Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari

I recently reread Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. It is one of the few books that I've ever read more than once. If you've not read it, I would definitely recommend it.

Yuval Noah Harari's bestselling book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, presents a sweeping narrative of human history from the Stone Age to the present day, identifying three major revolutions that shaped our species and the world as we know it: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, and the Scientific Revolution. Harari's work synthesises history, biology, and economics to challenge conventional narratives and offer provocative insights into the nature of humanity.

The Cognitive Revolution: The Power of Fiction

At the heart of Harari's thesis is the Cognitive Revolution, which occurred roughly 70,000 years ago. This period was characterised by the development of new cognitive abilities in Homo sapiens, most notably the capacity for abstract thought and communication through a unique and flexible language. This allowed humans to create and believe in "fictions" or "imagined realities" – concepts that have no material existence, such as gods, nations, laws, money, and human rights.

This ability to construct and share myths and stories enabled Sapiens to cooperate in large numbers and with unprecedented flexibility. While other species' social behaviour is largely determined by genetics, humans could rewrite their social structures and collaborations by changing their shared beliefs. This cooperative power, Harari argues, is what allowed Sapiens to outcompete other human species, like the Neanderthals, and eventually dominate the planet.

How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones - Dr Rangan Chatterjee with James Clear

Here Dr Rangan Chatterjee discusses some of the concepts:

and a summary from Ali Abdaal:

James Clear's bestselling book, Atomic Habits, offers a powerful and practical framework for making small, incremental changes that lead to remarkable results over time. The core message is that focusing on tiny improvements - the "atomic habits" - is the most effective way to build good habits and break bad ones. Here are the key learning and action points from the book.

The Power of 1% Better Every Day

A central theme of Atomic Habits is the concept of "aggregate marginal gains." Clear argues that improving by just 1% each day will lead to a 37-fold improvement over the course of a year. Conversely, a 1% decline each day will bring you close to zero. This illustrates the profound impact of small, consistent actions.

Action Point: Instead of aiming for drastic, unsustainable changes, focus on making a tiny improvement in your desired habit each day. For example, if you want to start exercising, begin with a five-minute walk and gradually increase the duration.

Focus on Systems, Not Goals

The World is Not Ending - Dr Jordan Peterson with Bjørn Lomborg

This YouTube video, "The World is Not Ending | Bjørn Lomborg | EP 315," features Jordan B. Peterson speaking with Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, a researcher and author known for his work with the Copenhagen Consensus think tank. Lomborg's work focuses on identifying and promoting the "smartest ways to do good" to address global challenges, drawing on data and economic analysis rather than apocalyptic narratives. The discussion critiques contemporary environmental alarmism and advocates for a data-driven, optimistic approach to human progress and environmental improvement.

1. Critique of Apocalyptic Narratives and the "Religious Metaphor"

• The "End of Times" Narrative: Both Peterson and Lomborg highlight that young people are being fed an apocalyptic narrative, suggesting "this is the end of times" and that the world is "terrible" and "going to end". This creates a sense of guilt and fear, particularly around the idea of having children.
• Implicit Religious Metaphor: Peterson introduces Alex Epstein's argument that the prevailing environmental narrative is based on an implicit religious metaphor: the planet as "fragile and virginal," continually "pillaged" by a "devouring and negative" patriarchy (culture), with the individual human seen as a "predator" and "parasite". This one-sided story emphasizes a "positive female" (Mother Nature) and a "negative male" (cultural force), leading to "nature worship, the derogation of culture, and the damnation of the individual".
• Historical Context: Lomborg contrasts this modern view with a historical reality where humanity was "terrified of nature" due to its dangers (e.g., smallpox, which killed 300 million in the 20th century). He argues that only through human efforts to "make the world safer" have we gained the luxury to appreciate and "love nature".
• "Unearned Moral Virtue." Opponents are cast as morally corrupt for not accepting the apocalyptic narrative.

Viral: The Origin of Covid 19 - Dr Jordan Peterson with Matt Ridley

1. The COVID-19 Origin: Lab Leak Hypothesis and Anomalies

• Initial Acceptance, then Doubt: Matt Ridley initially accepted the conventional idea that the virus emerged from an exotic meat market in Wuhan, like SARS did from bats. However, his investigation for a Wall Street Journal article revealed anomalies.
• Geographical Coincidence: The primary "smoking gun" is the fact that the outbreak occurred in Wuhan, the very city that houses a lab (Wuhan Institute of Virology, WIV) conducting extensive research on SARS-like coronaviruses.
• Remarkable Human Adaptation: The virus was "remarkably well adapted" for human-to-human transmission from the outset (November/December 2019). This is unusual for a zoonotic jump, as viruses typically need to evolve over time through many infections to efficiently spread in a new host species.
• Furin Cleavage Site (FCS): A highly "striking and very surprising" feature of SARS-CoV-2 is the presence of a furin cleavage site in its Spike Gene. This 12-letter genetic sequence is an "extra chunk" (inserted, not merely altered) compared to close relatives and allows the virus to use a human enzyme (furin) to spread more effectively from cell to cell and tissue to tissue, making it much more dangerous and transmissible. This site is unique for a SARS-like coronavirus and is considered the reason for the pandemic's severity.

Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover

I recently bought an Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover to help improve my sleep. While I don't use a sleep tracker, I can say that my subjective view is that I am now getting significantly better sleep than I was without it. I was finding I would wake up early, e.g. 4am, and then not be able to get to sleep. Now, if that happens, I find I do fall back to sleep quickly and get about 8 hours of actual sleep.

The Evolutionary Psychology Of Friendship - Modern Wisdom with Dr Jaimie Krems

1. Friendships and Social Dynamics

• Sex-Differentiated Friendship Structures: Male friendships are typically less emotionally close, looser, and multi-male, often described as "shoulder-to-shoulder" relationships that focus on coalitional and social support, and shared activities. In contrast, female friendships are generally more emotionally intense, close, and dyadic ("face-to-face"), emphasizing emotional support and detailed discussions. Men also tend to stand at an open angle (around 120 degrees) when conversing to avoid confrontational cues, whereas women are comfortable facing each other directly.
• Fragility and Intimacy in Female Friendships: Female friendships tend to be shorter-lived and more fragile due to their emotional intensity and the sharing of intimate details. This shared information can become "ammunition" if the friendship breaks, leading to significant grief.
• Adaptive Reasons for Female Friendship Styles: Possible adaptive explanations for the depth and dyadic nature of female friendships include the high stakes of allo-parenting (shared childcare requiring high trust) and patrilocality (females often leaving their natal groups to join a partner's kin, necessitating the formation of kin-like bonds with non-kin).
• Social Signalling and Alliance Manipulation: Women use detailed self-disclosure, including sensitive social information or secrets, to build trust and closeness, signalling "you can trust me". Venting, which involves complaining about a third party in an agitated or frustrated manner, is a key tactic for women to manipulate alliances. This allows them to harm the target's reputation without appearing aggressive or manipulative themselves. Sharing privileged information with a close friend can also bolster that friend's perceived value within one's social network.
• Friend Guarding: Similar to mate guarding, friend guarding serves as an adaptive function, signalling the value placed on a friend. However, it requires careful "calibration" to avoid being perceived as too needy or jealous. People, particularly women, are often hesitant to introduce friends from different groups due to the fear of being displaced. This emotion, often stigmatised, is widespread in social animal species (e.g., horses, cows, dolphins, lions) and likely serves an adaptive purpose to prevent the loss of valued relationships.

How To Become The Perfect Partner - Esther Perel

1. Embrace Self-Reflection and Personal Responsibility

• When a relationship ends, it's vital to look beyond what the other person did wrong and consider your own role. Ask yourself: "Who were you in this relationship?", "What role did you play?", "What did you see that you didn't want to pay attention to?", and "What things do you wish you had done differently?".
• Focusing solely on the other person and adopting a passive, receptive stance means you're missing a significant part of the story and may even be more of the problem than them.
• It's about understanding the dynamic and taking responsibility for your contributions without self-blame, while still holding the other person accountable without blaming them. This is not a "blame dance" but an inquiry into "what did I do that made you do what you then did to me?".

What Makes Men And Women Different - Modern Wisdom

With Dr Carole Hooven...

With David Geary...

Learning Points:

The Biological Reality and Binary Nature of Sex:

• Sex is Binary: Dr. Carole Hooven asserts that sex is binary in mammals, including humans, and is not a spectrum. She contends that rare intersex conditions (affecting 0.02% of people) do not disprove this fundamental biological reality.
• Innate Brain Differences: Dr. David Geary highlights significant, early-emerging structural and functional differences in male and female brains. Brain patterns can predict sex with 93% accuracy in 10-year-olds and 95% in adults, with these differences detectable even prenatally (at six months of gestation) and in early infancy. This strongly suggests a biological foundation before significant socialisation.
• Hormonal Influence: Both experts emphasize the critical role of lifetime exposure to sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen), starting in fetal development, in shaping these brain differences and associated behaviours.

Why Is This Generation Struggling So Much - Modern Wisdom with Scott Galloway

Learning Points

Generational Economic Disparity and Wealth Transfer:

• For the first time in US history, young people are not better off economically than their parents were at the same age. Only half of Millennials are earning more than their parents, down from a 90% chance in the 1950s for young people to out-earn their parents.
• Since 1989, people under 40 have seen their share of the nation's wealth plummet from 19% to 9%.
• This decline is attributed to deliberate decisions rather than external forces. The two biggest tax deductions in America, mortgage interest and capital gains, primarily benefit older, wealthier generations.
• There's a significant recurring wealth transfer of £1.5 trillion from working-age people to retirement-age people in the form of Social Security, further enriching the already wealthiest cohort (US Baby Boomers).
• Education costs have skyrocketed; for example, a college that cost £1,200 a year in the 80s now costs closer to £30,000, with admission rates dropping from 76% to 6%.
• Baby Boomers are seen as having created a "rejectionist exclusionary society", making it difficult for younger generations to access education, housing, and entrepreneurial opportunities. They've weaponised government to transfer wealth to older, wealthier individuals, even during crises like pandemics.

The Hedonic Treadmill

Can you remember the last time you were dreaming of buying a new car, getting a promotion at work, moving into a nicer house or finding a partner to share life with? Do you remember fantasizing about how happy you would be if you attained those things? If you finally did attain one of those things, you may have found that the “happiness boost” didn’t last that long or wasn’t as intense as you’d imagined. Most of us have gone through this cycle. The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is a theory positing that people repeatedly return to their baseline level of happiness, regardless of what happens to them.

I think that happiness is best defined as the feeling of making progress towards your goals, not achieving them but making progress towards them. This means having some well thought out goals, e.g. building health and fitness, building better social relationships, setting specific challenges and living by a set of values (integrity, authenticity, respect and compassion for others and yourself, excellence and commitment, courage, personal responsibility, optimism and gratitude).

https://positivepsychology.com/hedonic-treadmill/

https://www.healthline.com/health/hedonic-treadmill

https://g.co/kgs/1pwyrD

Optimise for your future self not your current self

Recently I've heard/read about a mental framework called "Regret minimisation". With regret minimisation you ask yourself, "would my future self in x minutes/days/weeks/months/years regret doing this or regret not doing this?", and based on this you do what would be preferrable for your future self.

An short term example might be if you are considering eating a sugary snack, you ask yourself, "Would my future self in 15 minutes regret this?". If the answer is yes, then you do not eat it, if the answer is no, then you do eat it. Or if you are sitting on the sofa, and consider should you continue to scroll through various apps on your phone or should you get up and practise xyz. You ask yourself "Which option would my future self in 1 week prefer?" and go with that.

Typically, our current self is more likely to pick an option that is more comfortable in the moment, implicitly delaying anything that is immediately uncomfortable to our future self. However, the option that would optimise happiness and comfort for your future self is typically the one that is more uncomfortable in the moment, and thus less appealing to your current self. Thus it is better to think through what your future self wants in any scenario and go with that.

I prefer to think of this as optimising for your self rather than minimising the regret of your future self.

Also see Your Future Self Needs Your Help Today - Dr Maya Shankar A Slight Change of Plans with Hal Hershfield

Understanding cardiovascular disease risk, cholesterol, and apoB - Dr Peter Attia

Understanding cardiovascular disease risk, cholesterol, and apoB - Peter Attia:

Cardiovascular disease in women: prevention, risk factors, lipids, and more with Erin Michos:

Measuring cardiovascular disease risk and the importance of apoB - Peter Attia

1. Understanding Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD)

• Definition: ASCVD is a disease state characterised by the deposition or build-up of cholesterol (or more rigorously, sterols including cholesterol and phytosterol) in the artery wall.
• Ubiquity and Inevitability: Atherosclerosis is considered the only inevitable disease of the human species if people live long enough, unlike cancer or dementia, which are prevalent but not inevitable. Most people die with atherosclerosis, even if not from it.
• Leading Cause of Death: ASCVD is the leading cause of death globally, in the United States, and specifically for both men and women.
• Timeline of Disease: The disease process begins very early, even in childhood, with fatty streaks observed in aortas of young children (4-8 years old) and subclinical atherosclerosis in military personnel in their 20s. Plaque development can even start in fetuses of mothers with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). It takes decades for this cholesterol deposition to lead to noticeable plaque or symptoms.
• Clinical Presentation: The most common presentation for a first heart attack is sudden death, historically over 50%, now slightly below 50% but still staggering (around 40%). Over 50% of men and one-third of women will experience their first major adverse cardiac event (heart attack, stroke, or sudden death) before the age of 65.
• Mechanism of Harm: Cholesterol deposition initially forms fatty streaks, which consolidate into plaques. These plaques can reduce blood flow (ischemia) leading to tissue damage, such as a heart attack. More catastrophically, inflamed plaques can rupture or erode, triggering the body's clotting system, which leads to sudden occlusion of the artery and potentially fatal events. The small size of coronary and cerebral arteries makes them particularly vulnerable to obstruction.

Do We Know What Turns Women On - Modern Wisdom with Catherine Salmon

Both interesting and at times funny.

Pornography and the "Cum Shot" Phenomenon

• There's a long-standing claim that pornography, particularly external ejaculation on the face, is degrading to women. However, it's ubiquitous in porn, prompting questions about why it's considered negative while internal ejaculation is "sacred".
• A study by Catherine Salmon and colleagues showed participants images of male and female faces with cum shots, varying the recipient's emotional reaction (happy, neutral, unhappy).
• Key Findings:
  • Enjoyment is Key: The biggest factor influencing whether an image was perceived as positive or degrading was whether the person in the image appeared to be enjoying the experience.
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight men disliked images of other men with cum shots, while homosexual men found these to be their favourite. Bisexual women showed a slightly higher preference for the images than heterosexual or lesbian women, which might indicate a general openness to sexual experience.
  • Disgust Sensitivity: Individuals high on pathogen avoidance (i.e., easily disgusted) were less keen on images featuring bodily fluids, especially near the face.
  • Sociosexuality: People with more permissive sexual attitudes and an interest in short-term mating generally enjoyed the images more.

Ketogenic diets effect on depression, anxiety and other mental disorders - The Tim Ferris Show, Dr Andrew Huberman

A very interesting podcast from Tim Ferris with Dr Christopher M. Palmer, on how a ketogenic diet could help positively with depression, anxiety and other mental disorders.

Also a similar conversation with Dr Andrew Huberman.

As a disclaimer, I am not a strong advocate of ketogenic diets but strongly believe in eating less processed foods which does generally mean less processed carbs and less carbs in general, as there is only so much fruit, vegetables and salad one can eat 😊.

The podcast connects mental disorders with mitochondrial function. Here is a good summary of how to improve mitochondrial function, no big surprises here:

1. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
2. Eat fewer calories.
3. Eat 2-3 meals, within an 8-10 hour window, stopping 3 hours before bedtime.
4. Reduce refined carbs such as bread, pasta, pastries, alcoholic drinks and sugary drinks including juices. Replace these with fresh vegetables, fruit and salad.
5. Eat quality protein like grass-fed beef and pasture-raised eggs.
6. Eat sources of omega-3s and alpha-lipoic acid. Eat antioxidant-rich foods with resveratrol like dark chocolate.
7. Prioritize getting 8 hours of sleep every night.
8. Reduce stress with relaxation techniques like meditation or massage.
9. Try heat therapy like sauna.

Use of hands and dopamine sparking words in meetings and presentations

I really liked the second and third points in this podcast on the effect of using hands and dopamine sparking words in meetings and presentations:

The Psychology Behind Becoming Charismatic And Building Trust With Anyone - Vanessa Van Edwards

Charisma is a Combination of Warmth and Competence

The foundation of charisma lies in the balance of two key traits: warmth and competence. People who are highly charismatic signal both high warmth (trustworthiness, friendliness) and high competence (reliability, capability). Relying too heavily on one without the other can be counterproductive. Too much competence without warmth can make you seem suspicious, while too much warmth without competence can lead to being perceived as friendly but not taken seriously.

Signaling Trust and Reliability

In every interaction, people are subconsciously asking two questions: "Can I trust you?" and "Can I rely on you?". To build charisma and trust, it is crucial to send cues that affirmatively answer these questions as quickly as possible. This goes beyond words and extends to your actions and body language, which must be congruent with your verbal messages.

Rocky Balboa's quote on resilience and responding positively to failure

One of my favourite quotes from Rocky Balboa deals with resilience and responding positively to failure:

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. 
But it ain't about how hard ya hit.
It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.
How much you can take and keep moving forward.
That's how winning is done!

Growth versus Fixed Mindset

In a fixed mindset people believe that their intelligence is fixed and static. Those who adopt a fixed mindset are more likely to:

• Want to PROVE intelligence or talent.
• Put in less effort to learn. Believe putting in effort is worthless.
• Stay in their comfort zone and avoid challenges to avoid failure.
• Quit easily at first failure, believing it is validation they will never master the talent.
• View feedback as personal criticism and ignore it. Hide flaws so as not to be judged by others.
• Feel threatened by the success of others.

In a growth mindset people believe that intelligence and talents can be improved through effort and learning. Those who adopt a growth mindset are more likely to:

• Want to IMPROVE intelligence or talent through life long learning.
• Put in more effort to learn. Believe putting in effort is worthwhile.
• Get out of their comfort zone and embrace challenges.
• Believe failures are just temporary setbacks and repetitions/opportunities to learn from.
• View feedback as an opportunity to learn.
• View others’ success as a source of inspiration.

Adopt of growth mindset!

Physical mindfulness and flow states

A lot of advice on mindfulness focuses on activities that are not normally part of the average day, such as breathing exercises or focussing on a body part or specific aspect of your environment. I find it very difficult to dedicate time to this style of activity. However, I have found that I really enjoy physical activities such as golf and archery, that I believe bring the same benefits of mindfulness but with the enjoyment of the sport in question. In order to learn and master these crafts, you need to practise regularly, entering a flow state each time. Because I enjoy these activities, I am happy to practise 3-4 times per week, thus regularly entering a flow state.

Headspace defines flow state as "A sense of fluidity between your body and mind, where you are totally absorbed by and deeply focused on something, beyond the point of distraction. Time feels like it has slowed down. Your senses are heightened. You are at one with the task at hand, as action and awareness sync to create an effortless momentum. Some people describe this feeling as being in the zone. This is the flow state and it’s accessible to everyone, whether you’re engaged in a physical activity, a creative pursuit, or even a simple day-to-day task." 

I like to refer to the use of fun physical activities, that allow you to easily enter a flow state, as "physical mindfulness".

Happiness, Confidence, Confrontation and Rumination - Knowledge For Men

How to be happy and create the life you want

How to increase confidence and become a high value man

How to deal with confrontation, avoid anxiety, and be a stronger man:

How to stop ruminating, quit obsessing over mistakes and move on with your life:

How to be Happy And Create The Life You Want

Learning Points:

• Happiness is an Inside Job: External achievements, possessions, or validation from others are fleeting sources of happiness. True, sustainable happiness comes from internal work, mindset, and alignment with your values.
• Responsibility is Power: Blaming external circumstances or other people for your unhappiness disempowers you. Taking 100% responsibility for your life, your reactions, and your results is the first step toward creating change.
• Lack of Vision is a Primary Cause of Unhappiness: Many people feel lost or unfulfilled because they have no clear vision for what they want their life to look like. Without a target, you cannot move towards it purposefully.
• Happiness is a Byproduct, Not a Goal: Happiness is not something to be pursued directly. It is the natural outcome of living a life of purpose, overcoming challenges, having strong relationships, and being in good health.

Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist - Dr Jordan Peterson with Frans de Waal

An interesting podcast discussing how gender/sex differences affect humans with reference to what has been learned from primates and other animal species.

1. Dr. Frans de Waal's Work and Influence

• Dr. de Waal is a highly accomplished scientist, having published hundreds of articles in prestigious journals like Science and Nature, a feat described as rare and placing him "in the league of his own".
• His popular books, translated into over 20 languages, have made him one of the world's most visible primatologists.
• His work has been profoundly influential, particularly on the biological basis of morality, the development of moral sentiments in chimpanzees, and the sophisticated nature of hierarchical behaviour in primates. He also focuses on play and gender.
• De Waal was trained as an ethologist, studying naturalistic animal behaviour, initially focusing on observation and later incorporating behavioural experiments to study reconciliation, empathy, and cooperation.

2. Hierarchies and Social Organisation

• De Waal challenges the simplistic view that dominance hierarchies are based purely on coercion and power. He argues that a dominant individual needs followers, and dominance is a "two-way street".
• Stable alpha males in chimpanzee society are often not bullies, but rather peacekeepers who break up fights, defend the underdog (e.g., juveniles against adults, females against males), reassure distressed individuals, and can be extremely popular.

Is it Time for a Tactical Break from Alcohol? - Dr Rangan Chatterjee

The "Middle Lane Drinker"

Many of us fall into the category of a "middle lane drinker." This term, coined by podcast guest Andy Ramage, describes individuals who are not alcoholics but regularly consume alcohol to unwind, at social events, or more heavily on weekends. This regular consumption can become a habit that we don't question, even if it's not serving us well.

The Power of a Tactical Break

The core message of the podcast is to consider a "tactical break" from alcohol. This isn't necessarily about quitting forever, but about taking a deliberate pause—whether it's for 28, 90, or 365 days—to experience the benefits. Andy Ramage, who initially planned a 30-day break and is now six years alcohol-free, emphasizes that this break can lead to profound changes in your life.

It's never to early to start

Many modern lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, diabetes or dementia, do not suddenly occur in old age. They are formed in your 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. It is only that the symptoms become significant in old age.

To help prevent them, you need to focus on good sleep, healthy eating (eating less processed food, eating more diverse food, drinking less alcohol...), regular exercise and participating in good social relationships throughout your adult life. What you do in your earlier life sows the seeds for your later life, so don't wait for tomorrow to make changes.

I am who I think you think I am

I heard a great quote today:

"I am not who I think I am. I am not who you think I am. I am who I think you think I am." - Charles Cooley

Charles Cooley referred to the "Looking-Glass Self": we come to know ourselves by seeing our reflection in other people’s eyes.

It is hard enough to understand our own perceptions without subjective error. Other people form their perceptions of you through fragments of interactions with you, seen through their own understanding; this introduces subjective error. Our perception of other people's perception (of us) adds another layer of subjective error.

Given that our perception of someone else's perception may drive who you think you are, think hard about who you want to be, who you feel you are, and how you are influenced by yourself and others. Your identity, or more specifically, your perception of your identity, is a critical asset, so make sure you don't sleepwalk into who you think you are. Direct your thinking to what achieves the best outcome.

The Liver King - The Diary of a CEO

Quite enjoyed listening to this podcast with The Liver King. Don't agree with everything said but lots of good points raised:

Finding Balance In A Dopamine Overloaded World - Dr Rangan Chatterjee with Dr Anna Lembke

Learning Points

1. Dopamine's Core Function and Misconceptions

   • Dopamine is a brain chemical essential for informing us about environmental and body state changes.
   • It signals things we should approach, work for, or pay attention to.
   • It is fundamental to addiction, released by highly pleasurable and reinforcing activities.
   • Misconception: Dopamine is not only released in response to pleasure; it can also be released by aversive stimuli that require attention. It is crucial for motivation, reward, and movement, and its depletion is linked to Parkinsonism.

How Humans Select And Keep Romantic Partners In The Short And Long Term - Dr Andrew Huberman with Dr David Buss

and also The Hidden Psychology of Sexual Conflict - Modern Wisdom with David Buss:

Learning Points

1. Evolutionary Psychology Framework
   • Dr. David Buss is a foundational figure in evolutionary psychology, which examines human psychology through the lens of evolutionary theory, focusing on the function of psychological mechanisms. It's essentially "psychology look[ed at] through the lens of evolutionary theory".
   • Sexual selection is a core concept, dealing with the evolution of characteristics due to their mating advantage, distinct from survival advantage. It involves two processes: intrasexual competition (same-sex rivalry for mates, often for status or resources) and preferential mate choice (one sex developing a consensus on desired qualities in the other).
   • Humans exhibit mutual mate choice, meaning both men and women have preferences and compete for desirable partners.
   • Long-term pair bonding is remarkably rare in the mammalian world (3-5% of species), making human long-term mating a unique evolutionary development involving attachment and significant male investment in offspring.

The Benefits of Sauna - Dr Rhonda Patrick

Learning Points

1. Broad Spectrum of Benefits
   • Sauna use is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, sudden cardiac death, coronary heart disease, stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
   • There is also a 40% lower risk of dying from all causes of death for frequent users.
   • Sauna use contributes to improving "health span," which means extending the youthful part of life and improving the quality of life by preventing or delaying diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
2. Dose-Dependent Effects
   • The health benefits of sauna bathing are dose-dependent, meaning more frequent use leads to more robust effects.
   • For example, using the sauna 4 to 7 times a week significantly reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death (63% lower) compared to once a week (22% lower for 2-3 times/week).
   • Similarly, 4-7 times a week is associated with a 60-66% reduction in dementia and Alzheimer's risk compared to once a week.

Huberman Lab podcasts related to sleep - Dr Andrew Huberman

Sleep is absolutely critical to our health, far more than many realise. Here are a great set of podcasts to help understand sleep in more detail and figure out how to improve sleep:

Dr Matthew Walker on "The Science and Practise of Perfecting Your Sleep"

Dr Andrew Huberman on "Sleep Toolkit: Tools For Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing"

Learning Points

1. Definition and Importance of Sleep
   • Sleep is likely the single most effective thing you can do to reset your brain and body health.
   • It's an incredibly complex physiological process, fundamentally divided into two main types: non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

How to Build a Happy Life - How To Identify What You Enjoy Podcast

How To: Identify What You Enjoy: Learning Points

1. Defining Happiness Beyond a Feeling:
   • Happiness is not merely a feeling but is described as a "banquet" with three essential "macronutrients": enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose.
   • Truly happy people have these three elements in abundance and balance.
   • Happiness is a byproduct of living a meaningful life, not a goal in itself, which can lead to disaster if pursued directly.
 

What Alcohol Does To Your Body, Brain & Health Podcast - Dr Andrew Huberman

Sometimes ignorance is better than the devil you know. I wish I hadn't listened to Dr Andrew Huberman's talk on the impact of alcohol, even for average alcohol consumption. Unfortunately I can't undo it now, for anyone else interested...

Learning Points

1. Alcohol's Toxic Nature and Widespread Effects:

   • Alcohol (ethyl alcohol/ethanol) is a known toxin that is both water- and fat-soluble, allowing it to easily pass into all cells and tissues of the body, including the brain.
   • It is metabolised in the liver into acetaldehyde, a more potent poison that indiscriminately damages and kills cells.
   • The calories from alcohol are "empty" as the metabolic process is costly and provides no nutritive value (vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids).
   • Being drunk is essentially a poison-induced disruption of neural circuits.

Why You SHOULD Take Personal Responsibility Podcast - The Diary of a CEO with Matthew Hussey

A nice clip from The Diary of a CEO on personal responsibility, fault vs responsibility and transition:

Distinguishing Responsibility from Fault

The core of this point lies in understanding that personal responsibility is not the same as fault. Matthew explains that while there are many things in life that are genuinely not our fault—such as trauma, injustice, or difficult circumstances—we can still take responsibility for how these situations affect us and how we choose to respond.

Steven Bartlett highlights this by referencing Lewis Howes, who exemplifies extreme ownership by stating, "and that's on me", even when discussing situations that appear to be someone else's fault. This isn't about blaming oneself for events outside of one's control, but rather about taking charge of one's internal state and actions in response to those events.

Dr Andrew Huberman's Huberman Lab Podcasts

A great set of podcasts on health, fitness and neuroscience:

Huberman Lab on Spotify

Huberman Lab Website

01

03

06

The Man in the Arena

A great extract from Theodore Roosevelt's "Citizenship in a Republic" speech, labelled "The Man in the Arena" that focuses on action and being resilient to failure rather than just a commentator. Someone who is heavily involved in a situation that requires courage, skill, or tenacity, as opposed to someone sitting on the side-lines and watching, is often referred to as "the man in the arena":

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,