Mind & Matter

Send us Fan Mail How brains compute and learn, blending neuroscience with AI insights. Episode Summary: Dr. Marius Pachitariu discusses how the brain computes information across scales, from single neurons to complex networks, using mice to study visual learning. He explains the differences between supervised and unsupervised learning, the brain’s high-dimensional processing, and how it compares t...

Send us Fan Mail How dietary fats and cannabinoids shape brain function and mental well-being. Episode Summary: Dr. Steven Laviolette discusses the role of lipids, particularly endocannabinoids and fatty acids, in brain signaling and mental health, discussing how dietary omega-3 and omega-6 imbalances, prenatal THC exposure, and fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) impact mood, anxiety, and neuroin...

Send us Fan Mail Are seed oils really driving chronic disease (and sunburns), or is it hype? Episode Summary: Dr. Brian Kerley talks about the health impacts of seed oils, their high omega-6 fatty acid content, and their role in chronic diseases through mechanisms like lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. They explore how these industrially processed oils may contribute to conditions like hear...

Send us Fan Mail A critique of SSRIs and pharma’s influence on medicine, including SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, suicidality, and violence.  Long Summary: Dr. David Healy critiques modern medicine, focusing on SSRIs and psychiatric medicine, including: how pharmaceutical companies manipulate clinical trial data, ghostwrite studies, and influence medical practice, often ignoring patient experien...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: Dr. Andrew Chadeayne discusses the chemistry of psilocybin and other psychedelics, their potential therapeutic applications, and the challenges of commercializing them in a shifting biotech market. The conversation delves into the complexities of magic mushroom composition, debunking myths like "lemon tekking," and uncovers the booming, unregulated alter...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: Dr. Michael Wheeler talks about neuroimmune interactions, exploring how the immune system and brain communicate, particularly through the blood-brain barrier and meninges; how chronic stress and inflammation can alter brain circuits, contributing to mood disorders like depression; how drugs like psilocybin and MDMA may reduce inflammation by modulating immune cell...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: New research on how dietary fats, particularly omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid, influence triple-negative breast cancer progression by activating the mTOR pathway, a key regulator of cell growth; role of the FABP5 protein in enhancing cancer cells’ sensitivity to omega-6 fats; differences between breast cancer subtypes; broader implications of dietary balan...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: Dr. Gyorgy Buzsaki discusses the hippocampus’s role beyond memory and spatial navigation, delving into its broader functions in cognition, action planning, and brain-body interactions; how hippocampal rhythms, like sharp wave ripples, influence memory consolidation, glucose regulation, and metabolic health, challenging conventional neuroscience assumptions; the in...

Send us Fan Mail The biophysics of life, exploring how light & energy shape biology, with biophysicist Dr. Nirosha Murugan. Episode Summary: Dr. Murugan discusses the role of biophysics in biology, focusing on how light, particularly biophotons emitted by cells, influences processes like wound healing, neural activity, and cancer detection; how microtubules may act as biological fiber optics,...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: Dr. Alex Kwan unpacks the latest neuroscience research on how psychedelics like ketamine & psilocybin reshape the brain. About the guest: Alex Kwan, PhD, is an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Cornell University. His lab employs advanced imaging to study how psychedelics and other drugs affect the mammalian brain. Note: Podcast episodes are fully...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: The flaws of nutrition epidemiology with Dr. John Speakman About the guest: John Speakman, PhD is a professor at the University of Aberdeen and runs a lab in Shenzhen, China, focusing on energy balance, obesity, and aging.  Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube . Partial versions are available...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: Cancer’s metabolic roots with Dr. Thomas Seyfried. About the guest: Thomas Seyfried, PhD is a professor of biology at Boston College. He has researched cancer metabolism, epilepsy, and lipid biochemistry for over 40 years. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available on the M&M Substack and YouTube . Transcript and other information on Substack. Episode Summary: D...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: Heart health and the ketogenic diet, with expert insights from a cardiologist and researcher. About the guest: Matthew Budoff, MD, is a preventive cardiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA School of Medicine. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube . Partial versions are available elsewhere....

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: The science of obesity and appetite regulation, blending genetics and neurobiology with practical insights About the guest: Giles Yeo, PhD is a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge. He leads a lab studying obesity and appetite regulation. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and ev...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: A mind-bending dive into evolutionary biology and health through a biophysicist’s lens, with Dr. Jack Kruse delivering provocative insights about biology, medicine, and health. About the guest: Jack Kruse, MD, is a neurosurgeon known for integrating biophysics into medicine. He challenges conventional biochemistry with his “leptin prescription” and decentralized hea...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: A deep dive into the science of oxidative stress, antioxidants, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. About the guest: Pamela Maher, PhD is a professor at the Salk Institute in San Diego, California, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases, oxidative stress, and antioxidants. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the...

Send us Fan Mail Short 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...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: How environmental chemical exposures affect neurodegenerative disease and health. About the guest: Gary Miller, PhD is a Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. His research bridges pharmacology, toxicology, and neuroscience to explore neurodegeneration, particularly Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Note: Podcast episodes are fully av...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: Do elephants and other animals have language-like abilities, such as the ability to use individual names to refer to themselves and others? About the guest: Michael Pardo, PhD studies animal behavior at Cornell University, where he focused on animal communication and cognition. His work includes extensive field research with African elephants in Kenya. Note: Podcast...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: The science of cancer and immunity with Dr. Roychoudhuri, blending cutting-edge research with everyday implications like aspirin’s role in fighting tumor metastasis. About the guest: Rahul Roychoudhuri, PhD is a Professor of Cancer Immunology at the University of Cambridge. His research bridges basic science and clinical applications, focusing on immune responses to...

Send us Fan Mail 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 genetics 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 boost...

Send us Fan Mail Short 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 epis...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: The science of diabetes with Dr. Scott Soleimanpour, blending personal insights and cutting-edge research that gets into mitochondrial biology and more. About the guest: Scott Soleimanpour, MD, is a physician-scientist at the University of Michigan, where he runs a lab studying pancreatic beta cell biology and mitochondrial quality control in diabetes. Note: Podcast...

Send us Fan Mail Short 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...

Send us Fan Mail Short Summary: Personalized health monitoring with Professor Michael Snyder, blending cutting-edge science with practical tips and actionable insights. About the guest: Michael Snyder, PhD is a Professor of Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine. He directs the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, which focuses on big data and health innovation. Snyder holds...