SYNAPSIS Podcast

#12: Wetware Rising: When Neural Organoids Become Hardware w/Dr Ewelina Kurtys from FinalSpark

Wetware Rising: From Synapses to ServersWhat if the future of computing isn’t built from silicon—but grown from living neurons? This is not science fiction. It’s neuroscience—rewiring the future of computing.In this episode, I sit down with a scientist from FinalSpark, a research lab pioneering biological computing using brain organoids as bioprocessors. Instead of transistors, these systems rely on neurons, synapses, and plasticity—the same principles that govern learning in the human brain.We explore:What wetware really means in neuroscienceHow living neural networks can process informationWhy organoids may be more energy-efficient than silicon chipsWhere the line lies between computation, intelligence, and lifeThe ethical and scientific questions behind computing with biologyTimestamps:00:00 - 04:00 Introduction to FinalSpark and Biocomputers04:00 - 06:25 The Journey from Biology to AI06:25 - 10:30 Imaging Techniques and Limitations10:30 - 11:35 Understanding Organoids11:35 - 17:15 The Challenge of Neuronal Variability17:15 - 19:25 Programming Neurons: Input and Output 19:25 - 22:55 Neural Learning22:55 - 26:35 The Future of Biocomputers26:35 - 29:30 Ethics of Biocomputing29:30 - 33:43 The Complexity of Consciousness33:43 - 40:00 Investment and Future Directions of FinalSpark

#11: Women's Health Gap and a $1 Billion Opportunity

The Global Women’s Health Gap: What Science Has Been Missing This episode is not about simplifying a single biological mechanism. It’s about exposing a global health gap — how it was created, why it persists, and who it affects. For centuries, women’s health has been treated as a smaller version of men’s health. Medical research, diagnostic criteria, and drug development were built around the male body as the default — and then applied to women afterward. The result is a system that systematically underdiagnoses, undertreats, and misunderstands women. Using McKinsey’s 2024 report on the global women’s health gap, this episode walks through its 10 key findings, grounding each one in biology, neuroscience, and real-world clinical consequences. Timestamps: 00:00 - 04:00 Historical Context of Women's Health 04:00 - 07:40 #1: Lifespan vs Healthspan 07:40 - 11:00 #2: Atypical Symptoms of Women 11:00 - 15:30 #3: Chronic Pain Left Unaddressed 15:30 - 19:30 #4: PMS & PMDD 19:30 - 23:20 #5: Menopause 23:20 - 27:50 #6: 75% of Women's Health Issues 27:50 - 30:00 #7: Seven Healthy Days Lost Per Year 30:00 - 33:00 #8: Women Excluded from Research 33:00 - 36:30 #9: $1 Trillion for Global Economy 36:30 - 38:00 #10 Call for System-Wide Action

#11: Kadın Sağlığında Küresel Boşluk: PMS, Menopoz, Endometriozis, ve Dahası. McKinsey 2024 Raporu.

Kadın sağlığı neden hâlâ ikinci planda kalıyor?Tarih boyunca tıp araştırmaları, teşhis kriterleri ve ilaç denemeleri erkek bedenini referans aldı. Kadınlar ise çoğu zaman “atipik”, “abartılı” ya da “duygusal” bulunarak geri plana itildi.McKinsey’nin 2024 raporu, kadın sağlığındaki bu küresel boşluğun yalnızca hayatları değil, ekonomiyi de etkilediğini gösteriyor: Her yıl 1 trilyon dolarlık bir fırsat göz ardı ediliyor.Bu bölümde raporun en önemli bulgularını, bilimsel açıklamalar ve toplumsal yansımalarıyla tek tek ele alıyorum:Kadınlar neden daha uzun yaşasa da daha sağlıksız yıllar geçiriyor?Neden kalp krizleri kadınlarda daha geç teşhis ediliyor?PMS, endometriozis, menopoz gibi durumlar neden hâlâ küçümseniyor?Kadınların ağrısı neden görünmez kılınıyor?Bu farkı kapatmak için sağlık sistemleri, araştırmalar, iş dünyası ve toplum ne yapabilir?Sizce artık kadın sağlığı reformu bir hak mı, lüks mü, yoksa zorunluluk mu?Orijinal rapora buradan ulaşabilirsiniz:Closing the Women’s Health Gap – McKinsey, 2024https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/closing-the-womens-health-gap-a-1-trillion-dollar-opportunity-to-improve-lives-and-economies#KadınSağlığı #WomensHealth #Femtech #McKinsey #SağlıkEşitliği #SynapsisPodcast #pcos #endometriosis #menopoz #pms #pmdd #regl #kanser #memekanseri #hpv

#10: AlphaFold & The AI Revolution in Biology: Cracking Life’s Code

What if AI could predict the very building blocks of life? Meet AlphaFold, Google DeepMind’s revolutionary AI system that has cracked the protein folding problem—one of biology’s greatest challenges. AlphaFold 3 was released in 2024 and it was co-developed with Isomorphic Labs, a spinoff from DeepMind specifically focusing on using this technology in drug discovery. This episode aims to answer: What is protein folding and why does it matter?How does artificial intelligence contribute to the science behind protein folding?What is AlphaFold and how does it work?Why is AlphaFold so revolutionary (that it earned its founders a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024)?How is AI shaping the future of medicine and beyond?With AlphaFold, what used to take years in a lab can now be done in hours—saving time, money, and potentially millions of lives. AI isn’t just changing biology—it’s redefining science itself.Subscribe for more deep dives into cutting-edge biomedical science! 💬 Let me know in the comments—what excites you most about AI in biotech?Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro: AI’s Role in Biology & Medicine2:15 - How Proteins Are Made: DNA to Function6:35 - AI in Biology: Deep Learning & Neural Networks9:50 - AlphaFold in Drug Discovery and Beyond 10:00 - Closing Thoughts: The Future of Science #AlphaFold #AI #Biotech #DeepMind #IsomorphicLabs #DrugDiscovery #ProteinFolding #Science #Podcast

#9: The Science of Fasting: Metabolism, Keto Diet, Caloric Restriction, Intermittent Fasting, and Ramadan Fasting

Is fasting really healthy? How do caloric restriction and intermittent fasting affect our brain and body? What are the differences between Ramadan fasting and other types of fasting? In this video, I explore the science of fasting, its effects on metabolism, its connection to the keto diet, and how prolonged fasting changes the body at a cellular level. Covering all the studies in one episode is unfortunately impossible, so feel free to ask any additional questions in the comments on YouTube or Instagram @synapsispodcast! Some of the questions I try to answer: ✔️ What happens in the body during fasting? ✔️ Does caloric restriction really extend lifespan? ✔️ What is the relationship between fasting and ketosis? ✔️ How does fasting affect the brain? ✔️ What is the healthiest way to break a fast? Timestamps:00:00 - 02:30 Introduction02:30 - 03:50 Metabolism: Fasting vs. Fed State03:50 - 06:00 Glucose, Insulin, and Diabetes06:00 - 07:30 Glucose Storage and Transition to Fat Burning07:30 - 10:00 Types of Fasting10:00 - 13:00 Glucose in the Brain, Brain Injuries, and Epilepsy13:00 - 16:35 Brain Health, Keto Diet & Fasting, Alzheimer's16:20 - 21:00 Cardiovascular/Metabolic/Systemic Effects21:00 - 24:00 Ideal Meals for Breaking a Fast24:00 - 26:00 Summary & Conclusion