The Owl Experiment: Adult Brain Plasticity

Your brain is the most trainable organ in your body. So why aren't you training it?

This week on Performance People, we sit down with Dr Tommy Wood, neuroscientist, researcher, and performance scientist who has worked at the highest levels of motorsport, including Formula 1 through HINSTA Performance. If you want to understand how the world's elite athletes keep their edge, this is the episode.

Dr Tommy has just released his lates book, The Stimulated Mind, and the conversation does not disappoint. We're talking cognitive performance, dementia prevention, the neuroscience of elite sport, and why up to 70% of dementias could be preventable.

We get into:

* Why 45–70% of dementias are preventable, and what you can do about it right now

* The truth about multitasking (spoiler: your brain literally cannot do it)

* How F1 legends like Hamilton and Alonso use crystallised intelligence to outperform teammates half their age

* What elite athletes understand about brain recovery that most people never will

* Why AI could be quietly shrinking your cognitive capacity and how to push back

* The Norwegian 4x4 protocol and why six months of HIIT can protect your hippocampus for five years

* Social media, dopamine, and how to curate your feed like a high performer

* The 3S Model, Stimulus, Supply, Support, your blueprint for a sharper brain at any age

Dr Tommy Wood works with Formula 1 teams through HINSTA Performance, one of the world's leading high-performance health organisations. His insights bridge elite sport science and everyday brain health in a way that will change how you think about performance, literally.

00:00 Introduction

02:10 Is Dementia Really Preventable?

05:50 Genetics vs Lifestyle — The APOE4 Reality

10:23 Can the Brain Improve With Age?

13:20 The Exercise Formula for Brain Performance

18:21 Recovery, Sleep & Cognitive Overload

20:32 Why the Brain Cannot Multitask

23:41 Social Media, Dopamine & Attention Collapse

27:47 AI, Creativity & The “Google Effect”

45:34 GPS, Taxi Drivers & Spatial Intelligence

48:29 What Elite Athletes Understand About the Brain

55:58 The Owl Experiment & The 3S Model

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The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday. Hit subscribe and don't miss an episode.

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The views and opinions expressed on Performance People are those of the guests and hosts, and do not necessarily represent the views of ainslie + ainslie, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, or any affiliated organisations.

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