humanOS Radio

In this episode of humanOS, Dan interviews Dr. Alon Keinan, Professor at the Department of Biological Statistics & Computational Biology at Cornell University. His lab investigates the evolutionary origin of genetic variation in human populations, and have been looking into what factors may have shaped human genetic propensity to convert long-chain fatty acids.   In his recent study in Nature, his team examined variants of the genes that code for fatty acid desaturase (FADS).  This mutation consists of an insertion or a deletion of some DNA base pairs, which affects the expression of the fatty acid desaturase genes, which could then influence who well or poorly we create essential fatty acids from plant matter, which could subsequently influence what diet might be best for you. And good news, you can now get this test done to determine if you are the paleo type or farmer type in your FADS gene variant.

We are in control of our decisions, right? Well, at least we all feel that way but the social science of behavioral economics demonstrates that we are really products of our environmental triggers and cultures. Still, we can act willfully but it's typical that environment will win out, for many behaviors, over time. One interesting line of work that has come from this field looks to understand how to create better products that leverage true modifiers of behavior for better outcomes. Today, I have Duke University Professor Dan Ariely on to discuss the field and the science related to a new product he's involved in called the Shapa body weight scale and he thinks it can help you have better control over your weight than the scale in your bathroom.

We need a better approach to healthcare and we just might have the solution in our hands now. In this episode, Dan interviews Chris Kresser about his new book, Unconventional Medicine. Who is the book for? All stakeholders in the healthcare system, which means you. In our chat, we discuss Chris's personal health journey and the experiences that lead to the development of his plan for a better healthcare system.

So much of the discussion on nutrition is about the food itself. What's discussed far less regularly is the impact of food timing, fasting periods, and meal skipping on the same outcomes we're interested in when we talk about saturated fat, carbs, fiber, etc. It turns out, there is a whole lot to discuss here that matters for human health. In this episode, Dan speaks with two topic experts - both with several peer-reviewed scientific publications related to the subjects discussed in the episode - and both of whom are collaborators on humanOS.me. Enjoy the conversation.

Why is that we tend to see many diseases of aging occur around the same time in life? One reason is that we accumulate senescent cells with age, and these cells promote the aging process. There is, however, exciting new research that shows how these cells can be cleared as we age. Some of the compounds are drugs but others are natural compounds that could have a meaningful effect. In this episode, Dan speaks with an expert on the subject: Judith Campisi, Ph.D., from the Buck Institute of Aging in Marin County, California.

Ketones are getting a lot of press these days. They are produced in the liver under the conditions of low carbohydrate intake and also low-calorie intake. They are of interests for many reasons, including potential anti-cancer properties, weight control properties, athletic and cognitive enhancement, and now as substances with longevity and health extention potential. In this interview with researcher Neil Copes, PhD, of the aging diagnostic company Osiris Green, Dan discusses his work in this fascinating area.

We know that as people age, they tend to get less sleep. But older people also seem to suffer less when subjected to sleep deprivation, compared to younger adults. This has led some to conclude that older people get less sleep simply because they do not need as much. However, recent brain studies have revealed that the aging brain changes in ways that makes sleep less restorative. This suggests that the real reason why older adults get less sleep than their younger counterparts is because they are less capable of generating the sleep that they really need. In this episode of humanOS Radio, Dan speaks to Bryce Mander, a postdoctoral fellow in the Matthew Walker Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at UC Berkeley. Bryce and colleagues recently wrote a review that explores how sleep changes as we grow older, and the potential long-term implications of these alterations. Perhaps most alarming, research has shown that a lack of deep sleep is associated with higher levels of amyloid beta, which are the toxic misfolded proteins that accumulate in the brains of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. This raises a number of interesting questions. If we could test for sleep disruption, could we determine who is susceptible to developing Alzheimer’s disease soon enough to intervene? And could we find ways to enhance slow wave oscillations as people grow older, so that we can enjoy high-quality restorative sleep our whole lives? Listen here to learn more!

