I'm a father of 14 pursuing a high quality of life for my family.
Caught between the demands of life and work, sleep is often one of the first things to get cut. It’s even become a sort of value-signaling to prioritize work over sleep. But what if sleep is the very thing you need to actually accomplish more?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that healthy adults get between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. But according to the CDC, one-third of American adults get fewer than six hours of sleep a night. I have fallen into this trap myself. I have sacrificed a good night’s sleep in the name of productivity. The thing is, staying up late will actually backfire. Insufficient sleep causes fatigue, which impairs your ability to perform. It also has detrimental health effects, including elevated stress hormones, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Without enough sleep you will start the next day with an inability to focus, slow reaction time, and impaired mental performance. This will all combine to make it more difficult to achieve your goals. The solution? Prioritize sleep.
Here are four key benefits to sleeping the recommended number of hours per night:
Sleep enhances your mental clarity. Have you ever found yourself at work and unable to answer a question? Your mind has suddenly gone blank. Without sleep you aren’t able to perform your best. According to the National Sleep Foundation, insufficient sleep has an estimated economic impact of over $411 billion each year in the United States alone.
Sleep improves your ability to learn and grow. Without proper sleep, the neurons in your brain aren’t able to function properly. This prevents your consolidating and recalling information effectively.
Sleep refreshes our emotional state. You have probably heard the phrase “woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” What this phrase highlights is actually how lack of adequate sleep makes you more likely to be angry, sad, or irritable. Sleep lowers the stress chemicals in our brain and improves our overall mood.
Sleep revitalizes our bodies. Research shows that while you sleep, your body is busy at work resetting nearly every tissue in your body. It’s essential for every organ. Prioritizing sleep will boost your immune system, cardiovascular health, and more.
Our bodies are designed to function best with sleep. In the moment, when you’re thinking about staying up late to finish a project, you may think it’s your best option in order to achieve more. But, ultimately, if you want to win at work and succeed in life, it all must begin with a good night’s sleep.
Have you ever found yourself facing an impossible choice? Either win at work—at the expense of your health and relationships—or succeed at life, sacrificing your career goals. For years, I thought there was no other option. I spent almost all of my time at work. Late nights, weekends, all in an effort to achieve more and get ahead in my career. Time with my family was always cut short. My health was pushed down on the priority list. Friendships were put on the backburner. Until it all finally reached a crisis point.
My experiences taught me that there is a third option. I call it the Double Win. And it is possible. I know. I now live it. My team at Michael Hyatt & Company lives it. And you can live it too.
To experience the Double Win, you must see life and work in partnership, not opposition. When you succeed in life, you will be more creative and productive at work. As you achieve your goals at work, you will have more confidence and financial stability to put toward your personal priorities. Success in each area fuels the other.
Here are 3 steps you can take today to experience the Double Win yourself:
Identify what you want. Take the time to reflect on what success looks like for you in each of life’s domains. Clarity will enable you to be intentional and keep you from getting caught up in the cult of overwork. As you work through this step, it is helpful to create a life plan and set annual goals. These tools provide a filter to help you determine if a task or opportunity contributes to your Double Win or distracts you from it.
Communicate what you want. This step can be particularly challenging. It’s difficult to set new boundaries, but it is also necessary. As you communicate with those around you, stay connected to your why—the desires you just identified as you defined your Double Win. This will give you the courage you need to stay the course when others push back.
Arrange your life to get what you want. To experience the Double Win, we teach our clients to eliminate, automate, or delegate tasks that don’t fit in their Desire Zone—where their passion and proficiency meet. Identifying ways to focus your time on where you add the most value frees you up to experience your Double Win.
I spent too many years trapped in the cult of overwork. Driven to succeed in my career, I neglected the other life domains. But that doesn’t have to be your story. You can make a change today. Experience the Double Win for yourself.
You’ve heard over and over that the key to success is to work harder and longer than everyone else—but you do so at the expense of your health and your loved ones. Or, perhaps you’ve determined the cost isn’t worth it. So you seek out a better sense of well-being but pump the brakes on your ambition. Can you really only have either a thriving career or a healthy personal life? Is there a third option?
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“When you go get interviewed, if they tell you you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, you say, ‘Thank you,’ and you just smile. And if they tell you you’re the biggest choke artist of all time, you just thank them and smile.”
— George Mumford
George Mumford (@gtmumford) is a globally recognized speaker, teacher, and coach. Since 1989, he’s been honing his gentle but groundbreaking mindfulness techniques with people from locker rooms to board rooms, Yale to jail.
While at the University of Massachusetts, where he roomed with future Hall of Famer Julius Erving, injuries forced George out of basketball and eventually into an addiction to pain medication and drugs. With the help of meditation and mindfulness, he got clean and made it his mission to teach and work with others.
Michael Jordan credits George with transforming his on-court leadership, helping the Bulls to six NBA championships. George has also worked with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and countless other NBA players, as well as Olympians, executives, and artists.
George believes everyone has a masterpiece within. His book The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance —both a memoir and an instruction guide—can show you how to access it.
George also teaches The Mindful Athlete Course, which can be found at GeorgeMumford.com.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Tonal smart home gym, LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 700M+ users, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.
The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
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Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM21 at checkout.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear my first interview with Jack Kornfield who introduced me to George? Listen to this episode, in which we discuss hang gliding, monk training in Thailand, unpleasant mystical experiences, the difference between compassion and empathy, lovingkindness meditation, and more.
