Dr. Lex Fridman: Navigating Conflict, Finding Purpose & Maintaining Drive

My guest this episode is Lex Fridman, Ph.D., a Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), an expert on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, and the host of the Lex Fridman Podcast. We discuss Lex’s recent trip to the heart of the Ukrainian-Russian War, geopolitics, perspectives on people living in war zones, the shared human experience, and how information is communicated and controlled. As an experienced podcaster and public educator, Dr. Fridman offers unique insights into the art of holding conversations that grow understanding, especially when they involve people with opposing viewpoints. We also discuss the peer-review process for scientific research publications and how social media and podcasts are evolving the way science and technology are communicated. We consider how to find and follow your life’s purpose, maintain ongoing motivation and implement support systems to build and sustain momentum. Our conversation also covers capitalism, masculinity, chess and cheating, Lex’s idea for an AI robotics start-up and a Q&A from audience questions solicited on social media. As one of the main inspirations for the Huberman Lab podcast, hosting Dr. Fridman for this special centennial episode was an honor and a pleasure! For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Lex Fridman (00:04:46) Sponsor: LMNT (00:08:28) Podcasting (00:12:11) Ukraine, Russia, War & Geopolitics (00:23:17) Conflict & Generalized Hate (00:26:23) Typical Day in Ukraine; American Military & Information Wars (00:36:56) Sponsor: AG1 (00:38:42) Deliberate Cold Exposure & Sauna; Fertility (00:46:44) Ukraine: Science, Infrastructure & Military; Zelensky (00:53:33) Firearms; Violence & Sensitization (00:57:40) MIT & Artificial Intelligence (AI), University Teaching & Pandemic (01:05:51) Publications & Peer Review, Research, Social Media (01:13:05) InsideTracker (01:14:17) Twitter & Social Media Mindset, Andrew Tate & Masculinity (01:26:05) Donald Trump & Anthony Fauci; Ideological Extremes (01:35:11) Biotechnology & Biopharma; Money & Status (01:45:08) Robotics, AI & Social Media; Start-ups (01:53:50) Motivation & Competition; Relationships (02:01:55) Jobs; A Career vs. A Calling; Robotics & Relationships (02:12:11) Chess, Poker & Cheating (02:22:25) Ideas of Lately (02:24:44) Why Lex Wears a Suit & Tie (02:27:50) Is There an AI Equivalent of Psychedelics?  (02:29:06) Hardest Jiu-Jitsu Belt to Achieve (02:32:07) Advice to Young People (02:39:29) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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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.