The Tim Ferriss Show

#851: Dr. Tommy Wood — How to Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia

Dr. Tommy Wood (@DrRagnar [https://x.com/DrRagnar]) is an associate professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington, where his research focuses on brain health across the lifespan. This includes therapies for brain injury in newborns, prevention and treatment of adult brain trauma, and the factors that contribute to long-term cognitive function and cognitive decline. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Stimulated Mind [https://www.amazon.com/Stimulated-Mind-Future-Proof-Brain-Dementia/dp/0593797817/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20]. This episode is brought to you by: Circle [https://circle.so/tim] complete community platform for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand: https://circle.so/tim [https://circle.so/tim] ($1,000 off when you demo Circle Plus) Monarch  [https://www.monarchmoney.com/tim]track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: Monarch.com/Tim [https://www.monarchmoney.com/tim] (50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code TIM) Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 [https://www.eightsleep.com/tim/] sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim [https://www.eightsleep.com/tim/] (use code TIM to get $350 off your very own Pod 5 Ultra.) Cresset [https://cressetcapital.com/tim] family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim [https://cressetcapital.com/tim] * TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start * [00:02:30] The cognition conversation commences. * [00:03:11] Why human babies are chubby little brain-fuel tanks. * [00:05:16] Brain injury in newborns: Cooling, caffeine, and coming home. * [00:09:07] Adult concussion protocol: Fever management, ketones, and why you shouldn’t chug Powerade. * [00:18:59] Washington’s 2nd Strongest Man talks omega-3s, methylation, and why your brain needs the whole orchestra. * [00:29:34] Auguste Deter, Alzheimer’s mystery patient, and the 45-70% dementia prevention sweet spot. * [00:39:22] From CGM monitoring to the “use it or lose it” glucose paradox. * [00:55:54] VO2 max training as cardio insurance against dementia. * [01:01:32] Jiu-jitsu, sleds, and the Norwegian torture method (4×4 intervals). * [01:03:37] Lactate training: Forget the finger prick, embrace the misery. * [01:06:40] Announcing The Stimulated Mind [https://www.amazon.com/Stimulated-Mind-Future-Proof-Brain-Dementia/dp/0593797817/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20]: Tommy’s brain-saving book. * [01:07:35] Foundation supplements: Omega-3s, B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, and magnesium. * [01:08:58] Polyphenols, choline, and the case for eating more liver. * [01:10:40] Creatine: Tommy’s 10-gram cognitive stimulant ritual. * [01:11:58] Cheap creatine temptation leads to lavatory lamentation. * [01:14:16] Blood flow restriction training: High lactate, low load, maximum travel convenience. * [01:21:45] Language learning, music, StarCraft, and why your brain needs to fail. * [01:38:04] Sleep anxiety, air pollution, and gum disease: the overlooked dementia risk factors. * [01:45:32] Air purifiers, CO2 levels, and sleep optimization hacks. * [01:51:52] DORAs for sleep quality: when cognitive stimulation isn’t enough. * [01:54:55] The thesis behind The Stimulated Mind [https://www.amazon.com/Stimulated-Mind-Future-Proof-Brain-Dementia/dp/0593797817/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20]: Practical, referenced, and sustainable. * [01:56:32] Kelly and Juliet Starrett’s stamp of approval. * [01:57:44] The beautiful compounding effect of fixing just one thing. * [01:58:59] Who is Dr. Ragnar, and does he make housecalls to Valhalla? * [02:01:06] Tommy’s open invitation for complaints and scientific debates. * [02:02:21] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show [https://tim.blog/podcast], please visit tim.blog/podcast [https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description]. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show [https://tim.blog/podcast], please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors [https://tim.blog/podcast-sponsors] Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday [https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/]. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts [https://tim.blog/transcripts]. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books [https://tim.blog/books]. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss [https://twitter.com/tferriss]  Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss [https://instagram.com/timferriss/] YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss [https://www.youtube.com/timferriss] Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss [https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/]  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss [http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#850: The Peace That's Always Within You — Guided Meditation by Zen Master Henry Shukman