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f6381ff7-2f63-46c0-a888-052337df33f5.mp3Download
Connect with George Mumford:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance by George MumfordThe Mindful Athlete Course | George MumfordA Seeker’s Guide to Samadhi | Yoga InternationalThe Zen Master’s Zen Master: How Phil Jackson’s Mindfulness Guru Is Helping The New York Knicks | ViceThis Mindfulness Teacher Gets Results (Just Ask Kobe) | The Boston GlobeAlcoholics AnonymousWith Mindfulness, Life’s in the Moment | Harvard Gazette5 Timeless Truths from the Serenity Prayer That Offer Wisdom in the Modern Age | HuffPostBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | BIDMC of BostonTai Chi: A Gentle Way to Fight Stress | Mayo ClinicThe Definitive Guide to Yoga for Beginners and Experts | HealthlineInsight Meditation SocietyCambridge Insight Meditation CenterThe Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Values, and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott PeckZen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu SuzukiLove Is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald G. Jampolsky, MDThe BibleThe Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism by Daniel C. MattThe Qur’anI and Thou by Martin BuberThe Way of Man: According to Hasidic Teaching by Martin BuberMan’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. FranklThe Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life by Steve Zaffron and Dave LoganOn Becoming a Leader by Warren G. BennisThe Meaning of Anxiety by Rollo MayThe Last Dance | Prime VideoChicago Bulls | NBALaura Ingraham Told LeBron James to Shut Up and Dribble; He Went to the Hoop | The Two-Way, NPRBeatlemania! In 29 Truly Unbelievable Photographs | ATIJulius Erving: ‘I’ve Always Felt Powerless’ | Sports Illustrated VaultSoren Kierkegaard and The Psychology of Anxiety | Academy of IdeasOn the Origins of VUCA and How it Affects Decision Making | Indigo AnchorMichael Jordan’s Game-Winner vs. Georgetown (1982) | March MadnessBoston College AthleticsTroy Bell: Inside College Basketball | Sports Illustrated VaultGame 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals | WikipediaStart Me Up by The Rolling StonesThe Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the NewsDharma Talk | WikipediaThe Stress Response | Disease Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles
George describes how his mind and body reacted on a spiritual level the first time he witnessed Michael Jordan practicing for the very first time. [06:46]What most impressed George about the intensity Michael Jordan brought to the court even during an everyday practice session? [09:23]George shares what it was like to have “a security clearance on [his] badge and track marks on [his] forearm” as he held down an FBI-scrutinized position while struggling with heroin addiction. [11:52]Where did George’s path to addiction begin, and what led to his sobriety? [15:01]How did mindfulness enter George’s life, and what helped him remain sober in the interim? [20:58]Books that George found particularly useful during this time. [26:45]Books that George has recommended and gifted most often. [29:10]After becoming sober and cultivating greater awareness, how did George connect with the world of elite sports? [31:49]What value did Phil Jackson see in bringing George’s skill set to the Chicago Bulls, and had he tried to impart this value in other ways prior to George’s involvement? [34:20]How has George helped the players in his care manage the distractions of constant public scrutiny? [39:12]How has George approached helping players who have wildly different personalities and preferences? [43:28]Counterintuitive advice from George that Kobe always remembered, and a general formula for remembering that the most direct way to achieve something isn’t always the most efficacious. [46:59]What does George mean when he refers to “the dizziness of freedom?” [48:44]Barrier breakthrough versus the improvement trap, and the moment “Mike” Jordan became “Michael” Jordan. [52:53]George recalls another memorable breakthrough moment. [54:55]Advice George Mumford of 2021 would give to the younger George Mumford who was just beginning to work with high-level athletes. [58:37]How does George use the four As — awareness, acceptance, action, assessment — in the context of making adjustments to form in order to achieve something? [59:53]How George used the four As to teach a class of people who didn’t speak his language, and a friend of his used the four As to rescue a prison class from descending into utter chaos. [1:05:00]What is George most excited about these days? [1:09:17]George’s ask to the audience and parting thoughts. [1:12:56]
Julius ErvingMichael JordanKobe BryantShaquille O’NealJack KornfieldJoan BorysenkoLarry RosenbergJon Kabat-ZinnScott PeckMartin BuberVictor FranklGautama BuddhaAlbert CamusJean-Paul SartreSøren KierkegaardSteve ZaffronDave LoganWarren BennisRollo MayErich FrommSaki SantorelliPhil JacksonJames R. Jordan, Sr.LeBron JamesThe BeatlesDennis RodmanRoland LazenbyStephen CoveyTroy BellTroy MurphyAl SkinnerMick JaggerJimi HendrixMalcolm XBruce LeeBo LozoffHans Selye
Photo credit: Amazon Conservation Team
Welcome to The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to deconstruct world-class performers, to tease out their routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life. This time around, we have a very special edition featuring not one but three short episodes of the Plants of the Gods podcast, hosted by my friend and past podcast guest, Dr. Mark Plotkin. I’ve listened to all his episodes and chose a few favorites to share with you all.
Mark (@DocMarkPlotkin) is an ethnobotanist who serves as president of the Amazon Conservation Team, which has partnered with ~80 tribes to map and improve management and protection of ~100 million acres of ancestral rainforests. He is best known to the general public as the author of the book Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice, one of the most popular books ever written about the rainforest. His most recent book is The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know. You can find my interview with Mark at tim.blog/markplotkin.
I am excited to share with you three episodes from Plants of the Gods—the first covering the adventures of the legendary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes, the second on ayahuasca, and the third on coca and cocaine. These episodes cover a lot of fascinating ground.
If you enjoy them and want more, be sure to check out the Plants of the Gods podcast wherever podcasts can be found. You can learn about everything from hallucinogenic snuffs to the diverse formulations of curare (a plant mixture which relaxes the muscles of the body and leads to asphyxiation), and much, much more.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Tonal smart home gym; LinkedIn Sales Navigator, the best version of LinkedIn for sales professionals; and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.
The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
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This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
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Start your 60-day free trial—that’s a two-month free trial!—of LinkedIn Sales Navigator today by going to LinkedIn.com/Navigator.
This episode is brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.
Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM21 at checkout.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear my earlier conversation with Dr. Mark Plotkin? Lend your ears to our discussion about Richard Evans Schultes as a “trickster” in the shamanic tradition, how a shaman in the northeastern part of the Amazon cured Mark’s foot pain instantly when no one else could, the “holes” in Western medicine’s understanding, hallucinogenic frogs, the risks of ayahuasca and other Amazon-derived hallucinogens, and much more.
