humanOS Radio

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.

I have to admit, I love this story. Two parents saw a problem effecting their children and did something about it. But not only did they try to help their children and their children's friends, they also are trying to help every child in the United States. The guests of this episode of humanOS Radio are Kelly and Juliet Starrett. Kelly is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the author of the books: Deskbound, Supple Leopard, and Ready to Run. Juliet has a history as a competitive athlete, rowing at UC Berkeley and paddling for the US Women's Whitewater Team from 1997-2000. Together, they founded San Francisco CrossFit in 2005 (one of the first 50 CrossFit Affiliates ever), they run the healthy movement website called Mobility WOD, and most recently, they started StandUpKids.org the mission of which is to put standing desks in every public school in America. I'm also honored to be on the Board of Directors, which I mentioned in this previous post, to help this great organization achieve its mission.