What if the biggest risk factor for cancer, heart disease, and dementia isn't your genes, diet, or blood pressure but aging itself? Listen in as biogerontologist Dr. Matt Kaeberlein reveals how understanding the biology of aging could add not just years to our lives, but healthy decades, and why your dog might hold some of the most important clues.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Matt Kaeberlein discuss aging research. He explains that aging is characterized by damage accumulation and loss of resilience, leading to functional decline. Matt highlights the hallmarks of aging, such as deregulation of nutrient sensing and DNA damage, and the potential of interventions like rapamycin to slow aging. He notes that biological age is a significant risk factor for major diseases, and that understanding and addressing aging biology could significantly extend human lifespan. They also discuss the Dog Aging Project, with 55,000 participating dogs, which aims to uncover genetic and environmental factors influencing health and longevity in pets.

Key Takeaways:

• Our bodies are constantly being exposed to stress, and stress can move us out of the optimal zone of function. When we're young, we're very resilient and able to come back to optimal function. As we get older, we lose that resilience.

• When we slow aging in laboratory animals, we prevent the onset and progression of all of the major age-related functional declines and diseases simultaneously, because we've slowed biological aging. Based on what's possible in mice, it is estimated that we could potentially gain 2-3 additional decades of life if we can achieve this in humans.

• There is a genetic component to longevity; however, how big that genetic component is to longevity is hotly debated. The environment is also a large contributor.

"Biological age is the single greatest risk factor for nine of the top 10 killers in the United States, and it's not a small effect. The magnitude of effect from biological aging dwarfs all of the other risk factors combined…it's useful to appreciate how important biological age is to the risk of developing many of the chronic diseases and functional declines that limit quality and quantity of life for most people." — Dr. Matt Kaeberlein

Episode References:

• Dog Aging Project: https://dogagingproject.org/

• Dog Aging Institute: https://dogaginginstitute.org/

• Longevity for Dogs: https://www.youtube.com/@LongevityForDogs

Connect with Dr. Matt Kaeberlein:

Professional Bio: https://halo.dlmp.uw.edu/people/matt-kaeberlein/

Publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22kaeberlein+m%22[author]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mkaeberlein

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkaeberlein/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Hidden in your water, food, and even your blood, forever chemicals (PFAS) are nearly impossible to destroy - and now U.S. regulations are being rolled back. Listen in to how PFAS became unavoidable, what they're doing to our health, and whether we can ever truly get rid of them.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Carrie McDonough discuss perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals. PFAS, which include PFOA and PFOS, are persistent organic pollutants used in various products, such as Teflon for your cooking pans and Scotchgard. While there are natural molecules that incorporate fluorine, the compounds we are most concerned about when we talk about PFAS cannot be synthesized naturally and are difficult to break down. Dr. McDonough discusses exposure risks, how we are exposed, and the efforts that have been made to regulate these chemicals. She emphasizes the need for better detection methods and remediation strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• While some PFAS are excreted from the human body, many are not and linger in our blood and cells.

• A lot of pollutants accumulate in the adipose fat in the human body. However, PFAS are mostly found in proteins and membranes, such as the kidney, liver, and blood.

• The first clue that PFAS were widespread in humans was back in the 1970s. However, the results were inconclusive - they just didn't have the instrumentation they needed to confirm it or the standards from the companies in order to identify the PFAS.

• Biomagnification causes creatures, including humans, that are higher up the food chain to have higher concentrations of PFAS than those lower in the food chain. This includes those who are herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.

• Companies have been putting these things out into our environment for decades; for some amount of that time, they knew that they were doing it and that they were toxic, but didn't tell anyone. There is really no way to protect anyone from these chemicals that we did not consent to being in our bodies.

