Finding Genius Podcast

In this podcast, Pouya Bashivan, Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, discusses brain activity and visual recognition. Bashivan's lab is particularly interested in how the brain sees, how the visual cortex recognizes objects, etc. Working with Kohitij Kar, the neuroscientists have engaged in some of the most significant testing to date of computational models that seek to approximate a brain's visual cortex. Using their models of a brain's visual neural network, Bashivan and Kar provided a new way to control individual neurons as well as populations of neurons in the middle of the network. Their research shows that certain versions of these new models are similar enough to a brain that they could perhaps be used to control brain states in animals. The MIT neuroscientist discusses upcoming developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence. He talks about self-driving cars and various new technologies, and the challenges developers and manufacturers face in regard to vision in their operating systems. Continuing, Bashivan states that the future of machine vision could be focused well beyond basic object recognition. Specifically, Bashivan discusses new models that are being trained to play digital games, which could advance to training in more realistic style games that could provide significant data on how human brains are affected by various experiences.

In the late 60s, Stephen Gray began his journey into the world where spirituality and psychedelics intersect and has since worked with a number of psychedelic substances, become an editor and contributor to a book called Cannabis and Spirituality, and now serves as the head of the Spirit Plant Medicine Conference, where people come together in search of spiritual growth, enlightenment, an insight through the use of substances such as ayahuasca, psilocybe mushrooms, iboga, peyote, cannabis, huachuma (San Pedro), LSD, and MDMA. Gray joins the podcast to discuss the ancient connections between spirituality and psychedelics, why many of these substances are described as 'unspecified amplifiers', the experience of Native American rituals and peyote ceremonies, how these substances have and continue to help people uncover and cope with childhood traumas, and so much more. Interested in hearing more? Tune in and visit https://spiritplantmedicine.com/.

Louis E. Metzger, Chief Scientific Officer at Tierra Biosciences, delivers an interesting overview of his company's innovative work. Metzger's company, Tierra Biosciences devised proprietary methods that make it possible to discover new molecules originating from nature. Their advanced technology builds upon the progress made in the areas of cell-free synthetic biology, computation, and automation, which allows it to seek molecules that were previously thought to be inaccessible by past methods. Metzger discusses his background and the premise of Tierra Biosciences. He states that many chemicals and enzymes used for biotechnology purposes, from insecticides in agriculture tech to drug-like molecules that are natural products used in biopharma, are often produced by expressing them in host organisms. But a limitation of this process is, for example, if one were to make a compound in an e-coli or yeast cell, and the enzymes for that compound are toxic to the host cell—it can die or simply not produce the results one was hoping for in the experimentation. Thus, it puts a limitation on the types of proteins that can be expressed or the types of chemicals that can be found. Metzger continues, to say that Tierra Biosciences' method grinds up the cells while preserving their specific biochemistry (what the cells can do, etc.), which ultimately can lead to the ability to express proteins in cell-free systems that are derived from living cells but are not in fact, living. By this method, Metzger states that they can uncover proteins, etc. that would normally be toxic to the host. The scientific officer elaborates further on other companies that are making strides in this area of science. Metzger mentions that they have quite a few proof-of-concept projects that are in the works at Tierra Biosciences. He discusses some interesting work that they are doing in conjunction with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that may offer hope for the treatment of malaria. The science expert discusses small molecule metabolites and cell-free reactions that have provided some notable and surprising reactions. He talks about the methods they use and their attention to testing and calibration in order to get consistent results. Essentially, Tierra Biosciences has found an innovative new approach to replenish the natural product pipeline by ultimately accessing DNA to find the incredible molecules of the next century and beyond.

In this podcast, Dr. Mark Bertin, developmental-behavioral pediatrician, and celebrated author discusses ADHD and provides a general overview of child development. Dr. Bertin has studied extensively in the area of developmental-behavioral pediatrics, early on at Cornell University and the UCLA School of Medicine, then wrapping up his pediatric training at the Oakland Children's Hospital in Northern California. He followed this education with a fellowship in neurodevelopmental behavioral pediatrics at the Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dr. Bertin provides an extensive overview of ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). He talks in detail about 'executive function' and how skills/areas such as attention, emotion, behavior, time, and others are managed. He describes how the genetics are crystal clear on ADHD, as clear as a genetic map for height would be, plain as day. He goes into detail about the many contributing factors that exist and the long list of ways that parents can help decrease symptoms, such as controlling diet and sleep in a healthy way. Dr. Bertin is noted for authoring the books, How Children Thrive and The Family ADHD Solution. Wrapping up, the pediatric doctor provides further details on the symptoms of ADHD that parents can look for. And he talks about the more internal types of ADHD that could go undiagnosed until later in a child's life.

