Erik Vance (@erikvance) is an award-winning science writer based in California and Mexico City. After working as a scientist on research projects dealing with dolphin intelligence and coastal ecology, he became an educator and then an environmental consultant. In 2005, he attended UC Santa Cruz's famed Science Communication Program and discovered a passion for journalism. Since then, he has built his career around science-based profiles of inspiring or controversial figures. His work has appeared in Harper's Magazine, The New York Times, The Utne Reader, Scientific American, and National Geographic. He is also a contributing editor at Discover Magazine. His latest book is Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal. This riveting narrative explores the world of placebos, hypnosis, false memories, and neurology to reveal the groundbreaking science of our suggestible minds. Could the secrets to personal health lie within our own brains? Erik's firsthand dispatches will change the way you think -- and feel. In this episode, we cover many topics -- with equal amounts of the profound, actionable, and hilarious: The power of placebo, and how you can increase the odds of it working for you (if you choose). Which conditions respond well to placebo, and which do not. How the mind, religion, bedside manner, and peer pressure can influence medical outcomes. Catching porcupines in South Africa. This story alone will make you laugh out loud and is worth the episode. Finding and studying a pig shit sommelier. Why he got electrocuted for half an hour at the NIH laboratories in Bethesda, Maryland. The story of why he chose to be cursed by a witch doctor in Mexico City. Please enjoy! This podcast is brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service led by technologists from places like Apple. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $2.5B under management. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it's all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams. Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they'll show you for free the exact portfolio they'd put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/tim. This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world's largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs. I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body, and I've also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you're happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode, Tim Ferriss talks about his experience in running and fitness, shares his approach in decision-making by doing the opposite, and introduces his Five Bullet Friday email newsletter which contains short and practical tips on different topics.
Get a free vitamin D supplement and five travel packs with your first subscription purchase of Athletic Greens all-in-one health formula, designed to provide a range of beneficial nutrients and aid gut health and immunity.
The Tim Ferriss Show delves into a conversation with Eric Mead to discuss the power of Placebo - how to increase the odds of placebo working for you, which conditions respond well to placebo, and which do not.
A former college student shares his experiences of spending time walking through the woods looking for dead things and how he came to realize that it's actually a profession. He also talks about his initial attitude towards science and writing and how it changed over time.
Richard Wiese talks about his childhood dreams of adventure, his love for exploring and discovery, and some of his exciting expeditions, including encountering a giant praying mantis.
The process of creating nature documentaries includes actively searching for animals to film, often using specialized equipment, and may involve some unexpected encounters.
The focus in storytelling is to find people who are interesting and can tell a broader story. It is important to love characters, their lives, and their opinions in order to convey information through a person.
The speaker talks about their experience writing a 300-word blurb for a magazine article about a chemical.
A scientist introduces the host to the world of smells, including differentiating between chemicals found in pig manure and in wine, and training his students to recognize different smells with their eyes closed.
The speaker reflects on a personal story that had a powerful impact on her growing up and explores how our personal narratives shape our identities. The audio clip also includes unrelated descriptions of industrial buildings.
The placebo effect plays a large role in areas such as pain, Parkinson's, depression, and anxiety which are all connected by dopamine and other chemicals that respond well to placebos.
The podcast discusses the ethics of brujería (witchcraft) and cursing someone in the Mexican culture. It delves into the belief that the only way to curse someone is by telling them about it.
This podcast episode delves into the local markets in Mexico that cater to the needs of witch doctors or brew horia where they sell all sorts of paraphernalia. The hosts also share their experience and encounter with a genuine witch doctor who believed that she could kill people with her curses.
This podcast explores the placebo effect for both active and inert drugs and delves into the concept of neurological pain and its connection to Parkinson's disease.
This episode discusses the ethics of medical studies and the importance of ensuring that expectations are not created through expensive treatments. Doctors who participate in these studies have to be careful to ensure they are not creating unreasonable expectations in patients.
The use of endangered animals for their medicinal properties in China, specifically tigers and bears, is a major concern due to the inhumane treatment these animals face in captivity. This issue is complicated by genetic factors and individual moral values.
It is difficult to create a true placebo that is completely inert except for one effect, but there have been interesting placebos created that can create a sensory effect such as tingling fingers. Colors, sizes, and shapes also have a big role in the placebo effect.
Tim Ferriss promotes Wealthfront.com and 99designs.com on his podcast episode. Wealthfront provides automated investment strategies while 99designs offers design competition services.