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/53ff9b3d-96ca-40bb-b3c8-58d34ccb1936.mp3Download
Connect with Dr. Mark Plotkin:
Website | Plants of the Gods Podcast
Amazon Conservation Team | Twitter | Facebook
Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest by Mark J. PlotkinThe Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know by Mark J. PlotkinWhere Is Punt? | NovaThe Amazonian Travels of Richard Evans Schultes | The Amazon Conservation TeamHarvard Museum of Natural HistoryEast Boston | Global BostonBoston Public Library Celebrates 150th Anniversary of East Boston Branch | Boston Public LibraryNotes of a Botanist on the Amazon and the Andes by Richard Spruce | AmazonWhat Is Ayahuasca? Experience, Benefits, and Side Effects | HealthlineMescal: The Divine Plant and Its Psychological Effects by Heinrich Kluver | Giorgio Samorini NetworkThe Economic Botany of the Kiowa Indians as it Relates to the History of the Tribe by Paul A. Vestal and Richard Evans Schultes | HathiTrust Digital LibraryShamanic Origins of Religion and Medicine by Weston La Barre | Journal of Psychedelic DrugsTeonanacatl: The Narcotic Mushroom of the Aztecs by Richard Evans Schultes | American AnthropologistFly Agaric | US Forest ServiceVisken (Pindolol) | RxListPlants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, and Christian Rätsch | AmazonPhotography of Richard Evans Schultes | Covinda GalleryChiribiquete National Park – “The Maloca of the Jaguar” | UNESCO World Heritage CentreMuseum of Comparative ZoologyThe Biology of Consciousness: From William James to Richard Schultes by Brian D. Farrell | ReVistaThe Dose Makes the Poison Concept | ToxicitySacred Plants of the Putumayo | ESRIRichard Evans Schultes: World War II and the Rubber Industry | Our Amazing WorldThe Sherman Tank SiteBr’er Rabbit and the Briar Patch | Quatr.us Study GuidesPlant Admixtures to Ayahuasca, the South American Hallucinogenic Drink by Homer Virgil Pinkley | LloydiaYoco, The Natural Caffeine High by Dr. Andrew Weil | High Times via 420 TeleportQuinine | RxListColombia’s Cofan Still Fighting for Survival | SFGateColombia Creates Rainforest Reserve to Protect Medicinal Plants | MongabayTop 10 Machu Picchu Secrets | National GeographicThe Yage Letters by William S. Burroughs and Allen GinsbergThe Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name by Brian Muraresku | AmazonThe World’s Largest Psychedelic Research Center | The Tim Ferriss Show #385Altered Minds: Mescaline’s Complicated History | NatureDiplopterys Cabrerana (Chaliponga) | Erowid VaultAyahuasca Molecules Named “Telepathine” by Early Scientists | KahpiWhat Is Yopo? | Zamnesia BlogCoca: The History and Medical Significance of an Ancient Andean Tradition | Emergency Medicine InternationalCoca Leaf: Myths and Reality | Transnational InstitutePicea Rubens (Red Spruce) | Native Plants of North AmericaLarch | Dr. HauschkaSapodilla (Manilkara Zapota) | Rainforest AllianceAbout the Kogi | Tairona Heritage TrustMoche Civilization | World History EncyclopediaRoyal Tombs Museum | PeruErotic Gallery | Museo LarcoThe Coca Wine Fad: A Brief History | The Drinks BusinessFact Check: Cocaine in Coca-Cola? | SnopesGuns, Heroin Syringes, and Sex Hygiene Equipment: Archaeological Dig Reveals Sordid History of Storyville Red Light District of New Orleans | The IndependentThe Yucuna Indians (or Yukuna) | Laurent FontaineThe Tanimuca and Letuama Indians | Laurent FontaineErythroxylum Coca Lamarck | The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive PlantsMambe Series: Staying Still to Be Smart with the Plant | The City Paper BogotáSoroche Suffering: How to Prevent Altitude Sickness in Peru | EphemerraticThe Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd | Amazon MusicReefer Madness (1936) | Inter-Pathé
Who was Richard Evans Schultes, and how did Mark’s path first cross with his? [07:32]Why was Schultes (generally) so well-regarded by colleagues, students, and the indigenous people he worked alongside? [11:57]How did Schultes’ background prepare him to approach his career with the fresh perspective of a respectful outsider, what brought ethnobotany into his sphere of interests, and what experience cemented it as his primary pursuit? [14:28]The spirit to explore and experiment that made Schultes a superior botanist to his less adventurous peers, and the compounds he was able to retrieve for the benefit of all as a result. [19:18]How did an expedition into the Amazon influence William James, the father of American psychology? [24:45]That time Schultes went to Colombia to find medicinal arrow poison and came home with an orchid never before seen by Western eyes. [26:47]How Schultes was recruited to use his skills as a botanist to aid the American effort during WWII instead of being sent to fight on the front lines when he tried to enlist. [28:45]On Schultes’ introduction to yoco and the allure of the Chiribiquete. [30:22]Who was Alexander Hamilton Rice, and what was his contribution to ethnobotany? [32:35]How do the Yacuna people dance the Baile de Muñeco for three days straight? [35:30]On Schultes’ introduction to ayahuasca and differing accounts about how it all went down. [36:21]How Schultes’ legacy lives on. [38:43]Biocultural conservation is not about saving rainforests, saving the indigenous people there, or saving their shamans. They are intricately linked. [42:48]Schultes on ayahuasca. [45:15]Were Christianity and Judaism founded under the influence of mind-altering substances? [46:14]Why previously isolated shamanic substances are increasingly becoming mainstreamed into Western medicine. [47:03]How Mark’s Amazon Conservation Team is working with the indigenous people of the Amazon and local governments to preserve, cultivate, and learn about the compounds to be found there for the benefit of those who live among them. [49:33]On the now global reach and importance of the once-obscure ayahuasca, and how it’s been used in the Amazon since antiquity. [52:04]Western reaction upon first experiencing ayahuasca and other mind-altering compounds hasn’t always been welcoming. [54:40]The reason behind the naming of the Banisteriopsis caapi. [56:01]Admixtures added to ayahuasca to alter the type, intensity, and duration of the experience, and the mystery of how shamans brought some of them together from such disparate ecosystems. [57:17]What might be expected from a first-time experience with ayahuasca. [1:00:47]The difference between an ethnobotanist and an anthropologist. [1:02:04]Mark’s worst ayahuasca experience. [1:03:19]Why