Smart Drug Smarts

In Episode #110, Jesse is joined by Dr. Jim Adams from the USC School of Pharmacy for a far-ranging discussion about traditional plant medicines. Countless cultures worldwide have surviving folk wisdom, botanical cures and remedies which may offer life-changing value even in the pharmaceutical age. Dr. Adams balances scientific credentials with his spiritual insights as a Chumash Healer as he explains some of what nature has to offer for health and cognition. In our regular segments, find out the ugly truth about the Illusory Truth Effect -- and also how it is next to impossible to catch a dolphin off-guard.

Habit is the topic at hand for our inaugural episode of 2016.  Postdoctoral Research Associate Jen Labrecque joins Jesse for an in-depth look at habit and human behavior.  Tune in to find out more about habit formation, the power of environmental cues, and ideal ways to implement changes in your habits — for New Years Resolutions and beyond. Elsewhere in the episode, Jesse offers some good news for those who want to boost their long-term memory without supplements, without mnemonic tricks, and without extra time for sleep.  Is this even possible?  According to new research: Yes.  And it’s surprisingly simple — but you’ll have to listen to find out.

For the year end finale of the podcast Jesse brings the concept of Hormesis to the forefront - reinforcing the idea that if a little is good, more is not usually better. Joining him is world renowned expert and staunch advocate of Hormesis Dr. Edward Calabrese</a> from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Bring along your smartypants for this one and brace yourself for a few surprising revelations. Talking about “smarts”, did you know your IQ is linked to how long you’ll live or that there’s an actual mathematical formula to determine which songs make you feel good? What if I told you that this same mathematical formula was used to determine the Top 10 feel good songs of all time - do you think any of your favorites made it to that list? Find out in the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick.

Electricity, magnetic fields and sound waves are three separate forces, capable of stimulating our brain for cognitive effects (reality) and Jedi mind tricks (fantasy).  The first two recently featured in our Electroceuticals episode and this week we check out sound waves.  Jesse is joined by Adam Hewett and Junaid Kalmadi, co-founders of Brain.fm, an online service that aims to improve focus, relaxation and sleep with music engineered by a proprietary Artificial Intelligence system.  Tune in to learn more about the science behind audio brainwave entrainment, its history, and potential for future development. Speaking of sound and music – Jesse also shares some news from the world of neuroscience about how your personality plays a role in your musical ability.  (Who knew?)

This week we take a deep dive into the world of Synesthesia - a unique quirk of evolution affecting around 4% of the population - whereby one or more of our senses are joined or coupled.  Noted author and Professor of Neurology at George Washington University Dr. Richard Cytowic guides Jesse down the rabbit-hole and beyond the trappings of urban legends and popular misconceptions. Talking about destroying myths, Jesse shatters a very popular one about happiness and longevity, making it easier for you to be Mr. Grumpy this holiday season (if you so choose).  To know more stick around for the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick. PS:  Enjoy the spirit of Yuletide as it sweeps you towards new beginnings and don’t forget to arm yourself with a subscription to our lip-smackingly delicious weekly newsletter - Brain Breakfast.

In keeping with holiday tradition, our favorite family comes over for a visit: the Racetam family.  Old uncle Piracetam shuffles in, proudly brandishing his "True Nootropic" Award. Aniracetam and Oxiractam look like they’re having a hard time dealing with the young ones.  Coluracetam, Nefiracetam and Fasoracetam run around between the grown-ups, getting into all sorts of mischief. It's also a reunion with Dr. Andrew Hill -- one of Smart Drug Smarts' very first guests, as well as the co-founder of TruBrain and resident neuroscientist at the Peak Brain Institute in LA, where he specializes in neurofeedback solutions. Whether you’re complete strangers or bosom buddies with the Racetam family (who trace their roots back to Belgium), Jesse and Dr. Andrew Hill will make you feel welcome and get you introduced to everybody. Stick around for a few giggles during the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick and learn a cool new way to prepare a nice big bowl of "word salad" with a decidedly New Age flavor.

