Mind & Matter Podcast

Nick talks to anthropologist Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas, who is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut. His research interests center around human ritual behavior and the interaction between cognition and culture. They discuss his new Book, "Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living." Topics covered: Rituals vs. habits; the psychological purpose of ritual; ritualism as an antidote to anxiety; religion and spiritual practices; culture & the birth of civilization; the physiological and psychoactive effects of ritual; Ayahuasca and psychoactive drugs; rituals in sports, gambling, and other human activities; the evolution of language & symbolic cognition; religion, community & Burning Man. USEFUL LINKS Buy "Ritual" by Dimitris Xygalatas [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindma...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/]

Nick talks to cognitive psychopharmacologist Dr. Manoj Doss about the effects of psychoactive drugs on memory, including sedatives, stimulants, psychedelics, cannabinoids, and MDMA. They also talk about recent research on the effects of psilocybin on the human brain. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindma...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Nick talks to neuroscientist Dr. Joseph LeDoux, who runs a research lab at New York University. His research focuses on the neurobiology of emotion, memory and behavior and he has written several popular science books including, "The Deep History of Ourselves." They discuss: brain evolution; what is behavior?; what are emotion and cognition, and how are they intertwined; consciousness, language, and memory. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindma...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Dr. Maayan Levy is an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, where her lab studies the communication between the microbiome and its host, with a focus on the gut microbiome and its relationship to diet, immune system function, and disease. We discuss: her recent study linking the ketogenic diet to lower risk of colon cancer; what the ketogenic diet is and what the metabolic state of ‘ketosis’ does in the body; molecules called ketone bodies, such as BHB, and the extent to which BHB supplementation can recapitulate some of the physiological effects of the ketogenic diet; how the microbiome influences the function and development of the immune system; and the hygiene hypothesis, the idea that modern human cultures may be too clean, or rely too heavily on antibiotics and other technology, and interfere with our microbiome in ways that may be detrimental to metabolic and immunological health. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindma...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Microbiologist Dr. Maayan Levy talks about the ketogenic diet, what kinds of food must be eaten to go into ketosis, and what this metabolic state does in the body. She describes the ketone body, BHB, produced by the ketogenic diet, and how it affects the body, including it's ability to influence the risk of developing colon cancer. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindma...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Nick talks to chemist & patent attorney Dr. Andrew Chadeayne, who is the CEO of the psychedelic startup CaaMTech. They discussed: the chemistry of magic mushrooms, including compounds beyond psilocybin, found in many species of psilocybin-containing mushrooms; the so-called entourage effect, the idea that multiple compounds found in plants and fungi might work together in a synergistic fashion to produce specific psychoactive or therapeutic effects; Cannabis and magic mushrooms; DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and novel DMT analogues; how we went from academia, to patent law, to founding CaaMTech; the prospect of developing novel psychedelic drugs, non-hallucinogenic psychedelic drug analogues, and some of the details on how these various drugs differ in terms of their chemical structure. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?sort=top] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discount/MIND] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindmatter] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindandmatter] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?partner=MINDANDMATTER]

Long-form science podcast about how ideas, drugs & biotechnology impact our bodies & minds. Learn directly from the best scientists and thinkers alive today. New episodes weekly. *None of this content constitutes medical advice. SUPPORT M&M: Sign up for the free weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] The Amino Co., shop science-back amino acids supplements. Use code ‘MIND’ to save 30%. [https://aminoco.com/MIND] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes]

