The Importance of Memory
Memory is not just a curiosity. Memory is central to our existence -- and our ability to predict the future.The post The Importance of Memory appeared first on Smart Drug Smarts.
View ArticleEvolving Human Performance
The Halo Sport is a health and wellness device which uses transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to achieve physical benefits.The post Evolving Human Performance appeared first on Smart Drug...
View ArticleTheacrine with Dr. Richard Bloomer
A caffeine - theacrine stack is often recommended as a “starter stack” for nootropics noobies. Here's what you need to know about theacrine.The post Theacrine with Dr. Richard Bloomer appeared first on...
View ArticleOverdose Edition: Acquired Savant Syndrome
You'd think there's nothing to be said in defense of brain damage. You'd almost be right. But in a few rare cases, "Acquired Savant Syndrome" gives brain-injured people cognitive abilities they never...
View ArticleBrains in Orbit with Dr. Rachael Seidler
Being able to understand the impact that space has on our brains and bodies brings space travel closer.The post Brains in Orbit with Dr. Rachael Seidler appeared first on Smart Drug Smarts.
View Article#186: The Replication Crisis with Dr. Rolf Zwaan
“Open, transparent, reproducible science is stronger science.” Openness and transparency are among the fundamental values of science. The most reputable scientific communication is assessable, i.e....
View Article#187: “Structured Water” with Dr. Gerald Pollack
Steam, Water, Ice: The three classic phases of water are almost as familiar as water itself. So is it conceivable that the substance we know so well has secrets not only hiding in plain sight, but also...
View Article#188: The Pleasure of Novelty
We have pleasure-inducing chemical systems in our neural pathways dedicated to vision. What gives?The post #188: The Pleasure of Novelty appeared first on Smart Drug Smarts.
View Article#189: Head in the Game with Dr. John Sullivan
Peak physical performance requires peak mental performance. This is obvious, but also easy to forget. Dr. John Sullivan explains how to make the brain and body perfect teammates.The post #189: Head in...
View Article#190: Sulforaphane with Dr. Jed Fahey
You know broccoli is good for you. The phytochemical Sulforaphane is a key reason -- and it may deserve to be called not just "health food," but an actual medicine.The post #190: Sulforaphane with Dr....
View Article#191: Finding Your Place with Dr. Mayank Mehta
How do you know where you are? How can you sense when you are lost? And what happens when your senses get conflicting info as reality "leaks" through imperfect Virtual Reality environments? The post...
View Article#192: Testosterone vs. Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer's Disease and male virility aren't often thought of together, but most people don't consider this a clue to preventing the much-feared disease. Maybe we should. Dr. Ralph Martins explains.The...
View Article#193 – How Far Will Expertise Go?
We know experts "make it look easy." What we want to know is how they got that way - and how we can too. And, for what it's worth, how easy are nearby domains for experts in a given field?The post #193...
View Article#194: Brain Implants – Medical and Beyond with Dr. Brett Wingeier
You've got to have a pretty good reason to open your skull on purpose. Dr. Brett Wingeier designs such reasons.The post #194: Brain Implants – Medical and Beyond with Dr. Brett Wingeier appeared first...
View Article#195: Dognition
Domestication has changed ancestral wolves into hundreds of breeds of modern dogs. What has happened to their brains along the way? Meet the only purebred brains in the animal kingdom.The post #195:...
View Article#196: Psychedelics vs. Inflammation with Dr. Charles Nichols
You wouldn't think to take LSD to fight atherosclerosis. But - strange though it may seem - psychedelic compounds may have still more hidden surprises: Powerful anti-inflammation properties that, in...
View Article#197: Metacognition with Dr. Stephen Fleming
Without the ability to think about thinking, how would you know if you're even thinking right? If the brain is the command center for the body, then metacognition is the control system for the command...
View Article#198: Wisdom and Risky Teens with Dr. Dan Romer
Teens take risks. But they're not "just plain stupid." And according to Dr. Dan Romer - facing off against conventional wisdom and neuroscientific consensus - the risks they take may be "the right...
View Article#199: The MIND Diet with Dr. Martha Morris
The "MIND Diet" makes a strong claim in its very name. Is it the best nutritional strategy to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease? Dr. Martha Morris explains.The post #199: The MIND Diet with Dr....
View Article#200 – The Cognito Awards
We celebrate our 200th episode by looking back at some high points of past Smart Drug Smarts episodes in an award-show format: the "Cognito Awards."The post #200 – The Cognito Awards appeared first on...
View Article#201 – Cognito Awards, Part 2
The Cognito Awards continue, with Best Physical Vitality Hack, Best Performance by Technological Gear, and more!The post #201 – Cognito Awards, Part 2 appeared first on Smart Drug Smarts.
View Article#202 – What is Neurogastronomy?
Neurogastronomy is the most intellectual way to be a foodie. How do we taste and smell? And could scientists manipulate our taste to make brussels sprouts taste like cotton candy and vice versa?The...
View Article#203 – Moringa with Dr. Jed Fahey
Moringa is a tropical tree that looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss... But it yields leaves so nutrient-rich, it's hard to believe it's not better known. Dr. Jed Fahey explains.The post #203 –...
View Article#204 – The Sense of Dread
A real-life scary story for Halloween: How nine healthy young hikers died suddenly, tragically, and mysteriously in 1959 in the Ural Mountains of Russia -- spawning five decades of questions and...
View Article#205 – Ambien Off-Label
Ambien is a well-known sleep aid, with over 40 million annual prescriptions in the US alone. It is not, however, a one-trick pony. Dr. Nick Bomalaski describes his review of numerous odd (and...
View Article#206 – Ayahuasca vs. Depression with Dr. Draulio Araujo
Ayahuasca may mark the first time that a nausea-inducing beverage has gotten...popular. But there may be valid medical reasons why "Mother" Ayahuasca -- a brew featuring strong psychedelic effects --...
View Article#207: Bugs on Drugs
Giving LSD to fruit flies sounds like a fraternity prank. But with the right tools, it could be an approach that helps unlock the brain's secrets in perception, mood, and even consciousness.The post...
View Article#208 – Optimizing Epigenetics with Dr. Daniel Stickler
If genes are the "Book of You," then epigenetics are the dog-eared pages marking the parts you're interested in right now. Dr. Daniel Stickler explains how to use this active overlay on genetic...
View Article#209 – Addiction: Old and New Schools
Can you be "addicted to Facebook"? And if so, is that much like being addicted to heroin? Two addiction researchers specializing in pharmacology and cyberpsychology weigh in.The post #209 – Addiction:...
View Article#210: Mind Wandering
Mind wandering is bad if you're operating a chain saw. But if you're stuck on a well-defined intellectual problem, it could be just the ticket. Christine Godwin explains the latest research...
View Article#211: MDMA vs. PTSD
The FDA has given a green light to a Phase 3 trial using MDMA as a psychologist-assisted therapy against PTSD. How might this "party drug" work in a non-party context?The post #211: MDMA vs. PTSD...
View Article#212 – Multi-Lingual Brains with Dr. Ellen Bialystok
Conventional wisdom holds that knowing more languages is "good for your brain." But what makes it so? And good in which ways? Dr. Ellen Bialystok is one of the world's foremost experts, and conducted...
View Article213: Sleep Deprivation with Dr. Paul Whitney
As biological imperatives go, sleep is the one we need less than air and water, but more than food and sex. Try to get by without it, and the problems start cropping up - fast.The post 213: Sleep...
View Article#214 – Ibogaine with Dr. Emeline Maillet
Ibogaine could be an effective therapy against addiction -- or it could be (literally) the cure that kills the patient. Hear about the many facets of this plant-derived substance from Dr. Emeline...
View Article#215: Social Illusions with Dr. Erica Boothby
Optical Illusions are interesting "glitches." But social illusions -- and there are MANY -- actually drive our behavior. Dr. Erica Boothby pulls back the veil on your own inner thoughts.The post #215:...
View Article#216: Music and Creativity with Dr. Psyche Loui
Music, maybe second only to language, seems to be one of the defining characteristics of the human brain -- and an abiding interest for all known human cultures. And it turns out to be both a...
View Article#217: Fighting Migraines with Dr. Sid Kapoor
Sometimes the brain can seem like it has a "self-destruct" button. Migraine headaches and epilepsy are two such examples.The post #217: Fighting Migraines with Dr. Sid Kapoor appeared first on Smart...
View Article#218 – Oxytocin, Love and Social Awareness
For our special Valentine's Episode, we look at the hormone Oxytocin...sometimes called "the love molecule" -- although as you'll hear, it does much more than *just* that.The post #218 – Oxytocin, Love...
View Article#219 – Aphantasia with Dr. Joel Pearson
Some people's minds don't come equipped with a "mind's eye." We call these people aphantasics -- and there are many millions of them. And they get by just fine.The post #219 – Aphantasia with Dr. Joel...
View Article#220: Cognitive Fallacies with Dr. Richard E. Nisbett
Social scientists have built up a wealth of knowledge about the ways the human brain reliably gets things wrong. Luckily for us - if we stay conscientious, we can work around our built-in bugs.The post...
View Article#221: Marijuana, the Non-Medical Kind ;)
It's easier to smoke marijuana legally these days than it is to study it. Strange, but true. But with tens of millions of Americans using recreational marijuana regularly...isn't it time we learned...
View Article#222 – What are “Fast-Spiking Interneurons”?
What are "interneurons" and how do they affect our brains' ability to function, to change, and to learn? Research scientist Dr. Scott Owen explains the latest findings.The post #222 – What are...
View Article#223: Ketone Esters with Dr. Brianna Stubbs
Ketogenic Diets, Ketone Salts, Ketone Esters... What does all this mean -- and which ones will help turn your brain into a well-lubricated fat-burning engine most easily? Dr. Brianna Stubbs -- who is a...
View Article#224: Don’t forget about Prospective Memory
Prospective Memory is something we notice most when it fails -- when we recall (too late!) something we meant to remember. Dr. Michael Scullin tells us how to keep ideas top-of-mind.The post #224:...
View Article#225: Schizophrenia with Dr. Tyrone Cannon
"Schizophrenia" is a word that strikes fear in the hearts (and minds) of those who have seen its effects. It's often misunderstood -- but one aspect that's universally recognized is that it's a *big...
View Article#226: The Return of Metabolism
You don't think much about your electricity until the power goes out. And human metabolism is kind of the same way. Dr. Navdeep Chandel explains why metabolism is worth paying attention to -- for...
View Article#227: How Language Affects Thought
Is "a rose by any other name" still a rose... to your brain? Dr. Viorica Marian explains how the language that we use affects how we actually think.The post #227: How Language Affects Thought appeared...
View Article#228: Perception as a Controlled Hallucination
Our senses provide us with a best-guess interpretation of reality -- but it's only a guess. Dr. Anil Seth explains how perception and consciousness interact, and how we can intentionally shift our...
View Article#229: Learning to Learn
Last-minute cramming (even on lots of nootropics) isn't the best gameplan for effective learning. So what is? Learning researchers explain the theory and practice of efficiently building your mental...
View Article#230: Measuring Intuition with Dr. Joel Pearson
Some aspects of our internal mental life seem to defy measurement. "Intuition" seems like a prime example of something impossible to quantify... But what if it's not? Dr. Joel Pearson tells us about...
View Article
