Finding Genius Podcast

Author Carl Johan Calleman talks about his most recent book, Quantum Science of Psychedelics: The Pineal Gland, Multidimensional Reality, and Mayan Cosmology. He explains How macrocosmic quantum theory differs from quantum mechanics and quantum physics, What quantum phenomena examples help to elucidate the theory, such as the concept of nine waves of human evolution, and How psychedelics work to decompartmentalize the mind to prepare for these progressions. Holding a Ph.D. in physical biology, Carl Johan Calleman is also a lifelong scholar of macrocosmic quantum theory and has written several books about it. He talks about his latest in this podcast, explaining its basics and explanations for how civilization has progressed through a series of cosmic shifts or waves. While some link psychedelics and depression, Calleman explores the ability of psychedelics to change one's mental state to a different geometry, more open to the movement from one wave to the next. He explains that this is an all-encompassing theory about the evolution of the universe and all its aspects, not just physical. The theory holds that we're all part of a cosmic plan with a quantum field that underlies everything. He describes Mayan connections such as the wave pattern discovered by the Mayans and how this pattern reveals itself in the evolution of civilizations. He connects this with microscopic phenomena like centromere organelles in our cells to the nine levels of Mayan pyramids. Finally, he goes through the mechanics of this theory in more detail and adds that we are in the ninth and final wave and what that means. For more, find his latest book, Quantum Science of Psychedelics: The Pineal Gland, Multidimensional Reality, and Mayan Cosmology, for sale through most venues, and see his website: calleman.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Every continent on the planet has now been touched by the COVID-19 virus, launching the world into an unprecedented state of lockdowns and the many negative consequences that follow from it. Orders to wear masks, socially distance, and limit large gatherings have not only brought to the table a whole layer of global and public health law, but illuminated health and racial inequalities. Press play to learn the following: What aspects of global health law are ripe for reform in light of the COVID-19 pandemic The effect of and reason behind contradictory messages from the CDC and WHO regarding the appropriate response to and science of the COVID-19 virus Are travel restrictions and lockdowns actually effective at preventing spread of the COVID-19 virus? Why lockdowns should be a last resort, and what should be changed in the coming weeks and months to mount a better, more effective response to COVID-19 Lawrence Gostin is University Professor at Georgetown University and Founding O'Neill Chair in Global Health Law. Since the beginning of the pandemic, his focus has been almost exclusively on the COVID-19 response in the US and globally. In addition to discussing the sheer unequalness illuminated by COVID-19, he talks about the hope he sees in human ingenuity and science, and the vaccines that are being administered in the US and Europe. He explains what a "global health law" is, and discusses international law in the form of international health regulations, such as the WHO treaty by which 196 states are bound, including the US. This treaty deals with matters such as how to detect, report, and response to novel infectious disease. Gostin also shares his opinion about what might lay ahead of us in the coming months, what he sees as the light at the end of the tunnel, his conviction that another pandemic will inevitably emerge, why he believes the WHO should be granted additional powers, and more. Tune in for all the details. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

What if we could produce an energy-dense carbon-neutral fuel that suits uses of fossil fuels? Researchers like Amanda Morris are working with different types of solar energy conversion to produce such a fuel, and the potential is promising, exiting, and challenging. Listen in to this conversation about solar energy and its applications and learn How her lab is trying to imitate the chemical process a plant uses in photosynthesis to tap in to renewable energy sources for vehicle fuel, How she works with "material scaffolds" to solve some of the challenges, and What the timeline looks like for this technology and what breakthroughs are needed. Amanda J. Morris is a professor and associate chair of the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech. She's spent her career addressing environmental issues like climate change through scientific solutions. Currently her lab is trying to imitate the photosynthesis process to produce a fuel that could replace fossil fuels. As plants convert sun energy and carbon dioxide to make sugar, solar energy conversion technology hopes to turn the same products into something we can use to fill up our cars. She gets more specific, explaining how this differs from solar panel energy conversion. Rather than send those electrons and positively charged holes into circuits, she wants to put them on carbon dioxide and water molecules, producing methane after reduction and oxidation. But there are a couple of interesting puzzles along the way that can be