"If you're not living in an area with highly contaminated water, or some kind of large contamination issue, your main source of PFAS is probably your diet." — Dr. Carrie McDonough

Episode References:

• Toxic Gaslighting: How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe: https://www.propublica.org/article/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-inside-story

• PFAS leave fingerprints in your blood – researchers are figuring out how forever chemicals transform in your body to read these clues: https://theconversation.com/pfas-leave-fingerprints-in-your-blood-researchers-are-figuring-out-how-forever-chemicals-transform-in-your-body-to-read-these-clues-280396

• Dark Waters: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/

• They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals by Mariah Blake: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554198/they-poisoned-the-world-by-mariah-blake/

Connect with Dr. Carrie McDonough:

Professional Bio: https://www.cmu.edu/chemistry/people/faculty/mcdonough.html

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Xq5HrPYAAAAJ&hl=en

Website: https://groups.chem.cmu.edu/mcdonough/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieamcd

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Peptides are being sold online as miracle fixes for energy, healing, and longevity—but what if the science behind them is shaky, or even dangerous?

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Leigh Baxt pull back the curtain on the peptide craze, revealing what we really know (and don't know) about these heavily marketed "biohacks." They discuss the complexities and risks of unapproved peptides, which are often marketed for health enhancement. Dr. Baxt explains what peptides are and speaks to those drugs that are FDA-approved, like GLP-1 agonists and insulin, but also highlights the safety concerns of unapproved peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, which lack appropriate clinical trial data and are often synthesized in unregulated labs. Dr. Baxt emphasizes the importance of proper clinical trial processes and regulatory oversight to ensure drug safety and efficacy.

Key Takeaways:

• A peptide is just a short chain of amino acids. They can be created synthetically, they can be isolated, and they are natural. The body doesn't care whether a peptide is "natural" or synthetic; what matters is its exact molecular structure.

• FDA-approved peptide drugs go through years of rigorous testing in animals and humans to prove both safety and effectiveness before reaching the market.

• Calling something "scientifically proven" can be misleading when the underlying evidence is weak, preliminary, or based only on rat studies. Especially as much of the "science" cited on peptide marketing sites comes from small, limited animal, or cell studies, not large, controlled human trials.

• Just because a product is available online or from a compounding pharmacy does not mean it is FDA-approved, well-studied, or safe; consumers must look beyond hype and ask what evidence truly exists.

• A naturally occurring peptide is generally not going to be suitable for use therapeutically.

"You can say that something is scientifically demonstrated because it showed something interesting in a rat. The key is that the people may not ask that, because a lot of times people hear 'scientific terminology' and it makes something sound really legitimate, but it doesn't mean that there's solid data." — Dr. Leigh Baxt

Evaluation of Research Grade Peptides Marketed Directly to Consumers Reveals Extensive Variability in Purity and Measured Abundance: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202604.1748

Connect with Dr. Leigh Baxt:

Professional Bio: https://www.mskcc.org/profile/leigh-baxt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-baxt-314b877

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Dr. Kate Mangino exposes the hidden burden of cognitive and emotional labor at home and explains how "benevolent sexism" and unequal household roles quietly push women to the breaking point.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Kate Mangino discuss gender inequality in household responsibilities. Kate differentiates between structural and social inequalities, noting that societal norms perpetuate these "male" and "female" roles. She also emphasizes the importance of cognitive labor, which often falls on women, and addresses the emotional impact of household tasks on whichever partner carries the burden of the larger load. Dr. Mangino also encourages intentional conversations about division of labor in relationships from the time you're dating, rather than after marriage. Finally, she advocates for challenging traditional gender roles and promoting equal partnerships to improve overall well-being.

Key Takeaways:

• While there have been some improvements in the structural and social components of inequality, we are at a milestone point, not an end point. There is still a lot of work to be done.

• Cognitive labor is the project management work that happens in households - it is all about planning in your head, which is oftentimes more cumbersome than the actual physical work. It's the anticipation, research, decision-making, and evaluation of every decision within the home.

• If you're trying to push back on social norms, you may need to reconsider who our role models are, and maybe pick some new ones who are closer to where you want to be or where your family wants to be.

