Smart Drug Smarts: Brain Optimization | Nootropics | Neuroscience

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 his ingenious studies putting a value on human intuition.

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 toolkit.

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 "reality filter" with methods like induced synesthesia.

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.

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 lifespan, healthspan, and for dodging disease.

"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 deal.* And it affects nearly 1% of the adult population.

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.

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 biohacker and world-class athlete as well as a research scientist -- explains.

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.

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 what it's doing to our brains?

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.

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.

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.

Sometimes the brain can seem like it has a "self-destruct" button. Migraine headaches and epilepsy are two such examples.

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 read/write interface.