summarized by two main goals: first, they need to refine the process of harnessing the sun energy closer to that of plants. Plants are green because of the chlorophyll that's responsible for capturing solar energy. She and her colleagues are trying to imitate and manipulate that chlorophyll process, reenacting the chemical environment in a way to produce this fuel. Second, water oxidation possess a tremendous challenge. Getting electrons from water is incredibly difficult to do without producing highly reactive oxidizing species. They are trying to make something stable, but with the right geometry to drive the chemistry energy. The potential that comes from solving these challenges are exciting, offering numerous solutions for environmental problems and climate-friendly technologies. For more about her work, see ajmorrisgroup.chem.vt.edu. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Like a lot of health practitioners, Dr. J. Dunn's quest to heal from her own lifelong conditions of depression and chronic fatigue brought her to a foundational response to genetic testing. Listen and learn How, while genes and inheritance produce a specific code, her program offers ways to adjust the expression of those genes, How her company created an algorithm that uses results of genetic and epigenetic testing alongside a symptom profile to offer specific actions for improvement, and What the actual testing process looks like, how to find participating practitioners, and a coupon code for a price break on the program. Dr. J. Dunn is the founder of My Happy Genes, a company that facilitates genetic testing for eight biochemical processes and pathways including brain chemistry, energy production, inflammation, detox, the immune system, and histamines. She's a chiropractor who has been practicing for over 32 years in natural and functional medicine. She has had a lot of success in her work, but still had some questions around issues that seemed unreachable, such as her own depression. After researching genetic and epigenetic testing and the roles of epigenetics versus genetics, she went full throttle on a better understanding of methylation, which is how genes affect our biochemistry at the cellular level. Gene expression determines how we make energy among other processes and depends on our genes and genetic code, but there's something we can do to alter the expression. That's where she focuses, that step between what the genes code for and how the processes are carried out. She says that, "if we can get precise on genes affecting our biochemistry, we can adjust cofactors and coenzymes to help get balanced with these pathways." For example, she learned she doesn't make the vitamin D receptor. Low vitamin D leads to low dopamine levels and affects brain chemistry. She finally had a specific answer on why she struggled with depression and got to work. Once she supplemented with specific cofactors, she was able to improve her vitamin D levels and her brain chemistry: she'd made epigenetic changes, clearing the path for her happy genes. She tells listeners about the testing process and the algorithm they've created as well as the individual nature of the solutions. She also gives listeners a code for a nice break on the price of the initial test. For more, see the company's website: myhappygenes.com. Use Code Genius1 to get $50 off your purchase of the DNA kit. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Did you know that ants actually keep and "milk" livestock? Evolutionary ecologist Aniek Ivens shares this tidbit and more alluring ant facts in this episode. Listen and learn How ants practice agriculture by raising a specific fungus species, even weeding and fertilizing their crops, How the ecological role of insects connects ants, aphids, and tree roots, and How ant and aphid microbiomes show species specificity, working to maintain a healthy ant life cycle. Researcher and evolutionary ecologist Aniek Ivens runs projects both in The Netherlands and New York. Her work centers on the evolution and ecology of cooperation, and, as she explains to listeners, ants are therefore the perfect animal to study. The ant colony structure works as a superorganism: "ants are like cells in the body of the colony," she says, with the ant queen as vital organ. As a kid she was fascinated by ants and she brings that childlike fascination alongside her rigorous research. She offers listeners amazing time-lapse images of an ant's life that are startlingly sophisticated, from the well-known leaf cutter species that raises a special fungus to other ant species that work with aphids in a type of exchange for services. We know aphids as pests, but some ant and aphid species depend on each other for life. Aphids actually live inside some ant nests, feeding off of the sap of tree roots. These aphids excrete a sort of "honeydew" or sugar water and the ants eat this excretion, but not as an afterthought. The ants actually tap the aphid's abdomen when they are ready to eat, almost like humans milking a cow. In turn, the ants protect the aphids from other pests and clean them—those sugary substances can get moldy quickly, which could kill the aphid. The ants keep the aphids and their area clean and mold-free. What's really fascinating is this is just the tip of the ant-aphid specialization. Aniek continues explaining how the microbiomes of both insects play a role, how the microbiome of an ant species in Japan is similar to the same in New York state, and how she's working to finish a study using ant and aphids as a model species for microbiome research. Listen in for more astounding ant facts. For more about her work and for contact information, see her website: aniek.nyc. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