ayahuasca and comparable compounds are rightfully called plants of the gods. [1:05:04]Humans have been using coca for at least 8,000 years. [1:06:04]How a famous houseguest’s abandoned stash of chicle led to the invention of a multi-billion dollar industry. [1:06:31]The varieties of coca and their uses. [1:08:44]For the Kogis of Northern Colombia, exchanging coca leaves is the ultimate bonding exercise. [1:10:21]What we know about coca use in antiquity. [1:10:58]Coca was an instant hit when it was “discovered” by Europeans in the 1500s. Here are just a few of its most creative applications. [1:12:38]What Mark considers to be the most interesting use of coca. [1:15:02]How admixtures work with coca-derived substances. [1:16:55]How to know if they’re selling you the real deal next time you’re at a market in the Andes. [1:21:39]What to do if you’re suffering from altitude sickness in the Andes and you hear Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at half speed. [1:22:08]Is non-addictive ipadu unfairly maligned in the same way cannabis was in the age of Reefer Madness? How does Mark envision a future where coca can be sustainably cultivated in a way that benefits the people of the Amazon? [1:23:25]
Richard Evans SchultesBrian HettlerDr. Paul CoxWade DavisRichard SpruceOakes AmesHeinrich KlüverWeston La BarreWilliam SaffordAlbert HofmannLouis AgassizWilliam JamesBrian FarrellParacelsusHomer Virgil PinkleyAlexander Hamilton RiceFrancisco de OrellanaSimón BolívarHiram Bingham IIIEleanor Elkins WidenerSalvador ChindoyWilliam S. BurroughsBrian MurareskuStanislav GrofConstantino TorresJose Chantre y HerreraBronwyn GatesAntonio López de Santa AnnaThomas AdamsTim PlowmanThe Lord of SipánKing TutLady of CaoSigmund FreudThomas EdisonUlysses S. GrantHenrik IbsenJules VerneJohn Pemberton
By popular request, I recorded the short video above to cover what I consider “psychedelics 101.” There is a sea of misinformation out there, and the video covers resources I consider well vetted. All links are listed below. Please be sure to see the important disclaimer at the bottom of this post.
BOOKS AND ARTICLES:
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan“The Trip Treatment” by Michael Pollan, The New YorkerThe Healing Journey: Pioneering Approaches to Psychedelic Therapy by Claudio Naranjo The Secret Chief Revealed by Myron J. StolaroffConsciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Françoise Bourzat Wizard of the Upper Amazon: The Story of Manuel Córdova-Rios by F. Bruce LambSinging to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon by Stephan V. Beyer
DOCUMENTARIES/VIDEO SERIES:
Trip of CompassionFrom Shock to AweDOSEDHorizons Video Series | Horizons Vimeo | Horizons Conference YouTube
PODCAST EPISODES:
Overview of Psychedelic Fact vs. Fiction — Microdosing, Mind-Enhancing Methods, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #377Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction | The Tim Ferriss Show #298Michael Pollan — Exploring The New Science of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #313Michael Pollan — Exploring the Frontiers of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #365Marcela Ot’alora — How to Become a Psychedelic Therapist | The Tim Ferriss Show #396Rick Doblin — The Psychedelic Domino That Tips All Others | The Tim Ferriss Show #440Are Psychedelic Drugs the Next Medical Breakthrough? #104 | The Tim Ferriss Show
RESEARCH CENTERS:
The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research | Johns HopkinsCentre for Psychedelic Research | Imperial College LondonCenter for Psychedelic Medicine | NYU Langone HealthBerkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics | UC Berkeley
PEOPLE:
Roland GriffithsMatthew JohnsonRobin Carhart-HarrisDavid NuttMichael BogenschutzStephen Ross
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: These plants and compounds are illegal in many countries, and even possession can carry severe criminal penalties. None of this post constitutes medical advice or should be construed as a recommendation to use psychedelics. There are serious legal, psychological, and physical risks. Psychedelics are not for everyone—they can exacerbate certain emotional problems, and there have been, in very rare cases, fatalities.
Illustration via 99designs
“I wanted to do research that then leapt off the page and became tools that would enter people’s lives and make a meaningful difference to them.”
— Dr. Adam Gazzaley
Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD (@adamgazz), is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and the founder and executive director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center engaged in technology development and scientific research of novel brain assessments and optimization tools. Adam is co-founder and chief science advisor of Akili Interactive, Sensync, and JAZZ Venture Partners. He has been a scientific adviser for more than a dozen technology companies, including Apple, GE, Nielsen, and Deloitte.
Adam has filed multiple patents—notably his invention of the first video game cleared by the FDA—authored more than 150 scientific articles, and delivered over 675 invited presentations around the world. He wrote and hosted the nationally televised PBS special The Distracted Mind with Dr. Adam Gazzaley and co-authored The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, winner of the 2017 PROSE Award. Adam has received many awards and honors, including the 2015 Society for Neuroscience Science Educator Award and the 2020 Global Gaming Citizen honor.
Visit this page to learn more about the Neuroscape Psychedelic Division, which is dedicated to advancing the field of psychedelic science and medicine through multi-level research covering basic to translational to clinical science.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
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The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
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Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
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Want to time travel with me back to my first episode with Dr. Adam Gazzaley? Give your ears a listen to my conversation with the Maverick of Brain Optimization himself in which we discussed theories of cognition, common misconceptions about the brain and cognitive function, morning rituals, the crossroads of hallucinogens and neuroscience, the neurological impacts of modafinil, and much more.