Electrical brain stimulation is a topic we often like to revisit, and this week Jesse is joined by Professor Vincent Clark for a spirited discussion on the emerging world of what Clark calls electroceuticals - and the additive power of advanced neuro-imaging techniques used in concert with neural stimulation. Also in this episode, we get acquainted with striosomes and approach-avoidance conflicts during decision-making (remember the hesitation you feel before asking that hot cheerleader to dance?) Also: Science weighs in on "the munchies" -- why marijuana users like binging on food Thanksgiving-style even after Thanksgiving has passed.

In episode #103, we examine the big, gray elephant in the room: The ready availability (for now, anyway) of a number of prescription pharmaceuticals for purchase over the Internet -- by people without prescriptions.  Attorney and Smart Drug Smarts alumnus Lawrence Walters joins Jesse for a no-holds-barred discussion on the continuing evolution of federal regulations on privacy and protection -- along with the rise of BitCoin, the fall of Silk Road, and more.  Whether you use the web for buying pharmaceuticals or just for plain ol' facebooking, this is an episode that will be relevant to all. Moving on to songs that get stuck in your head and refuse to move along... (see what I did there?)  The solution to get these stubborn tunes off your brain might be simpler than you think. Stick around for the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick.

Fact 1: Regular exercise is good for your health. Fact 2: Many people are inherently lazy about exercise. Question: Should these people use “motivational” chemicals so they don’t hate exercise so much, and can form better health habits? To examine this question, Jesse is joined by Prof. Samuele Marcora the author of the provocatively titled paper – “Can Doping be a Good Thing?”  Their discussion looks closely at the perception of effort and limiting factors of motivation, along with the current methods of enhancement and scope of future technologies. Stick around for the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick if you want to hone your psychopath-spotting skills.  (Who doesn’t?)  Jesse shares some recent bittersweet developments on the emotion of empathy – and those who lack it.

Jesse and a small cadre of DIY enthusiasts attempt to attain altered states of consciousness through a process of vigorous hyperventilation - known in psychology circles as "Holotropic Breathwork."  Find out what happened in the unsupervised experiments inspired by the interview with Dr. James Eyerman in Episode #89.  (Note: This is the first episode where Jesse records audio while not fit to operate heavy machinery.) Curious to know what "axonal sprouting" means, or to suss out the truth about differences between male and female brains?  Stick around for our regular feature segments; the answers might surprise you.

IQ meters spike up to dangerously high levels this week, as Jesse is joined by Richard  "Rick" Rosner  - who ranks second in The World Genius Directory.  They discuss intelligence testing parameters and efficacy while making detours to futurism, human longevity and time travel.  In addition to being an intellectual savant, Rosner also boasts past credentials as a comedy television writer, a bouncer and a male stripper, making him a truly eccentric genius. For Halloween, we give a hat-tip to the Spooky Little Evil Kids of so many horror movies, by looking at a recent study into the gastrointestinal physiology of the "terrible two's."  Stay tuned 'til the end for the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick: Horror Edition.

Jesse is joined by Brad Burge from MAPS (the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) for an open and honest discussion about the current state of affairs with — you guessed it — psychedelics.  The discussion around these compounds has been largely lopsided for a long time, with regulatory embargoes, societal taboos, political and corporate manifestos making a rational assessment difficult.  But it seems like the winds are slowly changing. And in further news from the world of neuroscience, Jesse shares some insights about the benefits of more sleep and less food.

“All my life I felt like I was playing a sport with one leg, and now suddenly I had two.”  That’s how one user describes his first experience with Adderall - a psychoactive stimulant that works by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain.  In episode #98, Jesse goes off-script with the normal episode format and throws four prescribed Adderall users into the mix.  You will hear perspectives on everything from initial experiences with the drug and dosages to weighing the positive against the negative effects.  Get ready to walk away with a strong opinion… but it could go either way. Jesse also shares some encouraging news about developments in stem cell research, plus a delicious (or disgusting - depending on your perspective) Halloween recipe.  Some baking required.

The Ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" is one of the Delphic maxims and was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.  (You may also remember it from “The Matrix” when the Oracle meets Neo for the first time.)  Learning to recognize our own emotions and those of others — along with managing them effectively — forms the crux of episode #97.  Jesse is joined by Professor Con Stough, who returns for his second outing on Smart Drug Smarts, for a candid conversation about the emotional aspects of intelligence. Also in this episode Jesse shares some speculation about inheritance.  Sometimes you may get more than just what the last will and testament states.

In episode #96, we return to the Know Your Neurotransmitters series for its third installment, featuring Noradrenaline — the lesser-known chemical cousin to Adrenaline.  Jesse is joined by Professor Clare Stanford, who helps us un-weave a web of terminology and chemicals — Noradrenaline, Adrenaline, Norepinepherine, Tyrosine, and more.  (Fun fact: Two of the previously named chemicals are in fact exactly the same thing!) And for those who have secretly theorized (or even openly engaged in geeky debates) about how Magneto’s superpowers might work - there are some interesting facts emerging from China about how biology and magnetism intermingle.  This story even has some professional backstabbing thrown in for good measure.   Hear it all in the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick.

What is Love?  A loaded question with the potential to lead us down multiple rabbit holes (and, if you grew up in the 90s, evoke memories of the Haddaway song).  In episode #95, Jesse welcomes Brian Earp on board for a thought-provoking conversation about the possibilities and ethics of making biochemical tweaks to this most celebrated of human emotions.  With a topic like “manipulating love,” the discussion moves between the realms of neuroscience, psychology and transhumanist philosophy. Have you ever been fascinated by the techno-gadgetry behind night-vision equipment?  If your answer is yes, you'll want to stick around for the Ruthless Listener Retention Gimmick.   Fair warning - if you’re squeamish about eyeballs, this portion might get a little freaky.

In Episode #94, Dr. James Giordano joins Jesse for a conversation about brain stimulation technologies that work both through the skull (transcranial electric stimulation, or tES, and transcranial magnetic stimulation, or tMS) and by way of invasive surgical procedures (deep brain stimulation, or DBS).  What is today's state-of-the art and what might it be in the very near future? Throw in a spirited conversation about neuroethics — Dr. Giordano consults DARPA on these issues, helping to keep the U.S. military's most sci-fi branch ethically on-track — and you’ve got an episode that will leave your brain fully charged.

Jesse brings evolutionary psychologist Dr. Gordon Gallup on board this week for an in-depth look at human semen - most notably, its apparent mood-altering effects on females.  If this is your first time learning that semen might be more than just baby fertilizer, be prepared for several jaw-dropping revelations.  This episode contains a lot of explicit content (not of the salacious kind), so "listener discretion is advised."  But be prepared: You might have your thinking about romantic relationships forever altered — seriously. And that’s not all. Jesse shares some neuroscience news that may seem straight out of an evil scientist’s lair, and he also somehow manages to land up on the unlikely topic of lap-dancing in the Ruthless Listener-Retention Gimmick.

Longtime biohacker and nootropics aficionado Abelard Lindsey swoops in for his (record-breaking) third appearance on Smart Drug Smarts.  Jesse picks his brain on how stacks get developed, with a particular focus on Axon Labs’ flagship cognitive mix, Nexus. They examine each ingredient - Aniracetam, CDP Choline, Phosphatidylserine and Pycnogenol® - and the purpose of each one inside the stack…  And also the how's and when's of their own personal use of Nexus. In the before-and-after segments, the action continues — with hostage rescue simulations and what they can teach us about memory, liberal mentions of the word “poop,” and another way that you can get to know Jesse - the man behind the mic.

What kind of tasks benefit from a mind that’s slightly groggy? Jesse is joined by Mareike Wieth to discuss her research on fatigue and its’ effect on problem-solving skills.