This episode is part of a series called Meditation Monday. The teacher, Henry Shukman, has been on my podcast twice before. He is one of only a few dozen masters in the world authorized to teach Sanbo Zen, and now, he’ll be your teacher. In addition to my long-form interviews each week, every Monday I’ll bring you a short 10-minute or so meditation, which will help you for the rest of the week. Over this four-episode series, you’ll develop a Zen toolkit to help you find greater calm, peace, and effectiveness in your daily life. Henry’s app, The Way [https://thewayapp.com/tim], has changed my life since I first started using it. Unlike other meditation apps, where you’re overwhelmed with a thousand choices, The Way is a clear step-by-step training program guided entirely by Henry. Through a logical progression, you’ll develop real skills that stick with you. I’ve been using it daily, often twice a day, and it’s lowered my anxiety more than I thought possible. As a listener of my podcast, you can get 30 free sessions by visiting https://thewayapp.com/tim [https://thewayapp.com/tim] and downloading the app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#849: Dr. Michael Levin — Reprogramming Bioelectricity, Updating "Software" for Anti-Aging, Treating Cancer Without Drugs, Cognition of Cells, and Much More

Dr. Michael Levin (@drmichaellevin [https://x.com/drmichaellevin]) is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor of Biology at Tufts University and director of the Allen Discovery Center. He is primarily interested in how intelligence self-organizes in a diverse range of natural, engineered, and hybrid embodiments. Applied to the collective intelligence of cell groups undergoing morphogenesis, these ideas have allowed the Levin Lab [https://www.drmichaellevin.org/] to develop new applications in birth defects, organ regeneration, and cancer suppression. This episode is brought to you by: ShipStation [https://shipstation.com/tim] shipping software: ShipStation.com/Tim [https://shipstation.com/tim] AG1 [https://drinkag1.com/tim] all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim [https://drinkag1.com/tim] Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro [https://fromourplace.com/tim] using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/Tim [https://fromourplace.com/tim] TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start * [00:03:18] The Body Electric: A Vancouver bookstore discovery that launched a career. * [00:04:19] Bioelectricity 101: Your brain uses it to think; your body used it before you had a brain. * [00:06:05] The lesson learned by scrambled tadpole faces that rearrange themselves. * [00:08:51] Software vs. hardware: The genome is your factory settings, not your destiny. * [00:11:43] Two-headed flatworms: Rewriting biological memory without touching DNA. * [00:16:20] Seeing memories: Voltage-sensitive dyes reveal the body’s hidden blueprints. * [00:20:12] Three killer apps for humans: Birth defects, regeneration, and cancer. * [00:24:27] Cancer as identity crisis: Cells forgetting they’re part of a team. * [00:25:40] The boredom theory of aging: Goal-seeking systems with nothing left to do. * [00:30:09] Planaria’s immortality hack: Rip yourself in half every two weeks. * [00:31:27] Manhattan Project for aging: Crack cellular cognition, everything else falls into place. * [00:33:47] Giving cells new goals: Convince a gut to become an eye. * [00:37:42] Must mammalian mortality be mandatory? * [00:40:25] Cross-pollination: Why biologists would benefit from programming courses. * [00:47:15] Does acupuncture actually do anything? * [00:50:57] Placebo as feature, not bug: Words and drugs share the same mechanism. * [00:55:06] The frame problem: Why robots explode and rats intuit what matters. * [00:59:41] Binary thinking is a trap: “Is it intelligent?” is the wrong question. * [01:07:46] Minimal brain, normal IQ: Clinical cases that break neuroscience. * [01:08:45] Super panpsychism: Your liver might have opinions. * [01:13:48] The Platonic space: Bodies as thin clients for patterns from elsewhere. * [01:15:24] Keep asking “why” and you end up in the math department. * [01:23:07] Polycomputing: Sorting algorithms secretly doing side quests. * [01:28:24] Power scaling for the future and avoiding red herrings for understanding machine minds. * [01:34:06] Sci-fi recommendations. * [01:37:24] Cliff Tabin’s toast and Dan Dennett’s steel manning. * [01:41:21] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show [https://tim.blog/podcast], please visit tim.blog/podcast [https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description]. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show [https://tim.blog/podcast], please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors [https://tim.blog/podcast-sponsors] Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday [https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/]. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts [https://tim.blog/transcripts]. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books [https://tim.blog/books]. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss [https://twitter.com/tferriss]  Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss [https://instagram.com/timferriss/] YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss [https://www.youtube.com/timferriss] Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss [https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/]  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss [http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#848: From Stress to Stillness — Guided Meditation with Zen Master Henry Shukman