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/cdd73efd-19b9-425c-b058-3b3fe3056743.mp3Download
Connect with Adam Gazzaley:
Website | Neuroscape | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
Neuroscape Psychedelic Division (Please email neuroscape [at] ucsf.edu if you’d like to donate with cryptocurrency.)The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World by Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. RosenThe Distracted Mind with Adam Gazzaley | Prime VideoDr. Adam Gazzaley: The Maverick of Brain Optimization | The Tim Ferriss Show #83Multitasking Video Game Improves Cognition in 79-Year-Olds! | Psychology In ActionNeuroRacer: A Video Game to Sharpen the Mind | WSJ VideoThe Grateful DeadRolling StoneThe Grammy AwardsEffects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Cognition, Mood, Pain, and Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Frontiers in NeurologyFDA Approves Video Game Based on UCSF Brain Research as ADHD Therapy for Kids | UCSFAkili InteractivePureTech HealthA Novel Digital Intervention for Actively Reducing Severity of Paediatric ADHD (STARS-ADHD): A Randomised Controlled Trial | The LancetDe Novo Classification Request | FDAPremarket Notification 510(k) | FDAAttention Search Results | PubMedDistraction Search Results | PubMedUniversity of California, San Francisco | UCSFMagnum, P.I. | Prime VideoPI Status | UCSF Office of Sponsored ResearchElectroencephalogram (EEG) | Johns Hopkins MedicineAre Psychedelic Drugs the Next Medical Breakthrough? | The Tim Ferriss Show #104How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan | AmazonMichael Pollan — Exploring the Frontiers of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #365Rick Doblin — The Psychedelic Domino That Tips All Others | The Tim Ferriss Show #440Psychedelics — Microdosing, Mind-Enhancing Methods, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #377The World’s Largest Psychedelic Research Center | The Tim Ferriss Show #385Developing a Multimodal Biosensor for Remote Physiological Monitoring | BMJ Military HealthMultisensory Integration: Current Issues from the Perspective of the Single Neuron | Nature Reviews NeuroscienceDr. Mark Plotkin on Ethnobotany, Real vs. Fake Shamans, Hallucinogens, and the Dalai Lamas of South America | The Tim Ferriss Show #469Know Your Brain: Default Mode Network | Neuroscientifically ChallengedNick Norris — Navy SEAL and Athlete on Training, Post-Traumatic Growth, and Healing | The Tim Ferriss Show #378Principles of Experience-Dependent Neural Plasticity: Implications for Rehabilitation After Brain Damage | Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing ResearchEgo-Dissolution and Psychedelics: Validation of the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI) | Human NeurosciencePsychedelic Therapy and Bad Trips | Scientific American Blog NetworkMy Hellishly Bad Acid Trip, and What I Learned in the Aftermath | ViceDifference Between Open Loop & Closed Loop System (with Comparison Chart) | Circuit GlobeGames and Technology | NeuroscapeMinority Report | Prime VideoPöpcørn: Recipes with The Swedish Chef | The MuppetsMultidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies | MAPSMeet “Pine,” the Bitcoin Philanthropist Who Set Up the $85 Million Pineapple Fund | Bitcoin Magazine
How NeuroRacer, the game Adam helped develop, helps older adults regain the cognitive function they had in their 20s, and why its featured spot as the cover story of Nature made Adam feel like he’d won a Grammy. [06:46]What has motivated Adam to pursue groundbreaking scientific discoveries and developments? [14:50]Improving upon the work that went into NeuroRacer and building the first video game therapeutic to be approved by the FDA: EndeavorRX. [18:13]Why does the mechanism behind this game prove effective in improving attention abilities in children with a wide variety of conditions including autism, depression, ADHD, and multiple sclerosis? [25:38]How does UCSF compare to its peers in the ecosystem of research within the United States? What is its focus? [29:22]Is risk-taking a critical ingredient for the enthusiasm required for scientific breakthroughs? How has Adam’s work evolved through these breakthroughs over the past decade we’ve known each other? [32:41]An important announcement about Neuroscape’s brand new division and its incoming, world-class director, and how and why it all came about so quickly — especially during a year of global pandemic. [39:08]How will Adam and Robin’s work fill in a gap that’s been thus far lacking in this type of research, and what is Adam most looking forward to exploring in this field with Neuroscape’s sophisticated resources of experience and technology at their disposal? How will their approach differ from methods that have been used in this area since the ’60s? [50:58]Just as the EndeavorRx game adapts to specific users for effectively treating a variety of conditions, does Adam foresee a way for psychedelic therapies to be customized for their patients to address seemingly disparate conditions? [1:07:02]How do we reduce the chances of a patient who is undergoing psychedelic therapy enduring a destabilizing amount of stress that causes more harm than it cures? Here’s where shamans and Adam’s closed-loop systems might mutually benefit from a knowledge exchange. [1:17:54]There’s not really one psychedelic community, but a number of tribal factions at odds with one another along the spectrum between science and superstition. In such a friction-heavy environment, why does Adam think his work has been viewed in such a positive light? [1:22:34]A request for the audience from Adam, information about how interested listeners might get involved with or support his research, and parting thoughts. [1:27:30]
Matt MullenwegKevin RoseDarya RoseMickey HartMatt OmernickEddie MartucciScott H. KollinsRobin Carhart-HarrisRalph MetznerMichael PollanRick DoblinThe Swedish ChefLeo ZeffStan GrofJennifer MitchellPineStorm
Illustration via 99designs
“If code scripts machines, media scripts human beings.”
— Balaji Srinivasan
Balaji S. Srinivasan (@balajis) is an angel investor and entrepreneur. Formerly the CTO of Coinbase and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he was also the co-founder of Earn.com (acquired by Coinbase), Counsyl (acquired by Myriad), Teleport (acquired by Topia), and Coin Center.
He was named to the MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators Under 35,” won a Wall Street Journal Innovation Award, and holds a BS/MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Chemical Engineering, all from Stanford University. Balaji also teaches the occasional class at Stanford, including an online MOOC in 2013, which reached 250,000+ students worldwide.
