologies on cognitive performance. Dr. Bridges has his PhD. in Biomedical Engineering, from Drexel University, in Philadelphia, PA USA. Dr. Gaurav Sharma, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, is the Senior Scientist for Cognitive Neuroscience, 711th Human Performance Wing. He serves as the principal scientific authority and independent researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience and is in charge of initiating, planning, coordinating, evaluating and conducting research and development that increases the Air Force capabilities relative to this critical technological area. Dr. Sharma has his PhD. in Mechanical Engineering, from Northeastern University, in Boston, MA, USA. Support the show