The Life Lab by Death Clock

This week, Brent speaks with Dr. Laura Carstensen, a Stanford psychologist and leading expert on aging, to explore how our priorities, emotions, and relationships change over time. She explains the science behind why people often become happier and more emotionally stable as they get older, and how shifting time horizons reshape the way we make decisions and spend our time. The conversation also challenges common assumptions about aging, highlighting what actually improves with age and how social connection plays a central role in long-term health. She's a wonderful guest, hope you enjoy.

This week, Brent sits down with Dr. Lin Chang, a gastroenterologist at UCLA and expert in digestive disorders, to unpack what's really going on in the gut when people experience chronic stomach issues. They discuss the gut–brain connection, why the digestive system is often called the body's "second brain," and how conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) develop. Dr. Chang explains why symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and irregular bowel habits are so common yet frequently misunderstood, and how stress, diet, and the nervous system all play a role. There's something for everyone in this informative episode, hope you enjoy.

Welcome back to The Life Lab. In this episode, Brent speaks with Dr. Richard Moon, medical director of the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, to break down the science behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy. They discuss what the treatment actually is and how it's used today to treat conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning, difficult wounds, and decompression sickness in scuba divers. Dr. Moon explains how the therapy works inside the body, when it's truly effective, and why many of the claims circulating in longevity and biohacking circles go beyond the current evidence. He is a terrific guest with an impressive career, hope you enjoy.

In this episode of Death Clock, Brent sits down with Dr. Michael Snyder, a Stanford geneticist and leader in precision health research, to explore how wearable technology and continuous biomarker tracking are changing the way we understand disease risk. Dr. Snyder explains how devices like smartwatches can detect early signs of infection, how continuous glucose monitors reveal individual metabolic responses to food, and why dense, longitudinal data may allow us to catch illness long before symptoms appear. They also discuss the limits of consumer health tech, the risk of false positives, and how to think about data without becoming overwhelmed by it. He's a fascinating guest, hope you enjoy.

This week, Brent talks with Dr. Vishesh Kapur, a sleep physician and leading expert in sleep medicine and sleep apnea, for a practical breakdown of what actually drives high-quality sleep. They cover how much sleep most adults really need, what "sleep quality" means in real life, and why obsessing over sleep trackers can sometimes make sleep worse. Dr. Kapoor explains the basics that matter most along with when supplements or prescription sleep aids make sense. The conversation also dives into sleep apnea: the symptoms people miss, how it's diagnosed, why it's so under-detected, and what treatments work best. It's an enlightening discussion with real-life applications for everyone, hope you enjoy.

This episode is a deep dive on acupuncture. Brent is joined by Dr. Richard Harris, a UC Irvine professor and clinical researcher, to take a serious, evidence-based look at one of eastern medicine's oldest practices. Dr. Harris explains what acupuncture is (and isn't), why it's often dismissed in Western medicine, and what the research actually shows. They dig into randomized controlled trials, placebo and "sham" acupuncture, and the brain imaging data that suggests acupuncture can produce measurable changes in the nervous system. Dr. Harris is a wonderful guest, hope you enjoy.

In this episode, Brent speaks to Dr. Christopher Gardner to break down what the science actually says about diet quality, weight loss, and long-term metabolic health. They discuss how to build a diet that's sustainable without obsessing over perfection. Dr. Gardner explains the role of ultra-processed foods, protein, fiber, and satiety, and why individual response to diets can vary so widely. He's a terrific guest, hope you enjoy.

In this episode of Death Clock, Brent is joined by Dr. Leonard Jason, a patient advocate and researcher focused on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), to unpack a disease that is widely misunderstood and chronically underdiagnosed. They discuss what ME/CFS actually is, how it differs from everyday fatigue or burnout, and why post-exertional malaise is its defining feature. Their conversation also covers how patients are often misdiagnosed or dismissed, what the latest research suggests about underlying mechanisms, and how long COVID has forced the medical community to take the condition more seriously. He's a wonderful guest, hope you enjoy.

On this week's episode, Brent is joined by Dr. Barry Popkin, a leading nutrition researcher known for his work on ultra-processed foods and global diet trends. Dr. Popkin explains how modern food systems have reshaped what we eat, why ultra-processed foods are linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, and how liquid calories and added sugars uniquely drive metabolic harm. The conversation also examines the political and industry forces that shape food policy in the U.S., including regulation, lobbying, and why meaningful dietary reform has been so difficult to implement. Hope you enjoy.

Today, Brent sits down with Dr. Emily Lantz, a leading researcher in nutrition and muscle health, to unpack one of the most talked-about topics in longevity: protein. She explains how much protein we actually need, why timing and quality matter just as much as quantity, and how protein intake changes as we age. She offers insights on animal versus plant sources, supplements, fasting, strength training and so much more. It's a can't miss episode. Hope you enjoy.