To learn more about Balaji’s most recent project, sign up at 1729.com, a newsletter that pays you. They’re giving out $1,000 in BTC each day for completing tasks and tutorials. Subscribers also receive chapters from Balaji’s new (free) book, The Network State.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Helix Sleep premium mattresses. More on all three below.
The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
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This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.
Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 best overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
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If this nearly four-hour episode isn’t enough for you, perhaps you’d like to hear my three-and-a-half-hour conversation with Basecamp’s David Heinemeier Hansson (aka DHH)? In it, we discussed the power of being outspoken, running a profitable business without venture capital, Stoic philosophy, parallels across disciplines, and much more.
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/b4d4ea29-a5a0-4d96-bbcc-39f06fe506f3.mp3Download
Connect with Balaji Srinivasan:
Learn Skills & Earn Crypto | 1729.com1729: The Magic Of Hardy-Ramanujan Number | NDTVGood Will Hunting | Prime VideoThe Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert KanigelThe Man Who Knew Infinity | Prime VideoSoftware Is Eating the World | Andreessen HorowitzHubble Space Telescope | NASAA Complete List of MOOCs and Free Online Courses | MOOC ListChasing the Parallel Postulate | Scientific American Blog NetworkNational Science Foundation Network and Acceptable Use Policy | Wikipedia“‘Balaji Was Right’ Might Be the Most Terrifying Phrase in the English Language.” | Conor White-Sullivan, TwitterTemptation at Checkout | Center for Science in the Public InterestDon’t Read This, Oracle… It’s the Rise of the Open-Source Data Strategies | The RegisterBlock the New York Times | BlockNYTThe Journalist and the Murderer by Janet MalcolmTrust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan HolidayAmerican Resistance to a Standing Army | Teaching History8 Things You May Not Know About the Praetorian Guard | History300 | Prime VideoIn Nagorno-Karabakh, Drones Gave Azerbaijan Huge Advantage and Showed Future of Warfare | The Washington PostThe Future Has Arrived — It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed Yet | Quote Investigator113 Journalists on Why They’re So Despised | NYMagThe Case Against the Media, by the Media | NYMagThe 11 Layers of Citizen Journalism | PoynterThe Truth About Blockchain | Harvard Business ReviewInside the Twitter Hack — and What Happened Next | WiredSmart Contracts | InvestopediaOracles: The All-Seeing Eyes That Guide Crypto Networks | CoinMarketCapBest Places to Live for a Digital Nomad | Nomad ListCompare Cities’ Quality of Life | Teleport CitiesLeanFIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) | RedditEarly Retirement Through Badassity | Mr. Money MustacheThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy FerrissYes Chad | Know Your MemeBooks & Resources | Beautiful TroubleShift the Spectrum of Allies | Beautiful TroubleWhat Is Cancel Culture? Why We Keep Fighting About Canceling People | VoxThe Cultural Revolution: All You Need to Know About China’s Political Convulsion | The GuardianGOP Voters Trust CNN, NY Times Over Breitbart, InfoWars | PoliticoSeeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. ScottFirst Bolshevik Decrees: Seventeen Moments in Soviet History | Michigan State UniversityThe Treaty of Westphalia | History TodaySolarWinds Hack Was ‘Largest and Most Sophisticated Attack’ Ever: Microsoft President | ReutersHackers Leak Customer Info from Crypto Wallet Ledger | InvestopediaBalaji Srinivasan on Building a “Pseudonymous Economy” | BlockstackCorpse Husband | YouTube“What If This Coronavirus Is the Pandemic That Public Health People Have Been Warning About for Years?” | Balaji Srinivasan, TwitterEarn | CoinbaseFew Developing Countries Can Climb the Economic Ladder | St. Louis FedLearn the Latest Tech Skills; Advance Your Career | UdacityBuild Skills with Online Courses from Top Institutions | CourseraAmazon Mechanical TurkAsk HN: How to Earn Karma on HN? | Hacker NewsKatie Haun on the Dark Web, Gangs, Investigating Bitcoin, and The New Magic of “Nifties” (NFTs) | The Tim Ferriss Show #499Code Practice and Mentorship for Everyone | ExercismThe 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy FerrissThe 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy FerrissLiberty, Equality, Fraternity | Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs‘Sorry’: Brokerage Chief at Heart of GameStop Saga Apologises | Al JazeeraDiscord Bans WallStreetBets for Hateful Conduct Amid GameStop Stock Surge | GamesIndustry.bizUS Government Financial Bailouts | InvestopediaA Deep Dive Into Satoshi’s 11-Year Old Bitcoin Genesis Block | Featured Bitcoin NewsDodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act | InvestopediaBalaji S. Srinivasan: The Network State | Foresight InstituteHow a Centrifuge Works | Federation of American ScientistsChina’s Communist Party Is at a Fatal Age for One-Party Regimes. How Much Longer Can It Survive? | Australian Broadcasting Corporation NewsSome Oregonians Want to Leave and Take Part of the State to Idaho with Them | All Things Considered, NPRCatalans Rally for Independence Despite Health Warnings | ReutersHow is America Going to End? Who’s Most Likely to Secede? | SlateSilicon Valley’s Elite Don’t Want to Secede. They Just Want to Stay on Top | WiredFiat Money | InvestopediaFabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino | FIATHacker Houses Offer Shared Living for the Young, Green, and Tech-Obsessed | GristBitcoin News: China’s Great Firewall to Block Crypto Websites | Fortune(American) Successes Of The 20th Century | Pew Research CenterMusic Piracy: From Napster to BitTorrents | The RunnerMagnet Links Become the Official Currency of Pirate Bay | Ars TechnicaPopcorn TimeThe