#315 ‒ Life after near-death: a new perspective on living, dying, and the afterlife | Sebastian Junger
Release Date: 08/26/2024
#317 ‒ Reforming medicine: uncovering blind spots, challenging the norm, and embracing innovation | Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.
The Peter Attia Drive
Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and New York Times bestselling author, returns to The Drive to discuss his latest book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health. In this episode, Marty explores how a new generation of doctors is challenging long-held medical practices by asking critical new questions. He discusses the major problems of groupthink and cognitive dissonance in the medical community and delves into several of the "blind spots" raised in the book, including treatments for appendicitis, the peanut allergy epidemic, misunderstandings about...
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#316 - AMA #63: A guide for hair loss: causes, treatments, transplants, and sex-specific considerations
The Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives deep into the topic of hair loss, exploring its relationship with aging and its impact on quality of life. The conversation focuses on androgenic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss in both men and women, and covers the differences in patterns and causes between the sexes. Peter delves into the right timing for treatment, breaking down various options such as minoxidil and finasteride, low-level laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma injections, and more. Additionally, Peter outlines the pros and cons of the two primary hair...
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Improve your decision-making, frameworks for learning, backcasting, and more | Annie Duke (#60 rebroadcast)
The Peter Attia Drive
In this episode, former World Series of Poker champion and author Annie Duke explains how poker is a pertinent model system for decision-making in the real world, a system which blends imperfect information with some unknown percentage of both luck and skill. Annie breaks down the decision-making matrix, revealing how we often focus too narrowly on just one of the four quadrants, missing out on valuable learning opportunities in the remaining 75% of situations. She delves into how our tendency to evaluate only negative outcomes leads to a culture of risk aversion. This mindset, she argues,...
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#315 ‒ Life after near-death: a new perspective on living, dying, and the afterlife | Sebastian Junger
The Peter Attia Drive
Sebastian Junger is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and previous guest on The Drive. In this episode, Sebastian returns to discuss his latest book, In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife. This episode delves into Sebastian's profound near-death experience and how it became the catalyst for his exploration of mortality, the afterlife, and the mysteries of the universe. They discuss the secular meaning of what it means to be sacred, the intersection of physics and philosophy, and how our beliefs shape our approach to life and death. He...
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#314 ‒ Rethinking nutrition science: the evolving landscape of obesity treatment, GLP-1 agonists, protein, and the need for higher research standards | David Allison, Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
David Allison, a leading expert in obesity and nutrition, quantitative genetics, clinical trials, and research methodology, returns to The Drive to explore the evolving landscape of nutrition science and obesity treatment. In this episode, David begins by discussing the intricate relationship between nutrition, obesity, and body composition, emphasizing the multifaceted impacts of food beyond mere calorie intake. David provides a critical analysis of the complexities in nutrition research and their practical implications for tackling obesity. He critiques historical public health policies,...
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#313 - AMA #62: Protein’s impact on appetite and weight management, and uric acid's link to disease and how to manage levels
The Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into two important health topics: uric acid and protein, examining them from unique perspectives. For uric acid, he explores its metabolic role and connection to various diseases, focusing on the potential causal link with cardiovascular disease. He also discusses factors influencing uric acid levels, such as diet, genetics, and lifestyle, providing practical tips for effective management. Shifting to protein, Peter delves into its role in appetite and weight management, the consequences of insufficient protein, and the “protein...
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#312 - A masterclass in lactate: Its critical role as metabolic fuel, implications for diseases, and therapeutic potential from cancer to brain health and beyond | George A. Brooks, Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
George A. Brooks is a renowned professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley. Known for his groundbreaking "lactate shuttle" theory proposed in the 1980s, George revolutionized our understanding of lactate as a crucial fuel source rather than just a byproduct of exercise. In this episode, George clarifies common misconceptions between lactate and lactic acid, delves into historical perspectives, and explains how lactate serves as a fuel for the brain and muscles. He explores the metabolic differences in exceptional athletes and how training impacts lactate flux and utilization....
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#311 ‒ Longevity 101: a foundational guide to Peter's frameworks for longevity, and understanding CVD, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and more
The Peter Attia Drive
In this special episode, Peter provides a comprehensive introduction to longevity, perfect for newcomers or those looking to refresh their knowledge. He lays out the foundational concepts of lifespan, healthspan, and the marginal decade. Additionally, Peter discusses the four main causes of death and their prevention, as well as detailing the five key strategies in his longevity toolkit to improve lifespan and healthspan. Detailed show notes provide links for deeper exploration of these topics, making it an ideal starting point for anyone interested in understanding and improving their...
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#310 - The relationship between testosterone and prostate cancer, testosterone replacement therapy, and tools for predicting cancer aggressiveness and guiding therapy | Ted Schaeffer, M.D., Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Ted Schaeffer is an internationally recognized urologist specializing in prostate cancer and a returning guest on The Drive. In this episode, Ted provides insights into the role testosterone plays, or doesn't play, in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. He unpacks the findings and limitations of the recent TRAVERSE trial, exploring the complex relationship between testosterone and prostate cancer. Ted delves into the molecular nature of prostate cancer, explaining the androgen receptor saturation theory and the potential impact of testosterone on cancer growth. He also...
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#309 ‒ AI in medicine: its potential to revolutionize disease prediction, diagnosis, and outcomes, causes for concern in medicine and beyond, and more | Isaac Kohane, M.D., Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Isaac "Zak" Kohane, a pioneering physician-scientist and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School, has authored numerous papers and influential books on artificial intelligence (AI), including The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond. In this episode, Zak explores the evolution of AI, from its early iterations to the current third generation, illuminating how it is transforming medicine today and unlocking astonishing possibilities for the future. He shares insights from his unconventional journey and early interactions with GPT-4, highlighting...
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Sebastian Junger is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and previous guest on The Drive. In this episode, Sebastian returns to discuss his latest book, In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife. This episode delves into Sebastian's profound near-death experience and how it became the catalyst for his exploration of mortality, the afterlife, and the mysteries of the universe. They discuss the secular meaning of what it means to be sacred, the intersection of physics and philosophy, and how our beliefs shape our approach to life and death. He also shares how this experience has profoundly changed him, giving him a renewed perspective on life—one filled with awe, gratitude, deeper emotional awareness, and a more engaged approach to living.
We discuss:
- How Sebastian’s near-death experience shaped his thinking about mortality and gave him a reverence for life [3:00];
- The aneurysm that led to Sebastian’s near-death experience [6:30];
- Emergency room response, his subsequent reflections on the event, and the critical decisions made by the medical team [16:30];
- Sebastian’s reaction to first learning he nearly died, and the extraordinary skill of the medical team that save his life [26:00];
- Sebastian’s near-death experience [37:00];
- The psychological impact of surviving against overwhelming odds [48:00];
- Ignored warning signs: abdominal pain and a foreshadowing dream before the aneurysm rupture [54:30];
- Sebastian's recovery, his exploration of near-death experiences, and the psychological turmoil he faced as he questioned the reality of his survival [58:15];
- A transformative encounter with a nurse who encouraged Sebastian to view his near-death experience as sacred [1:03:30];
- How Sebastian has changed: a journey toward emotional awareness and fully engaging with life [1:08:45];
- The possibility of an afterlife, and how quantum mechanics challenges our understanding of existence [1:15:15];
- Quantum paradoxes leading to philosophical questions about the nature of reality, existence after death, and whether complete knowledge could be destructive [1:26:00];
- The sweet spot of uncertainty: exploring belief in God, post-death existence, and meaning in life [1:37:00];
- The transformative power of experiencing life with awe and gratitude [1:53:00]; and
- More.
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