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
How our biological clocks shape biology from the molecular to behavioral level.
Episode Summary: Dr. Joseph Takahashi discusses circadian rhythms, exploring their biological basis, from molecular mechanisms to their impact on metabolism and health; the discovery of circadian clock genes; role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and how light, feeding, and oxygen influence these rhythms. The conversation highlights practica...
Cellular self-organization, cytoskeleton dynamics, and membrane wound healing.
Episode Summary: Cell Biologist Dr. Bill Bement explains the dynamic world of the cell cortex, discussing how actin filaments and microtubules drive processes like cell division and wound healing through self-assembly and self-organization; energy dynamics of these processes; the role of rho GTPases in patterning; the implications for diseas...
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 to artificial neural networks like large...
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 neuroinflammation, while highlighting potentia...
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 heart disease and obesity, discuss the chal...
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 experiences; highlighting issues like post-SSRI...
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 alternative products industry, including kr...
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 cells in the meninges, offering potential ...
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 balance for health.
About the guest: John Bl...
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 interplay of brain rhythms, sleep, and p...
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, the impact of modern light environments...
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 available to paid subscribers on the M&...
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 elsewhere. Transcript and other informati...
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: Dr. Thomas Seyfried discusses the mitochond...
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. Transcript and other information on Subs...
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 everyone on YouTube. Partial versions are ...
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 health approach.
Episode Summary: Dr. Jack ...
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 M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube...
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 on the M&M Substack and everyone on...
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 available to paid subscribers on the M&...
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