Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Not long ago, Sev MacLaughlin was working as a waiter in a polyester tuxedo. Listen to how the death of his father sent him on a mission to develop artificial intelligence that can predict illness in advance of modern medicine. Kidney disease. Diabetes. Cardiovascular disease. The predictions of DeLorean AI have twice been validated by third-party labs. And now the company is working on early identification and solutions for mental health issues. The story of Sev's mission will inspire anyone who has a dream to make a difference in the world, and direct everyone to a service that will catch illness early, save lives and hopefully bring us more hugs with those we love.

After losing 30 pounds through a slow and methodical change in diet and portion size, Cal sets off to follow the same strategy with exercise. Basic body movements at the start that don't call for lifting stacks of weight or exercise to exhaustion. With more than 70 percent of Americans overweight or obese and not moving, this may be the only feasible start toward solving the problem. The movements Michael Ockrim of Mighty Oak Athletic passes on are as easy as lifting a can of beans. But with steady increases they can lead to huge breakthroughs. If you know someone who's not getting out of a chair or off the couch, please pass this on.

Cal gets some tips from a man whose life is dedicated to helping people get a good night's sleep. Whatever age or sleeping situation you're in, Devin has probably studied it. And he has many solutions. After listening to this episode, you'll definitely sleep better.

Cal talks with the man who evolved from drinking a six-pack of Coca Cola every day as a boy to the author of Superlife: the 5 Simple Fixes that will make you healthy, fit and eternally awesome. Darin is also the co-host of the television show Down to Earth with Zac Efron, where the two go adventuring around the world to find healthy and sustainable ways to live. You may eat a little differently after listening to this conversation.

Listen to some amazing surgery stories this week about what it's like to operate on a child's brain from Dr. Jay Wellons, a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Jay is a gifted writer as well, as anybody who's read All That Moves Us can attest. Once the harrowing stories are told, Cal asks the neurosurgeon how he stays healthy amid the persistent tension. It's a question that probably applies to everybody who's worked in healthcare during COVID, and it calls for everybody's attention.

Morphogenesis has an immunotherapy treatment that has worked in five out of five clinical trials on skin cancer and it's nasty cousin, Merkel Cell cancer. The company's CEO, Dr. James Bianco, says that the treatment may work against any cancer. But he doesn't want anyone calling it The Cancer Vaccine. Cal gets some insight into the potential breakthrough, and the leaps we're making in the fight against cancer. If you know someone who's been touched by cancer, check this episode out. That means everybody.

​​Rich Palarea's introduction on Twitter reads: "I won't sleep until I fix $ waste in healthcare." Cal listens to the story of how Rich became CEO of Kermit, a company that uses technological transparency to reduce costs on surgical implants for hospitals. The conversation reveals how little we know about what goes on behind the scenes in some operating rooms. It also gives us hope that applying transparency across all aspects of healthcare will make life better for everyone.

Cal takes a moment to pause and reflect on moments he had with two icons who said farewell recently in very different ways. Tennis great Serena Williams ended one of the most impactful careers in the history of any sport at the U.S. Open and the man who lifted The Iron Curtain, Mikhail Gorbachev, took his final breath at the age of 91. Cal tells two stories that showcase the origin of their influence. They both revolve around hugs. We should all take note.

Cal takes a moment to honor those impacted by the attack on the World Trade Center that killed more than 3,000 people in 2001. He replays his conversation with Michael Wright, who was working on the 81st floor on the morning the planes struck. When Michael made it down to the street, one of the twin towers collapsed on his head. Cal replays Michael's vivid description in this episode for two reasons. So that we'll never forget the day, as well as to alert us to the terrorist threat of this era: Fentanyl. This synthetic opioid is 50 times more powerful than heroin and much more inexpensive to produce. It's responsible for the death of more than 200,000 people in the USA over the last two years. 9/11 is a poignant alert that something needs to be done about Fentanyl. Now.

Many people have avoided going to the doctor during the time of Covid . . . unless they had Covid. This may have resulted in missing an early detection of cancer. So this podcast is a reminder to all those who've delayed checkups to make an appointment. Cal gets an exam, and now has peace of mind. He also puts the podcast to a checkup. Marketing guru Jason Harris, the CEO of the creative agency Mekanism, enters the conversation to show Cal that it's time for Big Questions to grow to wear many hats. Cal responds by setting in motion a non-profit to attack problems in healthcare. The Best Is Yet To Come. Thanks for coming on the journey.