Block Chain and the CAP Theorem | Stuff Yaron Finds InterestingNew York Moves to Lure Crypto Startups as BitLicense Turns Five | CoinDeskHow Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Is Luring Tech Players from Silicon Valley and New York | CNBC“@LorenaSGonzalez: Message Received.” | Elon Musk, TwitterColombia, Estonia Upload the Bitcoin White Paper to Their Governmental Websites | CoinDeskWyoming Is Crypto’s ‘Wild West,’ Which Is Exactly What We Need | CoinDesk“‘Win and Help Win’ Will Always Outcompete ‘Live and Let Live.’” | Balaji Srinivasan, TwitterLittle House on the Prairie | Prime VideoWhy Is the Three-Body Problem Unsolvable? | Popular MechanicsThe Three-Body Problem by Cixin LiuThe Cause of… and Solution to… All of Life’s Problems. | The SimpsonsSecure Storage Solutions for Bitcoin | CasaVitalik Buterin, Creator of Ethereum, on Understanding Ethereum, ETH vs. BTC, ETH2, Scaling Plans and Timelines, NFTs, Future Considerations, Life Extension, and More (Featuring Naval Ravikant) | The Tim Ferriss Show #504Proof of Work vs. Proof of Stake: Basic Mining Guide | BlockgeeksStarkWare Industries Ltd.ZK-Rollups | EthhubHow Life Has Changed in the Last 20 Years | Business InsiderBalaji Srinivasan: Coronavirus Will Shape This Decade Like 9/11 Shaped the 2000s | ReasonTVBalaji Srinivasan: Applications: Today & 2025 | TechCrunchBalaji Srinivasan: Technology Will Lead to a Borderless World | ReasonTVOur Deepest Fears Realized: Most Couples Meet Online Now | ViceLink Between Health Spending and Life Expectancy: The US Is an Outlier | Our World in DataBalaji Srinivasan, Who May Run the FDA for Trump, Hates the FDA. But Silicon Valley Likes Srinivasan. | Vox“Y-Shaped Recovery…” | Balaji Srinivasan, TwitterLung Cancer Immunotherapy Darkens Patients’ Hair | GENForget Exercise — These Mice Got Ripped with Gene Therapy | Singularity HubAnarcho-Primitivism | WikipediaVoluntary Human Extinction Movement | VHEMTNo Death and an Enhanced Life: Is the Future Transhuman? | The GuardianZoltan Vs. Zerzan | Stanford TranshumanistsSuperman II | Prime VideoReady Player One | Prime VideoAnother Inconvenient Truth: The World’s Growing Population Poses a Malthusian Dilemma | Scientific AmericanThe Lessons of History by Will and Ariel DurantFrom Third World to First: The Singapore Story – 1965-2000 by Lee Kuan YewDisneyland with the Death Penalty | WiredThe Opium Wars in China | Asia Pacific CurriculumToomas Ilves: Lessons In Digital Democracy from Estonia | Stanford School of EngineeringDramatic Photos Show How Radically Dubai Has Changed in 50 Years | Business InsiderPhotos: Stunningly Green Dubai: What City Looks Like In 20 Years | Khaleej TimesFacebook and Google Won’t Save Local News | The New RepublicSwitzerland: This European Nation Has Most Potential for Future Growth, Study Says | CNBCIsrael and Iran Just Showed Us the Future of Cyberwar With Their Unusual Attacks | Foreign PolicyTaiwan’s Digital Minister Knows How to Crush Covid-19: Trust | WiredMonaco: From Billionaire’s Playground to Crypto Paradise? | CopperThe Hottest App in China Teaches Citizens About Their Leader — and, Yes, There’s a Test | The New York TimesWhy Did Alibaba’s Jack Ma Disappear for Three Months? | BBC NewsBalaji Srinivasan on Communist Capital vs. Woke Capital vs. Crypto Capital | CoinDeskWhy All Soviet Jokes Needed to Be Approved by the Department of Jokes | We Are the MightyUS, Allies Announce Sanctions on China Over Uyghur ‘Genocide’ | PoliticoWho Lives? Who Dies? NYC Hospitals Could Soon Be Forced to Triage Coronavirus Patients | NBC New YorkThe Maginot Line, Scapegoat of the French Defeat in May 1940 | Normandy American HeroesThe Story Behind That Viral Chinese Train Station Video | SlateAfter Sinking 18 Inches, SF’s Millennium Tower Finally Has a Fix | SFGateSalesforce Transit Center: It Was Supposed to Be the Safest Building in the World. Then It Cracked. | Popular MechanicsCoronavirus: How Can China Build a Hospital So Quickly? | BBC NewsDr. Vivek Murthy — Former Surgeon General on Combating COVID-19, Loneliness, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #417Red Dawn (’84) | Prime VideoNiall Ferguson: A Taiwan Crisis May End the American Empire | BloombergThe Russo-Japanese War and its Impact on Anti-Colonial Nationalists | Faisal Ali, MediumBuster Douglas Shocks the World with 10th-Round KO of Mike Tyson | ESPN ArchivesWhat Happened to Occupy Wall Street? | The AtlanticHow 9/11 Caused An Increase In Islamophobic Hate Crimes | Refinery29Hate Is Haunting Asian Americans. Their Fear Underscores a Racial Reckoning That Is Far from Over | CNNRegaining the Edge In US Chip Manufacturing | SMGThe Hidden Troubles of the F-35 | Defense NewsThe Physics of the Fosbury Flop | Stanford UniversityManufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam ChomskySelling Votes Is Common Type of Election Fraud | The Washington PostGovernment Scraps ‘Shadow Mayor’ Plans for Big Cities | BBC NewsBenevolent and Protective Order of ElksThucydides Trap: An Overview | Belfer Center for Science and International AffairsHow the SWIFT System Works | InvestopediaWhy India Should Buy Bitcoin | Balaji SrinivasanHow India Legalizes Crypto | Balaji SrinivasanJio 4G LTE Network | RelianceStablecoin Price and Circulation Monitor | Stablecoin StatsChina’s Massive Belt and Road Initiative | Council on Foreign RelationsExplainer: The Non-Aligned Movement in the 21st century | The ConversationSocialism: Definition, Pros, Cons, Examples, Types | The BalanceSoviet Denim Smuggling: Jeans Behind the Iron Curtain | HeddelsChina’s Fast Climb up the Value Chain | McKinseyWhat Is Bollywood? What to Know About Hindi Language Movies and Music | OprahTenet | Prime VideoArcelorMittalBlack Mirror | Prime VideoSuper 30 | Official TrailerRocky | Prime VideoThe Terminator | Prime VideoIndia’s Ambitious Nuclear Power Plan – And What’s Getting in Its Way | The DiplomatHouse of Cards | NetflixGhostbusters | Prime VideoDallas Buyers Club | Prime VideoThe Correction Heard ‘Round The World: When The New York Times Apologized to Robert Goddard | Forbes
