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. —
   Lutz Schomburg

   Low Selenium Doubles Your Heart Attack Risk | Lutz Schomburg | 308 · Oct 2026

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   Never again
2. —
   Maayan Levy

   A 90%-Fat Ketogenic Diet Protected Mice From Colon Tumors | Maayan Levy | 72 · May 2022

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   Never again
3. —
   Marcelo Dietrich

   Hunger and Fullness Come From Two Opposing Sets of Brain Cells | Marcelo Dietrich | 180 · Oct 2024

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4. —
   Margaret McCarthy

   Rats Deprived of Play Grew Up Hyper-Aggressive, but Only the Males | Margaret McCarthy | 81 · Jul 2022

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5. —
   Mario Capecchi

   The Brain's Immune Cells Help Control Anxiety and Compulsive Grooming | Mario Capecchi | 125 · Aug 2023

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6. —
   Marius Pachitariu

   Mice Learn Just by Exploring, and It Speeds Up Later Training | Marius Pachitariu | 235 · Jun 2025

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7. —
   Mark Bear

   Briefly Silencing the Retinas Restored Vision in Amblyopic Animals | Mark Bear | 150 · Apr 2024

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8. —
   Marsha Rosner

   Epilepsy Patients Taking CBD Tested COVID-Positive About Half as Often | Marsha Rosner | 59 · Feb 2022

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9. —
   Matthew Budoff

   High LDL on Keto Didn't Speed Plaque Growth in Lean, Healthy People | Matthew Budoff | 223 · Apr 2025

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10. —
    Maxime Aubert

    The Oldest Dated Cave Art Is at Least 51,200 Years Old | Maxime Aubert | 179 · Oct 2024

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11. —
    Melissa Herman

    Psilocybin Amplified Amygdala Reactions in Female Rats, Not Males | Melissa Herman | 170 · Aug 2024

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12. —
    Melissa Sharpe

    Dopamine Signals Learning, Not Just Pleasure | Melissa Sharpe | 164 · Jun 2024

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13. —
    Michael Beug

    Chemical Analysis of Magic Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest | Michael Beug | Bonus Episode · Mar 2021

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14. —
    Michael Crair

    Before the Eyes Open, the Brain Rehearses Vision With Spontaneous Waves | Michael Crair | 37 · Sep 2021

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15. —
    Michael Eisen

    Top Journals Reject About 98% of the Papers Submitted | Michael Eisen | 17 · Apr 2021

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16. —
    Michael Fox

    Some Smokers Lost All Craving for Cigarettes After a Stroke | Michael Fox | 77 · Jun 2022

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17. —
    Michael Wheeler

    Psychedelics May Calm Stress-Driven Inflammation Around the Brain | Michael Wheeler | 230 · May 2025

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18. —
    Michael Winkelman

    Chimpanzees Reunite Each Night With a Drumming and Chorusing Ritual | Michael Winkelman | 86 · Aug 2022

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19. —
    Mickey Pardo

    Elephants May Call Each Other by Name | Mickey Pardo | 217 · Mar 2025

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20. —
    Mikael Palner

    Psilocybin Microdoses Every Other Day Changed Rat Brains and Behavior | Mikael Palner | 127 · Oct 2023

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21. —
    Monique Smith

    Pain Spreads Between Mice After an Hour Together. So Does Relief | Monique Smith | 159 · May 2024

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22. —
    Moses Chao

    Constipation and Poor Sleep Often Come Before Parkinson's Tremor | Moses Chao | 128 · Oct 2023

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23. —
    Nephi Stella

    Why THC Users Eat More but Don't Gain Weight | Nephi Stella | 305 · Aug 2026

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24. —
    Nick Mosley

    Inflated THC Labels Are a Bigger Problem Than Pesticides on the Shelf | Nick Mosley | 109 · Mar 2023

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25. —
    Nicolas Glynos

    DMT Rose About Sixfold in Rat Brains After Cardiac Arrest | Nicolas Glynos | 142 · Feb 2024

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26. —
    Nicole Avena

    Sugar Can Drive Withdrawal. That Doesn't Mean Everyone Gets Hooked | Nicole Avena | 185 · Oct 2024

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27. —
    Nikos Koundouros

    Linoleic Acid Fuels an Aggressive Breast Cancer | Nikos Koundouros & John Blenis | 229 · May 2025

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28. —
    Nir Lipsman

    Focused Ultrasound Briefly Opens the Blood-Brain Barrier, No Surgery | Nir Lipsman | 181 · Oct 2024

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29. —
    Nirosha Murugan

    Your Cells Give Off Faint Light, and Cancer Cells Glow Differently | Nirosha Murugan | 227 · May 2025

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30. —
    Orrin Devinsky

    Ancel Keys Was Brilliant, but Made Enormous Mistakes, He Argues | Orrin Devinsky | 135 · Jan 2024

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31. —
    Pamela Maher

    Too Much Iron and the Aging Brain | Dr. Pamela Maher | 299 · 2 episodes

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32. —
    Paul Barrett

    Dinosaurs Grew Far Faster Than Any Other Reptile We Know Of | Paul Barrett | 54 · Jan 2022

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33. —
    Paul Cisek

    Your Brain Doesn't Perceive, Then Think, Then Act. It Runs Control Loops | Paul Cisek | 107 · Feb 2023

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34. —
    Pekka Karhunen

    Mouth Bacteria Hide Inside the Plaques That Cause Heart Attacks | Pekka Karhunen | 256 · Oct 2025

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35. —
    Peter Addy

    Salvia's Molecule Is the Most Potent Natural Psychedelic Known | Peter Addy | 7 · Jan 2021

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36. —
    Peter Turnbaugh

    Changing Your Diet Reshapes Your Gut Microbes Within One Day | Peter Turnbaugh | 214 · Mar 2025

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37. —
    Pinchas Cohen

    The Gene Variant Linked to Living to 100 | Pinchas Cohen | 304 · Aug 2026

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38. —
    Rahi Sarbaziha

    What we're getting WRONG about copper peptides | Rahi Sarbaziha | 301 · Jul 2026

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39. —
    Rahul Roychoudhuri

    Low-Dose Aspirin May Help Stop Cancer From Spreading | Rahul Roychoudhuri | 216 · Mar 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
40. —
    Ramon Velazquez

    Glyphosate Can Reach the Brain, and Choline May Protect It | Ramon Velazquez | 208 · Feb 2025

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    Never again