This episode is part of a series called Meditation Monday. The teacher, Henry Shukman, has been on my podcast twice before. He is one of only a few dozen masters in the world authorized to teach Sanbo Zen, and now, he’ll be your teacher. In addition to my long-form interviews each week, every Monday I’ll bring you a short 10-minute or so meditation, which will help you for the rest of the week. Over this four-episode series, you’ll develop a Zen toolkit to help you find greater calm, peace, and effectiveness in your daily life. Henry’s app, The Way [https://thewayapp.com/tim], has changed my life since I first started using it. Unlike other meditation apps, where you’re overwhelmed with a thousand choices, The Way is a clear step-by-step training program guided entirely by Henry. Through a logical progression, you’ll develop real skills that stick with you. I’ve been using it daily, often twice a day, and it’s lowered my anxiety more than I thought possible. As a listener of my podcast, you can get 30 free sessions by visiting https://thewayapp.com/tim [https://thewayapp.com/tim] and downloading the app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#847: Steve Young, from Super Bowl MVP to Managing Billions – Hall of Fame 49ers Quarterback on High Performance, Reinvention, Faith, and How to Blend Dreams and Plans

Steve Young (@steveyoung [https://www.instagram.com/steveyoung/]) is a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback who played more than 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Steve co-founded HGGC [https://www.hggc.com/team/j-steven-young], which manages more than $6.9B in capital commitments. He’s also the founder and current chair of the Forever Young Foundation [https://foreveryoung.org/], which supports children’s charities globally. He is the author of QB: My Life Behind the Spiral [https://www.amazon.com/QB-My-Life-Behind-Spiral/dp/1328745724/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20] and The Law of Love [https://www.amazon.com/Law-Love-Steve-Young/dp/1639930310/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20]. This episode is brought to you by: Cresset [https://cressetcapital.com/tim] family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim [https://cressetcapital.com/tim] AG1 [https://drinkag1.com/tim] all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim [https://drinkag1.com/tim] Wealthfront [http://wealthfront.com/Tim] high-yield cash account: Wealthfront.com/Tim [https://wealthfront.com/Tim] New clients get 3.25% base APY from program banks + additional 0.65% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 12/19/25 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Experiences will vary. Outcomes not guaranteed. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:02:34] The full circle of Josh Waitzkin. * [00:05:47] The Stephen Covey plane ride that changed everything. * [00:11:38] Overcoming victimization: The hole you dig, then jump into. * [00:14:16] How taking ownership led Steve from rock bottom to NFL MVP in one season. * [00:21:50] Interceptions and the truest truth about accountability. * [00:26:09] What separates good from great quarterbacks: Adrenaline alchemy. * [00:31:21] Alex Honnold and the genetics of not panicking. * [00:32:14] Learning to actually throw a football at BYU. * [00:35:01] Recovering from the offensive coordinator who wouldn’t coach southpaws. * [00:37:00] The vulnerability prerequisite. * [00:42:45] Separation anxiety: Thriving by day, terrified by night. * [00:48:29] Tears in the Candlestick Park training room. * [00:52:37] The diagnosis that made the puzzle pieces fit. * [00:58:32] Dad’s philosophy: Dream (1%) and Plan (80%). * [01:01:14] Law school between Super Bowl parades. * [01:02:33] Trading locker room access for venture capital deals. * [01:08:45] Mourning old identities and heeding Roger Staubach’s transition advice: “Run.” * [01:11:49] Rich Lawson walks out of Morgan Stanley: “I’ll be the CEO.” * [01:19:05] 30 years of partnership: Yin, yang, and existential crises. * [01:23:01] HGGC: The name nobody can pronounce (and why). * [01:25:19] Faith evolution: From Boy Scout theology to something deeper. * [01:29:41] The Law of Love: Bill Walsh’s secret weapon. * [01:32:53] Divine humanity and the irony of losing self-interest. * [01:43:52] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show [https://tim.blog/podcast], please visit tim.blog/podcast [https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description]. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show [https://tim.blog/podcast], please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors [https://tim.blog/podcast-sponsors] Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday [https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/]. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts [https://tim.blog/transcripts]. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books [https://tim.blog/books]. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss [https://twitter.com/tferriss]  Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss [https://instagram.com/timferriss/] YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss [https://www.youtube.com/timferriss] Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss [https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/]  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss [http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].