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:

Website

Every guest on Mind & Matter

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

1. —
   Selina Wang

   About 80% of Store-Bought Avocado Oils Tested Were Oxidized or Impure | Selina Wang | 116 · Jun 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Ashley Armstrong

   Even Pasture-Raised Eggs Mostly Reflect Corn and Soy Feed | Ashley Armstrong | 275 · Jan 2026

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   Bernardo Kastrup

   Is Everything Made of Consciousness? | Bernardo Kastrup | 60 · Mar 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
4. —
   Terrence Deacon

   Domesticated Finches Sang More Variable Songs Than Wild Ones | Terrence Deacon | 141 · 3 episodes

   0 votes

   Never again
5. —
   Dave Nichols

   He Synthesized Much of the LSD Used in Modern Research Studies | David Nichols | 33 · Aug 2021

   0 votes

   Never again
6. —
   David E. Olson

   Depression Shrivels Neurons, and Psychedelics Regrow Them | David Olson | 46 · Nov 2021

   0 votes

   Never again
7. —
   Harriet de Wit

   In Her LSD Microdosing Trial, the Placebo Group Improved Just as Much | Harriet de Wit | 96 · Nov 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
8. —
   Ev Fedorenko

   Your Brain Does Its Thinking Outside the Language Network | Ev Fedorenko | 182 · Oct 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
9. —
   Robert Barton

   Neocortex and Cerebellum Evolved in Lockstep in Primates | Robert Barton | 171 · Aug 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
10. —
    Aaron Gruber

    The Brain Runs Reward and Punishment on Two Separate Systems | Aaron Gruber | 31 · Aug 2021

    0 votes

    Never again
11. —
    Adriene Beltz

    The Estradiol in Birth Control Pills May Help Verbal Memory | Adriene Beltz | 124 · Aug 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
12. —
    Alan Davis

    Therapy and SSRIs Work About Equally, Each Helping 30 to 50% of People | Alan Davis | 120 · Jul 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
13. —
    Alex Kwan

    One Dose of Psilocybin Rewires Mouse Brain Connections for Weeks | Alex Kwan | 226 · 2 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
14. —
    Alex Proekt

    Ambien Has Woken Some Patients From Long Minimally Conscious States | Alex Proekt | 101 · Dec 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
15. —
    Alex Washburne

    SARS-CoV-2's Cut-Site Map Looks the Most Engineered of 1,491, He Says | Alex Washburne | 97 · Nov 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
16. —
    Alexandra Elbakyan

    She Says There Is No Sci-Hub Team. She Has Always Run It Alone | Alexandra Elbakyan | 57 · Feb 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
17. —
    Alexandros Marinos

    Past Dunbar's ~150 People, Organizations Turn Political, He Argues | Alexandros Marinos | 51 · Dec 2021

    0 votes

    Never again
18. —
    Amir Englund

    In His Study, CBD Blunted the Memory Hit From THC | Amir Englund | 93 · Oct 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
19. —
    Amita Sehgal

    Being Awake Damages Brain Fats, and Sleep Clears Them Out | Amita Sehgal | 286 · Mar 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
20. —
    Amy Reichelt

    Rats on Junk Food Did Worse on Memory Tests Within Days | Amy Reichelt | 55 · Jan 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
21. —
    Andrew Chadeayne

    Lemon Juice Doesn't Activate Magic Mushrooms. The Real Chemistry | Andrew Chadeayne | 231 · 2 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
22. —
    Andrew Cutler

    Did Snake Venom Rituals Spark Self-Awareness in Women First? | Andrew Cutler | 197 · Dec 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
23. —
    Andrew Dillin

    Dialing Down Mitochondria in Neurons Made Worms Live Longer | Andrew Dillin | 155 · Apr 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
24. —
    Andrew Pieper

    Reversing Alzheimer's Memory Loss in Mice Without Clearing Plaques | Andrew Pieper | 290 · Apr 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
25. —
    Andrzej Slominski

    Your Skin Makes Its Own Melatonin to Protect Itself | Andrzej Slominski | 189 · Nov 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
26. —
    Angel Nadal

    BPA Doesn't Just Spike Insulin. It Retrains the Pancreas | Angel Nadal | 184 · Oct 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
27. —
    Artemis Simopoulos

    Modern Diets Can Carry 20 Times More Omega-6 Than Omega-3 | Artemis Simopoulos | 134 · Jan 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
28. —
    Austin Argentieri

    Your Blood Proteins Can Reveal Your Biological Age | Austin Argentieri | 175 · Sep 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
29. —
    Ben Potter

    Clovis People Got 35-40% of Their Protein From Mammoths | Ben Potter & Jim Chatters | 199 · Dec 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
30. —
    Berra Yazar-Klosinski

    After MDMA Therapy, 67% No Longer Qualified as Having PTSD | Berra Yazar-Klosinski | 26 · Jun 2021

    0 votes

    Never again
31. —
    Bill Bement

    Your Cells Patch Their Own Wounds With Self-Assembling Rings | Bill Bement | 236 · Jun 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
32. —
    Blanche Capel

    High Incubation Heat Turns Genetically Male Bearded Dragons Female | Blanche Capel | 68 · Apr 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
33. —
    Bob Stickgold

    Wake Someone During REM and About 80% Will Report a Dream | Bob Stickgold | 16 · Apr 2021

    0 votes

    Never again
34. —
    Brian Kerley

    Seed Oils Add an Evolutionarily New Load of Omega-6 Fat | Brian Kerley | 233 · Jun 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
35. —
    Brian Mathur

    A Thin, Hidden Brain Structure Kicks In When Tasks Get Hard | Brian Mathur | 278 · Feb 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
36. —
    Bruce Blumberg

    Low Doses of Tributyltin Made Mice Fat, and Their Descendants Too | Bruce Blumberg | 145 · Mar 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
37. —
    Bryan Roth

    A Receptor 'Lid' Traps LSD for Hours, Helping Explain Its Long Trips | Bryan Roth | 119 · 2 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
38. —
    Carolina Tropini

    A Quarter of Breast Milk's Dry Weight Is Sugar Babies Can't Digest | Carolina Tropini | 133 · Dec 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
39. —
    Charles Cornish-Dale

    Male Testosterone Fell About 20% in 17 Years. What It Means | Charles Cornish-Dale | 238 · Jul 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
40. —
    Charles Nichols

    A Psychedelic Was 100x Stronger Than a Steroid Against Inflammation | Charles Nichols | 2 · Dec 2020

    0 votes

    Never again