What is the significance of 1729, and what is Balaji’s mission in launching a website named after this “not boring” number? [06:02]What was the subject matter and the intent behind the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) Balaji taught prior to joining Andreessen Horowitz? [10:21]Balaji’s thoughts on the state of media (particularly podcasts), how product is merit and distribution is connections, and why I trust my dog to tell me if a journalist is trying to set me up for a “gotcha.” [16:57]Just as the Founding Fathers advised against the establishment of a standing army in the United States, Balaji wonders if we should be cautious of relying on a standing media to deliver us the news of the day — or if there are better, decentralized options. [29:57]What can we do to protect ourselves as we wait for the future to be evenly distributed? We dive deep into everything from achieving financial independence to auditing our social ties to securing our privacy with a pseudonymous economy that could diminish the effects of cancellation and discrimination. [40:27]Roam Research co-founder Conor White-Sullivan once said: “‘Balaji was right’ might be the most terrifying phrase in the English language.” Eerily accurate early speculation about the COVID-19 pandemic aside, how would Balaji strategize a sizeable investment made today? (A reminding disclaimer: we’re not registered investment advisors, so do not take this or anything else here as legitimate financial advice.) [1:07:29]What participating in 1729 — “the first newsletter that pays you” — would ideally look like. [1:10:55]How Balaji envisions 1729 as a skyhook to rescue the world’s brightest minds from places that usually get overlooked — like developing countries and war zones — or allow them to operate on home ground pseudonymously. [1:14:01]A digital native solution to education that qualifies students to work as they go instead of waiting years until a full degree is earned. [1:17:37]How do you pseudonymously show proof of skill? Enter the crypto credential. [1:21:33]Don’t underestimate the power of microincentives. [1:25:27]How does Balaji rationalize a “half in Bitcoin, half in Ethereum” investment, and how does it tie into shifting establishment dynamics? [1:27:51]Why does Balaji believe that “not many institutions that predated the internet will survive the internet” — including nation states and fiat currencies? [1:35:44]Addressing downside risk, what circumstances might make Bitcoin or Ethereum bad investments? [1:45:06]How can we expect crypto regulation to play out in the United States? How are cities, states, and countries with an eye on the future currently signaling their friendliness toward innovation? [1:51:57]Why Balaji believes “win and help win” is neither progressive, nor conservative, nor libertarian, but a concept that beats them all. [2:02:22]How Bitcoin regulation thus far hasn’t followed the course that popular opinion predicted, and why you should hold your keys locally. [2:05:07]How do Ethereum risks differ from those faced by Bitcoin? [2:09:44]Want to get an understanding of how unrecognizable the near future will be? Consider how much the world has changed between the year 2000 and now — and how little it changed, comparatively, between then and 1970. [2:12:36]Does Balaji believe the changes we’re about to experience en masse will be mostly positive or mostly negative? [2:22:16]Thinkers, scientists, or resources Balaji would recommend for people who want to further explore life-extension and transhumanism. [2:32:16]Who was Lee Kuan Yew, and why he is interesting? [2:35:04]What countries are on Balaji’s shortlist to watch as examples of what the future holds? [2:39:56]Woke capital vs. communist capital vs. crypto capital, the Maginot Line revisited, and why China is so underestimated while the US is overestimated when it comes to facing the challenges of present and future. [2:45:28]If there were a conflict with China over Taiwan and the US lost, what would be the consequences? [2:56:44]Does Balaji see any obvious fixes the US could implement to mitigate against the risks of a cold war with China turning hot? Is there any way we can select our leaders for legitimacy and competence over popularity and inheritance? [3:01:38]Balaji explains how a 51 percent democracy is like a Fosbury Flop, and the types of votes that really make a difference in such a system. [3:05:18]What a convince-oriented “crypto” government versus a coercion-focused fiat government might look like. [3:12:41]India: the dark horse, what is currently at stake as it considers banning crypto, and what Balaji sees as its way forward — by embracing crypto, learning from China’s ascendancy in the global value chain, and claiming its rightful place in the media hierarchy. [3:17:42]Parting thoughts. [3:40:00]
Srinivasa RamanujanG.H. HardyLee Kuan YewEuclidConor White-Sullivan CassandraPeter ThielMollyJanet MalcolmRyan HolidayMr. Money MustacheTaylor SwiftDeng XiaopingVladimir LeninMartin LutherCorpse HusbandKatie HaunVlad TenevChristopher J. DoddBarney FrankJim BarksdaleNiccolò MachiavelliFrancis SuarezSteven MnuchinHomer SimpsonJordan PetersonTed KaczynskiDavid SinclairAubrey de GreyZoltan IstvanJohn ZerzanDeng XiaopingToomas IlvesAudrey TangAlbert II, Prince of MonacoXi JinpingJack MaJeff BezosYakov SmirnoffZayn MalikWinston ChurchillMike TysonBuster DouglasManmohan SinghMark ZuckerbergDick FosburyJoseph StalinNoam ChomskyRonald ReaganAdolf HitlerLeon TrotskyMiles DysonRobert Goddard
DISCLAIMER FROM TIM FERRISS: I am not an investment adviser. There are risks involved in placing any investment in securities or in Bitcoin or in cryptocurrencies or in anything. None of the information presented herein is intended to form the basis of any offer or recommendation or have any regard to the investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of any specific person, and that includes you, my dear listener or reader. Everything in this episode is for informational entertainment purposes only.
