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Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will

Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will

Released Monday, 30th August 2021
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Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will

Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will

Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will

Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will

Monday, 30th August 2021
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In this episode, I interview Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Neurology & Neurosurgery at Stanford University. We discuss stress, what defines short-term versus long-term stress, and how stress can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on the context. We also discuss stress mitigation and how our sense of control over stress mitigation techniques, including exercise, determine health outcomes. Dr. Sapolsky explains some of the key effects of the hormone testosterone — how it can amplify pre-existing tendencies for aggression or sexual behavior, but that it does not produce those behaviors per se. He also explains how testosterone impacts our social hierarchies, sense of confidence, and willingness to embrace challenges of different kinds. He also explains how our behaviors and perceptions shape testosterone levels. And we discuss estrogen and the powerful role it plays in brain development, health and longevity. Finally, we discuss free will, what it means to have free will, and if we have any free will, including how knowledge alone might allow us to make better decisions for ourselves and society. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.Thank you to our sponsorsAG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/hubermanLMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanSupplements from Momentoushttps://www.livemomentous.com/hubermanTimestamps(00:00:00) Introduction: Dr. Robert Sapolsky (00:02:25) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT(00:06:30) Stress: Short & Long-Term, Good & Bad (00:09:11) Valence & Amygdala (00:11:00) Testosterone: Common Myths vs. Actual Truths (00:15:15) Behaviors that Affect Testosterone  (00:17:20) Mindsets & Contexts that Affect Testosterone(00:20:28) How Finger Length Ratios Reflect Prenatal Hormone Levels  (00:22:30) Aggression: Male-Female, Female-Male, & Female-Female (00:24:05) Testosterone: The Challenge Hypothesis (00:29:20) How Dopamine Impacts Testosterone & Motivation (00:32:32) Estrogen: Improves Brain & Longevity BUT TIMING IS KEY (00:39:40) Are Testosterone & Sperm Counts in Males Really Dropping? (00:42:15) Stress Mitigation & Our Sense of Control (00:51:35) How Best to Buffer Stress (00:57:04) Power of Perception, Choice & Individual Differences (01:00:32) Context-Setting, Prefrontal Cortex & Hierarchy (01:11:20) How Dr. Sapolsky Accomplishes Deep Thinking  (01:13:17) Do We Have Free Will? (01:20:50) How to Apply Knowledge & Learning  (01:23:44) Robert’s New Book: “Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will” (01:28:27) Reflections, Support of Podcast, & Supporting Stress Research Title Card Photo Credit: Mike BlabacDisclaimer

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Huberman Lab

Huberman Lab discusses neuroscience — how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. He has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills and cognitive functioning. Huberman is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017. His lab’s most recent work focuses on the influence of vision and respiration on human performance and brain states such as fear and courage. He also works on neural regeneration and directs a clinical trial to promote visual restoration in diseases that cause blindness. Huberman is also actively involved in developing tools now in use by the elite military in the U.S. and Canada, athletes, and technology industries to optimize performance in high stress environments, enhance neural plasticity, mitigate stress and optimize sleep.  Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals including Nature, Science and Cell and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover and other top media outlets. In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 5 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.

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