The snapping of the trap-jaw ant's jaw is one of the fastest animal movements known to man—approximately three times as fast as the fastest cheetah. This mechanism is not only used for catching prey, but for moving away from potential predators. How? Tune in for answers to this question and more, including: What worker ants do with an ant once it dies What ant behaviors can alter gene expression such that an egg results in a queen instead of a worker ant What important ecological roles are fulfilled by ants It wasn't until Magdalena Sorger had nearly completed business school that she discovered her true passion: biology and the study of evolution—particularly of insects, and even more particularly, of ants. As an adjunct researcher with North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences & North Carolina State University, currently stationed in Vienna, Austria, Sorger focuses her efforts on two general areas within the field of ants: research on speciation (i.e., what differentiates one ant species from another), and working with students and teachers to promote citizen science, especially with regard to ants. She shares his expertise on all things ants, discussing topics such as the ant mating process and reproduction, RFID and other tracking methods for studying ant colonies, the ant life cycle and social behavior of ants, the ecological role of ants, and the direction of future research. Interested in learning more? Check out https://theantlife.com/ and https://discoverants.com/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Stupid, brutish, and primitive: that's the "caveman" stereotype that's been applied to Neanderthals time after time. But it's the same stereotype that a growing body of evidence is showing to be flat-out wrong. In fact, there's an ongoing debate about the extent and significance of the known genetic (and other) differences between Neanderthals and early modern humans like us. Tune in to discover: What the interactions between early modern humans and Neanderthals might have looked like, and what potential advantages might have allowed early modern humans to persist, and Neanderthals to go extinct Which factors are considered by scientists when defining the term 'species' and differentiating one species from another, and the implications this may have for our understanding of Neanderthals versus modern humans About what percentage of Neanderthal DNA still exists within modern humans For the past 25 years, Professor and Chair at the University of Louisville, Dr. Jonathan Haws, has been investigating early modern human ancestors. For the last 10 to 15 years, he's been excavating a cave in Portugal that provides something few others do: a very long, fairly continuous sequence in time, without giant gaps caused by localized erosion. This provides a unique look into longstanding questions about our evolutionary past, such as how modern humans dispersed from Africa into Southeast and Western Europe, to Spain and Portugal, and what happened to Neanderthals who were living in those regions. The cave's sequence goes from about 10,000 years ago to between 70,000 and 80,000 years ago. Particular interest lies in the time period between 45,000 and 35,000 years ago, when Neanderthals went extinct and early modern humans migrated into Portugal. Experts, including Dr. Haws, are still unable to say with certainty whether there was direct interaction between early modern humans and Neanderthals in this region, but new genetic evidence demonstrates that modern humans interbred with Neanderthals in many places over several thousand years around the edge of Southeast Europe and into the Near East. With the use of total station technology and LiDAR technology (light detecting and ranging), a detailed, 3D mapping of all artifacts and the vertical and horizontal layout of the cave is being captured and examined. Dr. Haws shares the details of what they're finding, illustrating his firsthand experience of the cave for listeners, and explaining the processes and stages of archaeological fieldwork in the process. Visit https://louisville.edu/anthropology/about-us/dr-jonathan-haws to learn more. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

