
Mind & Matter
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
Gut Microbiome Plasticity | Peter Turnbaugh | 214

Causes of Diabetes: Insulin, Mitochondria, Genetics, Metabolism | Scott Soleimanpour | 213

How Science Works: Meta-Research, Publishing, Reproducibility, Peer Review, Funding | John Ioannidis | 212

Short-Chain Fatty Acids, Diabetes Subtypes & Wearable HealthTech | Michael Snyder | 211

Public Health & Trust in Science in the Post-COVID Era | Martin Kulldorff | 210

Thyroid Biology in Health & Aging | Diana van Heemst | 209

Glyphosate, Choline & Alzheimer's: Toxins & Nutrition to Prevent Neurodegeneration | Ramon Velazquez | 208

Glycosylation, CDGs & Role of Sugars Beyond Energy Production | Eva Morava | 207

Cultural Evolution, Religion & the Origins of WEIRD Psychology | Joseph Henrich | 206

Systems Biology, Personalized Medicine, AI & the Future of Health | Lee Hood | 205

Preventive Medicine, Personalized Nutrition & Changing Your Microbiome | Momo Vuyisich | 204

Metagenomics, Microbiome Transmission, Gut Microbiome in Health & Disease | Nicola Segata | 203

Why Do Animals Sleep? | Vlad Vyazovskiy | 202

Aroma, Olfaction & Using AI to Digitize Smell | Alex Wiltschko | 201

Dietary Fats & Seed Oils in Inflammation, Colon Cancer & Chronic Disease | Tim Yeatman & Ganesh Halade | 200

Ancient Diets, Human Carnivory, Mammoth Hunting, Clovis Culture & Origin of Native Americans | Ben Potter & Jim Chatters | M&M 199

Vaccine Adverse Events & mRNA Biotechnology | Jessica Rose | 198

Creation Myths, Stoned Apes & the Eve Theory of Consciousness | Andrew Cutler

Neurobiology of Stress: Resilience, HPA Axis, Stress Hormones, Sex Differences, Early Life | Rosemary Bagot | 191

Mental Illness & Substance Abuse: Genetics, Psychosis, THC, Dopamine & the Brain | Jibran Khokhar | 190

Vaccine Contamination & Fiat Science | Kevin McKernan | 196

Skin Biology: Hormones, Light, Vitamin D, Melatonin & Stress | Andrzej Slominski | 189

Psychedelics, Functional Neuroimaging & the Human Brain | Joshua Siegel | 188

Synesthesia & Effects of Digital Technology on Brain & Mental Health | Richard Cytowic | 187

Kidney Biology: Simple Diet & Lifestyle Practices for Kidney Health | Thomas Weimbs | 186