In this episode of humanOS Radio, Dan talks to Dr. Laura Fonken who is a post-doctoral fellow in Steven Maier’s lab in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado. Her research investigates how disruptions to circadian rhythms may affect physiological functions, and ultimately could make individuals more vulnerable to disease. This affects all of us, to varying degrees, and perhaps in ways that we don't even realize. Listen hear as we discuss her fascinating work.

“Man is not going to wait passively for millions of years before evolution offers him a better brain.” - Corneliu Giurgea In this episode of humanOS Radio, Dan speaks to Daniel Schmachtenberger. Daniel is a social engineer, an evolutionary philosopher, and he works with a group called Neurohacker Collective, who is dedicated to optimizing human performance. In this interview, we discuss current research investigating human cognitive enhancement and nootropics. We also talk specifically about the cognitive enhancer Qualia, which is a carefully formulated nootropic stack Daniel helped design.

"The main thing is that sauna frequency is inversely associated with the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, which means that the more you sauna, the lower your risk." In this interview with Jari Laukkanen, MD, Ph.D., Head of the Cardiology Department at the University of Eastern Finland, we explore his fascinating findings looking at the difference in brain health in men who frequently take a dry hot sauna compared to those who sauna less frequently. If these results came from a new pill, it would be called a miracle.

Modern technology is messing with our sleep. But what if someone could develop a device that actually helped us fall asleep faster? In this episode, Dan speaks with Kelly Roman who is the co-owner of Fisher Wallace Laboratories, a progressive medical device company that aspires to treat insomnia and depression in novel ways. Fisher Wallace is introducing a neurostimulation product called Kortex to the market. This device non-invasively delivers a low dose of electrical stimulation, combined with a virtual reality headset that delivers relaxing VR content to the user.

Everyone knows what it's like to feel sleepy after a big meal. Think of what happens after Thanksgiving dinner, or after getting a huge lunch at an Indian buffet. If you're like me, you're ready to crash. But why does this happen? Is it the tryptophan in the turkey? Is it from too many carbs? What you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it all play a role. Consequently, there has been some doubt as to whether the “food coma” is even a real thing. But recently, some clever researchers identified a good model organism for studying this phenomenon - the fruit fly. And through studying the behavior of Drosophila, we now better understand what causes a food coma, and perhaps why it occurs. In the latest episode of humanOS Radio, Dan interviews Keith Murphy of the Scripps Research Institute. He and his colleagues have been researching the so-called food coma, and have found some substantive evidence for this phenomenon. Listen here to find out more about his study - and some reasons why the food coma might be happening.

You are fully in control over your food choices, right? Well, we know that a wide range of rules govern how we act, and even our beliefs, when we are with different groups of people. Social psychologists characterize this influence as 'social norms,' and guess what? This influence affects eating, too. In this latest episode of humanOS radio, Dan speaks with Emma Templeton from Thalia Wheatley's lab at Dartmouth and Michael Stanton, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing & Health Sciences, California State University, East Bay. Recently, they published a study in the journal, PLoS ONE, that elegantly tests the influence of social norms on the perceived healthfulness of food and also eating behavior. Listen here to hear more.

Why are we fatter than our ancestors? In this interview, the second with Dr. Stephan Guyenet, we discuss his new book entitled, 'The Hungry Brain - Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat.' In this episode, Stephan and Dan discuss genetics, stress, food palatability and reinforcement, and other important factors to shed light onto the mechanics behind weight regulation.

Can we stave off the aging process by transfusing young blood into old people? The idea that youthful blood might have rejuvenating properties has lingered in popular imagination for centuries. In this episode of humanOS Radio, Dan speaks with Drs. Michael and Irina Conboy of the Department of Engineering at UC Berkeley. Their lab investigates the process of tissue repair throughout the body, and is trying to determine why damaged tissue is not productively repaired as the body ages.