Nick talks to Dr. Martin Picard, a biologist at Columbia University whose lab studies mitochondrial psychobiology, linking together molecular processes within mitochondria with human experience. They discussed; what mitochondria are and where they came from; their role in energy & metabolism; the mitochondrial genome; the importance of mitochondria in stress & aging; how exercise, diet, and genetics influence mitochondria biology; hair graying and whether it's reversible; the mind-mitochondria connection. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?sort=top] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discount/MIND] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindmatter] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindandmatter] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?partner=MINDANDMATTER] 0:00:00 Episode Intro 0:04:35 Martin Picard Intro 0:20:24 How Mitochondria Evolved 0:31:30 What Mitochondria Do Beyond Energy Production 0:50:49 Reactive Oxygen Species & Antioxidants 0:59:10 Fasting, Diet & Mitochondria 1:10:13 Aging & Mitochondrial Health 1:22:10 Endurance Training, Cognition & Mitochondria 1:50:05 Gray Hair Reversal 2:03:06 Summary & Final Thoughts

Chemist Dr. Andrew Chadeayne, CEO of the psychedelic biotechnology startup CaaMTech, describes the chemistry of magic mushrooms, beyond just psilocybin. What other compounds can be found in different species of Psilocybe mushrooms, what is their chemical structure, and what do we know about their physiological effects? He also shares an interesting story about mycologist Paul Stamets, who once ingested a lesser known magic mushroom compound called baeocystin. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindma...] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Biologist Dr. Matthew Picard discusses what causes hair to turn gray at the cellular level, and whether or not graying can be reversed naturally, without human-made products (e.g. Rogaine). This is ties into the full discussion about cell biology, mitochondria, stress, and aging. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] DoubleBlind Magazine, a leading source of news, information, and education about psychedelics. Use code MINDMATTER for 20% site-wide. [https://www.doubleblindmag.com/mindmatter] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Nick talks to biologist Dr. Leonard Guarente about the biology of aging, life extension, health supplements, and related topics. Dr. Guarente is a Professor of Biology at MIT, where his lab has studied the molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging for many years. He is also the co-founder and Chief Scientist of Elysium Health, which uses the science of aging to develop health supplements to combat age-related decline and technologies to help consumers understand their rate of aging. Nick and Dr. Guarente discussed many topics related to aging, including: how and why aging occurs; whether humans can achieve immortality; NAD and the core metabolic processes of cells; resveratrol, pterostilbene, and other anti-aging molecules; epigenetics and technology that can be used to calculate biological age vs. chronological age. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] Buy books from M&M guests [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Nick talks to cell & developmental biologist Dr. Blanche Capel. They discussed the nature of sexual reproduction and sexual dimorphism, including when these these things evolved, the evolutionary reasons for sexual reproduction, and the amazing diversity of mechanisms that determine the development of sexual traits across the animal kingdom; the contribution of genetic vs. environmental factors in sex determination, and how these vary across species; sex chromosomes, such as the X and Y chromosomes of humans and other mammals; sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen; as well as how gametes and gonads develop - these are the sex cells, such as sperm or egg, and the reproductive organs that produce them and the major sex hormones that shape sexual development; what we know, and don’t know, about the biology of puberty and sexual development after birth, as well as whether environmental factors, such as components of the diet an environmental contaminants, could be influencing sexual development. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] Buy books from M&M guests [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?partner=MINDANDMATTER]

Developmental cell biologist Dr. Blanche Capel describes mammalian sex determination during early development, including the role of XY chromosomes, sex hormones like testosterone & estrogen, gonad development, and causes of infertility. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] Buy books from M&M guests [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

How is biological sex determined during development in different kinds of animals? Developmental cell biologist Dr. Blanche Capel describes the diversity of genetic and environmental factors that govern sex determination in humans & other mammals, birds, reptiles and other species. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discoun...] Buy books from M&M guests [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Nick talks to neuroscientist & clinical researcher Dr. Rachel Yehuda, who is a professor of psychiatry & neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York. They discuss the biology and neuroscience of stress, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), why people can be sensitive or resilient to stress, epigenetics, intergenerational trauma, and how MDMA and psychedelics are being explored for their ability to treat stress-related mental health conditions. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Elysium Health, a life sciences company focused on aging research. Use code MIND for 10% off first purchase of any of their supplement products. Valid until 6/22/2022. [https://www.elysiumhealth.com/discount/MIND] Buy books from M&M guests [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?par...]