In this podcast, Nadine Artemis, the celebrated author of Holistic Dental Care: The Complete Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums discusses holistic oral care and healthy extracts for wellness. Artemis is a promoter of good oral health, an author, and an entrepreneur. Her company, Living Libations, produces serums, elixirs, and essential oils for health and beauty. Artemis discusses her book, Holistic Dental Care: The Complete Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums. Finding almost no comprehensive information on holistic oral care, Artemis was motivated to fill the gap. She set out to write a book packed with useful information that was interesting and informative because as we all know our oral health is directly connected to our overall body health. Artemis discusses various topics such as oral care, lymphatic fluids, blood sugar spikes, mineral deficiencies in the diet, hormones, and more—all which are important issues that pertain to, and affect our oral health. She discusses saliva and explains some of its more important functions such as lubrication and caring for the microbiome. The book is a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in improving their natural oral care. From self-care strategies to the prevention of oral problems, it's a whole-body approach to better oral health and ultimately better health in general. Artemis talks about her line of botanical extracts. She discusses how extracts can be used to improve oral health, as a mouthwash, to seal gums, and much more. And she acknowledges that many people are seeing shorter dental visits—which is something we can all smile about.

When Jeff Dachis was unexpectedly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2013, he was given nothing more than a short conversation with a nurse practitioner, an insulin pen, and a prescription. He was shocked by the life-threatening diagnosis and left with so many questions and concerns that all he could do in those moments was break down. But after a few days, he decided to make a change. With a background in technology, Dachis began brainstorming the ways in which he could obtain all of the data related to his health and new diagnosis, and make use of it in a way that would allow him to make better choices and prevent negative events from happening in the future; this is when One Drop began. One Drop is a diabetes management platform that uses mobile computing and data science to help people make sense of and utilize their health and lifestyle data in ways that enable them to live their best lives. The app makes it easy for people to enter their data on the One Drop platform, and once they do, that data not only benefits them but the entire community of One Drop users. The One Drop glucose meter is wireless with the ability to automatically sync all glucose data into the One Drop app, automatically track a user's every step, and integrate seamlessly with any wearable fitness tracker on the market. It automatically integrates information such as weight, blood pressure, medication intake, and more. The One Drop app focuses on accomplishing three goals: harnessing the power of predictive data science to benefit their users, providing dedicated, personal care and coaching to every user, and ensuring an ecosystem of connected devices and supplies. Dachis makes for a fascinating episode, discussing the details of all this and more. Tune in and check out https://onedrop.today/pages/mobile-app to get the app for yourself.

When Dana Lewis was 14 years old, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and that's when her interest in the pancreas and how it functions in the body began. While there's technology like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGM) that help people manage type 1 diabetes, Lewis quickly learned the drawbacks associated with the fact that these devices don't communicate with each other and are not automated; those dealing with type 1 diabetes still have to do a lot of work to manage their condition. This compelled Lewis to leverage open source code so that she could access her glucose data in real time from her devices, build a set of predictive alarms that would alert her to impending events related to her glucose levels, and create an algorithm which would allow for her insulin pump and CGM to interoperate in a closed loop system and communicate with a phone or computer in order to tell her when she needed more or less insulin. Enjoying the relief from having access to this technology, Lewis wanted to share what she'd created with everyone who could benefit from it. She joins the podcast today to discuss why this technological capability has not already been made available in the health care sector, the challenges inherent in the development and widespread implementation of this type of technology, the details behind how the closed-loop system works, the results of studies looking at the effectiveness of the system she's built, misconceptions about how insulin pumps work, how the technology has drastically improved her sleep, level of energy, and clinical outcomes, and much more. Tune in for the full conversation and visit https://openaps.org/ to learn more.

