#249 ‒ How the brain works, Andrew's fascinating backstory, improving scientific literacy, and more | Andrew Huberman, Ph.D.

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter's Weekly Newsletter Andrew Huberman is a Professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University and host of the Huberman Lab podcast. In this episode, Andrew begins with a fascinating discussion about the brain, including the role of the prefrontal cortex in adjusting your ruleset to match your setting, the neural circuitry underlying the ability of stress to limit creativity and problem-solving, the effect of belief on physiology and performance, and more. He speaks about vision being our "superpower" and compares this to animals that rely more on other senses. Next, he opens up about his personal journey, the struggles and losses he has overcome, the value of therapy, and the many great people who helped him along the way. He speaks to his love of biology and discovery and the importance of staying true to your passion rather than being driven purely by ambition. Lastly, the conversation includes a look to the future of Andrew's scientific work and podcast as well as his unique approach to communicating science and tackling the issue of scientific illiteracy. We discuss: Exercise under blood flow restriction, lactate utilization, and transient changes in the brain function in response to adrenaline and stress [3:30]; The role of the prefrontal cortex in governing rulesets [9:15]; New discoveries about the circuitry between the prefrontal cortex, insula, and amygdala, and the insights gleaned about brain function in different emotional states [15:30]; Comparing human vision and other senses to animals [26:00]; A deep dive into vision: evolutionary adaptations, facial recognition, color, and more [39:45]; Sense of smell, pheromones, and why evolution developed better vision over smell [46:30]; The relationship between visual input and time perception [55:30]; Mindset effects: the effect of belief on physiology and performance [1:00:45]; Accessing higher level