Nick speaks to writer Robert Greene, who is the author of several books exploring different, and sometimes dark, aspects of human psychology. The discussion focuses on the subject of his first book, "The 48 Laws of Power." They discuss what power is and how it's used. Different psychological traits that people who successfully acquire power tend to have. Strategies that have been useful throughout history for acquiring more power, as well as those that lead to a loss of power. Robert talks the political scientist Niccolo Machiavelli, and how he is often misunderstood. He also gave his perspective on some influential people with power today, including Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, and Elon Musk. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?sort=top] Buy books from M&M guests [https://linktr.ee/mindandmatter_books] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindandmatter] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub)[https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Try Levels Health to monitor your blood sugar & optimize your diet [https://www.levelshealth.com/join?partner=MINDANDMATTER] 0:00:00 Episode Intro 0:04:53 Robert Greene Intro 0:07:25 Niccolo Machiavelli 0:14:25 Structure of Greene's Books 0:25:03 Power & Relationships 0:30:08 Deceit, Self-Deception & Language 0:41:24 PT Barnum & Capturing Attention 0:50:36 Protecting Yourself From Predation 1:00:57 Robert's Historical Research Process 1:15:00 Powerful Modern World Leaders 1:24:45 Elon Musk & Final Thoughts

Author Robert Greene describes the differences between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Both were inventors but each had different strengths and weaknesses. Despite Tesla's genius and superior scientific mind, Edison was able to win out in many ways. Robert Greene explains why. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub) [https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/]

Author Robert Greene is widely known for his books, including "The 48 Laws of Power." Using his knowledge of the psychology and history of human power dynamics, he analyzes world leaders and public figures like Angela Merkel (former PM of Germany), Vladimir Putin (leader of Russia), and Elon Musk. What psychological tools and personality traits have they used to wield power? Towards the end, he analyzes Elon Musk's recent move to take a large ownership stake in the social media platform Twitter. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub) [https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/]

Cognitive scientist Dr. Donald Hoffman discusses psychedelic experiences from the perspectives of his theories of conscious perception. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub) [https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/]

Cognitive scientist Dr. Donald Hoffman discusses how and why we perceive beauty the way that we do. How is it that we are able to instantly assess someone's attractiveness when we see them? What is the brain doing to allow this perceptual assessment, and what does it tell us about the nature of perception? USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub) [https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/]

Nick talks to cognitive scientist Dr. Donald Hoffman, who is professor emeritus of cognitive sciences at UC-Irvine and the author of many scientific papers and books, including "The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes.” They discussed a variety of topics related to consciousness, the nature of perception, and evolution, including: how perception works; whether our conscious perceptions are accurate representations of underlying reality; the interface theory of perception, which likens our conscious perceptions to the digital icons displayed on your computer screen; language; psychedelic experiences; and the nature of reality itself, such as whether space and time are fundamental aspects of the universe, or artifacts of perception. USEFUL LINKS Sign up for the weekly Mind & Matter newsletter [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/?s...] Athletic Greens, comprehensive daily nutrition (Free 1-year supply Vitamin D w/ purchase) [https://www.athleticgreens.com/mindan...] Download the podcast & follow Nick at his website [https://www.nickjikomes.com] Follow Nick's work through Linktree: [https://linktr.ee/trikomes] Organize your digital highlights & notes w/ Readwise (2 months free w/ sub) [https://readwise.io/nickjikomes/] 0:00:00 Episode Intro 0:04:23 Donald Hoffman Intro 0:11:05 Our Mind Did Not Evolve for Truth 0:23:04 Vision, Attractiveness & Fitness Payoffs 0:44:38 Split-Brains & Consciousness 0:54:55 Neural Correlates of Consciousness 1:11:43 The Brain's Perception of Space & Time 1:35:50 Language & the Interface Theory of Perception 2:07:20 What Are Psychedelic Experiences? 2:16:07 Final Thoughts