THC and CBD-infused gummies are popular and available in dispensaries throughout the US and Canada, but there's something that you may not know about them until it's too late: there is no guarantee that you're going to get a specific amount of THC, which means there's no guarantee that you're not going to get a super-saturated gummy that's going to result in an unpleasant experience involving paranoia, perceived heart palpitations, or a number of other unsettling effects. Shoogies is a sugar-based company that's changing this by employing advanced engineering and a tertiary testing system in the production of THC and CBD-infused sugars. The result? Individualized packages that are guaranteed to contain exactly five milligrams of THC, which means you can rest assured that you won't be hit with way more than you bargained for. This product was made to be easily integrated into your daily life; no bongs, papers, or other devices are required to use it, it comes in child-proof, inconspicuous packaging, and can be added to whatever it is you already add sugar to, such as your morning coffee or tea. Latham Woodward is the CEO of Shoogies, and he joins the podcast to discuss all the details of this new product that's a guaranteed good time. Tune in and check out www.shoogies.com to learn more.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Morgan, a cardiac surgeon and Chief Medical Officer for BIOLIFE4D, provides an overview on surgical therapies currently used to treat patients with heart failure and overviews the current and future direction of bioprinted hearts. In this episode, Dr. Morgan explains what causes heart failure, the physiology of a healthy and diseased heart, and outlines the most common surgical therapies currently available to patients with heart failure. He explores the benefits and drawbacks of current surgical therapies such as the total artificial heart (TAH) and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Dr. Morgan also discusses the current challenges with heart transplants, which leads us to a discussion on bioprinted hearts as a therapy currently undergoing development. Dr. Morgan provides insight on why using bioprinted hearts would be superior to traditional heart transplants and explains what challenges scientists currently face in developing these technologies. His insight as a practicing surgeon and as a figure in the biomedical technology industry offers a unique perspective on how bioprinted hearts can be useful in every stage of treating heart failure – from drug research and development to clinical use. Tune in to discover how this technology has the potential to save thousands of lives.

Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of SENS Research Foundation, delivers an overview of aging and the many health problems that develop in our advanced years. Dr. de Grey is a respected member of the science community; he is the noted biomedical gerontologist who devised the innovative SENS platform and co-founded the SENS Research Foundation to further it. Dr. de Grey has written about his work and as an established researcher, he has been appointed to the editorial and scientific advisory boards of many journals, organizations, etc. Dr. de Grey is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America as well as the American Aging Association. He holds a BA in Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Biology from the prestigious University of Cambridge. Dr. de Grey discusses his research in aging and the motivations for tackling the career. As he states, aging is the number one medical problem as it causes more suffering. He was motivated to research in this area because he found that not enough was being done to focus on aging and the myriad of problems that come with it. He talks about the many excuses that are given as reasons to simply accept aging as it is, or not focus on it at all, such as "it's inevitable…everything ages," or the philosophical—"death gives meaning to life," or social—"maybe we could do this, but it would create new problems worse than the problem we are solving." And as the Ph.D. states, none of these excuses stand up to even the faintest scrutiny, however, they still remain quite popular. Dr. de Grey explains that 'why' and 'how' we age are fairly well understood, but it is the understanding of what we already know that is important, to take the information we know to be true and utilize that to design and implement therapies that will prevent the health problems of old age. And this is the core of what Dr. de Grey's foundation, SENS Research, seeks to accomplish. SENS Research Foundation works to create, promote, and provide wide-ranging access to all kinds of therapies that can cure and prevent the diseases and detrimental disabilities of aging by essentially repairing the damage that builds up within our bodies over long periods of time. SENS Research seeks to change the way the world researches and thus cares for age-related ill health. The Ph.D. discusses stem cell therapy and its ability to repair the damage, loss of cells, etc. As he explains, stem cells can be injected that target areas within the body and repair damage, replace lost cells, and thus keep the body area, organ, etc. functioning in a healthier state. He explains in detail how cells function and the processes used to make genetic modifications. Additionally, Dr. de Grey expounds upon the kinds of complex research they engage in at his foundation, and the types of conditions that they seek to bring more understanding to in order to combat them.