What does an ant have in common with a human? Probably a whole lot more than you would expect. Tune in for a compelling conversation with David Richard Nash, a professor of ecology & evolution at the University of Copenhagen who's been working with social insects—particularly ants—for over four decades. You'll discover: What type of mutualistic relationship exists between ants and lycaenid butterflies What Nash is learning about what causes the transition between parasitism and mutualism of ants with other organisms About how many associations army ants have with other species, and what makes some of these associations particularly surprising Nash shares the details of the many interactions between ants and other organisms, especially myrmecophiles, which are species which love ants. For instance, in exchange for protecting lycaenid caterpillars or aphids against predators or parasites, ants acquire an ongoing food source from those insects. He talks about the parallels between ant colonies and behavior and humans, and the ability of ants to self-organize work teams to go out and obtain specific nutrients from other organisms when necessary. He also discusses the day-to-day activities of ants and the division of labor within a colony, the ecological role of ants, ant colony structure, the ant life cycle and habitat, parasitism versus mutualism of ants with other organisms, how ants adapt their behavior in response to environmental stimuli, whether ants have some level of what we generally understand as 'intelligence,' insect vision, sympatric speciation of ants, and so much more. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

The kidney may be one of the most underestimated organs: it's incredibly complex, and responsible for five to seven key functions in the body. In addition to producing urine and removing toxins from the blood, it regulates blood pressure, produces hormones, protects the body's immune system, and controls blood pH levels. When kidneys fail, all of these functions are lost. Press play to discover: How an organoid differs from a bioartificial organ like the kidney being developed as part of The Kidney Project In what ways the approach taken by The Kidney Project fundamentally differs from other approaches to the treatment of kidney failure What's needed in order to get this artificial kidney in clinical trials, and when it might be available to patients Shuvo Roy is a professor of bioengineering at UCSF whose work is centered around the development of a surgically implantable bioartificial kidney capable of providing constant treatment to patients who are currently on dialysis, and eventually performing all of the functions of a natural kidney. Roy's work is part of The Kidney Project, which is a national effort to improve the lives of those with kidney failure. While dialysis can act as a proxy for the kidney in filtering the blood, it does not provide the other functions nearly as well as a natural kidney. To date, no one has been able to replicate a human kidney capable of performing all of the functions of a natural kidney, but that's the goal of Roy's work. First, the artificial kidney will combine a mechanical filter made from silicon wafers, and cadaver kidney cells to provide mechanical filtration, produce important hormones, and perform other key functions of the proximal tubule, such as salt and water reabsorption. This will liberate people from the necessity of going to a dialysis center multiple times a week, allow them to eat and drink freely, and enhance the overall quality of their lives. As the device enters the clinical realm, the technology will be further refined to eventually capture all of the functions of a natural kidney. Roy dives into the details of all this and more, including the specific benefits of artificial organs, microfabrication technology and applications, and the manufacturing and engineering processes of medical devices like the artificial kidney. Learn more at https://pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Struggling to sleep? Want more energy? Want to focus for longer periods of time? Interested in natural ways of improving your life, but unsure where to begin? This is the episode for you. Press play to learn: What drawbacks and limitations exist in reductionist science, especially when applied to medicinal substances How you can be sure that the herbs you get from Lost Empire Herbs are safe What is happening in terms of censorship of information about alternative medicine and health Logan Christopher was never naturally strong or necessarily athletic, but he started getting into bodyweight training around age 18. Inspired by strongman entertainment (people pulling off amazing feats of strength), and fueled by a desire to find a 'secret weapon' to pursue his aims, he began exploring a variety of alternative health topics, including herbalism. The cordyceps mushroom was one of the first herbs he took, and the results were undeniable: he had a marked increase in energy during his workouts, and he was hooked. He took an even deeper dive into herbalism, Chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine, Western herbalism, and even alchemy. This research led him to establish Lost Empire of Herbs, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer. Christopher's reason for getting into herbalism was for physical performance, but herbs can benefit those who seek to enhance mental performance, and even sleep or sexual performance. Anyone who is looking for an herb to fulfill some type of functionality is likely to find it, says Christopher. At Lost Empire Herbs, the focus is on finding herbs that have tangible benefits from the very beginning. Christopher talks about natural testosterone boosters, herbal medicine for men's health, herbal supplements for athletic performance and stress relief, the science of herbs, guidelines to follow when looking for the right types of herbs for you, and how to positively affect various aspects of your life, naturally. Interested in learning more? Check out https://lostempireherbs.com/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK