Mind & Matter

Weekly science podcast by neuroscientist Nick Jikomes, PhD. Long-form interviews with researchers on the brain, nutrition, metabolism, drugs and aging. Not medical advice. At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it. As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet. I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint. My beliefs:

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Every guest on Mind & Matter

280 guests, ranked by how many people never want them back.

1. —
   Michael Levin

   Cells and Tissues Can Learn and Remember Without a Brain | Michael Levin | 250 · Sep 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Lee Cronin

   A Molecule's Complexity Alone Can Reveal Whether Life Made It | Lee Cronin | 28 · Jun 2021

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   Never again
3. —
   Joseph Henrich

   Medieval Church Marriage Rules Helped Create Western Individualism | Joseph Henrich | 206 · Jan 2025

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   Never again
4. —
   Donald Hoffman

   Evolution Tuned Our Senses for Fitness, Not for Seeing the Truth | Donald Hoffman | 65 · Apr 2022

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5. —
   Karl Deisseroth

   One Brain Rhythm Can Detach Your Sense of Self From Your Body | Karl Deisseroth | 35 · Sep 2021

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6. —
   Jay Bhattacharya

   Twitter Quietly Limited His Reach Over His COVID Policy Views | Jay Bhattacharya | 100 · Dec 2022

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7. —
   Brian Muraresku

   An Ancient Greek Shrine in Spain Tested Positive for Ergotized Beer | Brian Muraresku | 1 · Dec 2020

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8. —
   Bret Weinstein
   0 votes

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9. —
   Rob Henderson

   At Yale, More Students Come From the Top 1% Than the Bottom 60% | Rob Henderson | 34 · Aug 2021

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10. —
    Matt Ridley

    No Infected Animal Was Found in Wuhan's Market, Unlike With SARS in 2003 | Matt Ridley | 80 · Jul 2022

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11. —
    Robert Greene

    People Are Easy to Fool Because They Want to Be, He Argues | Robert Greene | 66 · Apr 2022

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12. —
    Rudyard Lynch

    Diet and Crowding Shape the Rise and Fall of Civilizations | Rudyard Lynch | 193 · Jul 2024

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13. —
    Erik Hoel

    Dreams May Exist to Keep Your Brain From Overfitting Reality | Erik Hoel | 43 · Nov 2021

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14. —
    Anil Seth

    A Brain 'Complexity' Score Reveals Awareness in Unresponsive Patients | Anil Seth | 44 · Nov 2021

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15. —
    David Puts

    Deep Voices Likely Evolved More to Intimidate Men Than to Attract Women | David Puts | 129 · Oct 2023

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16. —
    Carl Zimmer

    Scientists Still Can't Agree on a Definition of Life, He Says | Carl Zimmer | 21 · May 2021

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17. —
    Hamilton Morris

    Ibogaine Is Real Psychotherapy: The Most Logical Night of His Life | Hamilton Morris | 6 · Feb 2021

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18. —
    Herman Pontzer

    Hunter-Gatherers Burn About the Same Calories as Office Workers | Herman Pontzer | 243 · Aug 2025

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19. —
    Nathan Price

    Dementia May Begin When Neurons Run Short of Oxygen, His Model Says | Nathan Price | 112 · 2 episodes

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20. —
    Razib Khan

    People Outside Africa Carry Roughly 1.5 to 2.5% Neanderthal DNA | Razib Khan | 91 · Oct 2022

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21. —
    Yasmin Hurd

    CBD Lowered Craving and Anxiety in People With Heroin Addiction | Yasmin Hurd | 19 · Apr 2021

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22. —
    Alina Chan

    In 2012, Six Miners Fell Sick in a Bat Cave and Three of Them Died | Alina Chan | 45 · 2 episodes

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23. —
    Gary Taubes

    Obesity May Be Driven by Insulin, Not Just Excess Calories | Gary Taubes | 176 · Sep 2024

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24. —
    Geoffrey West

    Double an Animal's Size and Each Cell Needs Only 75% as Much Energy | Geoffrey West | 12 · Mar 2021

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25. —
    Robin Carhart-Harris

    Psilocybin vs. SSRIs for Depression, Emotional Blunting & How Psychedelics Work | Robin Carhart-Harris | 310 · 2 episodes

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26. —
    Alex Wiltschko

    A Strawberry's Smell Comes From a Tiny Fraction of Its Molecules | Alex Wiltschko | 201 · 2 episodes

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27. —
    David Anderson

    Castrated Male Mice Regained the Ability to Fight When Given Estrogen | David Anderson | 89 · Sep 2022

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28. —
    Martin Picard

    Your Health Depends on How Easily Energy Flows | Martin Picard & Nirosha Murugan | 260 · 2 episodes

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29. —
    Matthew Hill

    Runner's High Likely Comes From Endocannabinoids, Not Endorphins | Matthew Hill | 123 · 2 episodes

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30. —
    Michael Snyder

    Why the Same Food Spikes One Person's Blood Sugar and Not Another's | Michael Snyder | 274 · 2 episodes

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31. —
    Robert Lustig

    Why Fructose Acts Like Alcohol on Your Mitochondria | Robert Lustig | 272 · 2 episodes

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32. —
    Robert Malenka

    Addiction Rewires the Same Synapses That Learning Uses | Robert Malenka | 162 · Jun 2024

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33. —
    Sergiu Pașca

    Rats Learned to Seek Water When Their Transplanted Human Neurons Fired | Sergiu Pasca | 99 · Dec 2022

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34. —
    Andrew Koutnik

    Keto Athletes Performed as Well as Carb Loaders Once Adapted | Andrew Koutnik | 271 · Jan 2026

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35. —
    Bill Harris

    Most Americans Fall Far Below the Omega-3 Levels Linked to Better Health | Bill Harris | 292 · May 2026

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36. —
    Chris Masterjohn

    How SSRIs and Statins Can Drain Your Cells' Energy | Chris Masterjohn | 255 · Sep 2025

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37. —
    Dennis McKenna

    Psychedelics Heal Through the Trip Itself, Not Just the Molecule | Dennis McKenna | 118 · Jun 2023

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38. —
    Dimitris Xygalatas

    Firewalkers' Heartbeats Synced With Family Watching, Not Tourists | Dimitris Xygalatas | 75 · Jun 2022

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39. —
    Dominic D'Agostino

    Ketones Are More Than Fuel. They Act Like Hormones | Dominic D'Agostino | 267 · 3 episodes

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40. —
    Georgia Ede

    She Treats Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia With Diet | Georgia Ede | 153 · Apr 2024

    0 votes

    Never again