• We need to be better at preparing young people of all genders to match their dating habits a little bit more closely with the person they want to end up with. The more intentional that we can be about gender roles and what we're looking for in a partner, the better.

"Broadly speaking, women do more and men do less. Broadly speaking, but you can find representations of all different kinds of families, and I think what it comes down to is, regardless of gender, the person who is doing more feels burdened, feels bitter, resentful, tired, frustrated." — Dr. Kate Mangino

Connect with Dr. Kate Mangino:

Website: https://www.katemangino.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemangino

Book: Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home - https://read.macmillan.com/lp/equal-partners/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Our cities are anything but concrete jungles. Listen in as Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb reveal the hidden world of synanthropes - the wild animals that not only live alongside us, but thrive because of us.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb discuss Dan's new book "Our Wild Familiars", which explores how animals (and plants) adapt to urban environments. They dive into the history and impact of synanthropes, such as raccoons, coyotes, and rats. He also highlights the adaptability of these animals and why they have expanded into cities. Dr. Werb emphasizes the importance of viewing cities as living, thriving ecosystems and the need for human ecosystem-based solutions for the good of humans and animals alike in these ecosystems.

Key Takeaways:

• Humanity has a much higher risk of experiencing viral spillover events now than before, because we are increasingly intersecting with wild animals that we have never seen before in urban spaces that carry pathogens that we've never been exposed to before.

• As humans, we have a relationship with synanthropes that is so deep and long-standing that it has become central to our spiritual selves as well.

• With more small animals being drawn into cities, that is going to continue to draw in more predators, such as coyotes, which have expanded their home range by about 50 kilometers per year for the last 150-200 years.

• It may be impossible to eliminate any synanthrope that has found an ecosystem within a city. Even if you remove one creature from an area, the niche they had developed will still be there, ready for the next synanthrope to move in.

• Solutions that make life better for humans can actually be profoundly beneficial for animals as well, or at least for the functioning of our urban ecosystems.

"Cities are more biodiverse than the areas that surround them, and that's because humans, like any other organism, want to live in places that are as fertile and rich as possible." — Dr. Dan Werb

Connect with Dr. Dan Werb:

Professional Bio: https://ihpme.utoronto.ca/faculty-profile/dan-werb/, https://profiles.ucsd.edu/daniel.werb

Website: https://danwerb.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danwerb/

Books:

• PREORDER: Our Wild Familiars - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769255/our-wild-familiars-by-dan-werb/

• City of Omens - https://www.amazon.com/City-Omens-Search-Missing-Borderlands-ebook/dp/B07QLN4K3T

• The Invisible Siege - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670859/the-invisible-siege-by-dan-werb/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Boris Konrad discuss the striking impact of memorization on functional changes and connectivity in the brain. Dr. Konrad is a neuroscientist as well as an international Memory Champion. He not only studies brain connectivity, but also trains other memory athletes, as well as those who simply wish to improve their memories. They discuss more specific aspects of memorization and its benefits across a range of other activities and problem-solving, independent of the particular memorization training utilized. Dr. Konrad summarizes his recent study, published in the journal Neuron, and the techniques used to train the brain to improve memory.

Key Takeaways:

• Memorization and memory are not a part of the brain; they are functions of the brain. It is a capability of our brain and our neural system.

• Without exception, memory athletes use the method of loci (colloquially called the "memory palace") as a technique to memorize and remember information.

• Memory training actually decreases the brain activity needed to complete a range of tasks.

"Learning and thinking in your brain are not separate. We don't have a thinking brain and a learning brain; it's exactly one brain which does both." — Dr. Boris Konrad

Connect with Dr. Boris Konrad:

Donders Institute: https://www.ru.nl/en/people/konrad-b

Website: https://www.boriskonrad.com/en/

Memory Training: Superbrain! Memory Training with Boris Konrad - https://memory1.teachable.com/p/memory-training

TED Talks:

How to use memory techniques to improve education - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qIBe0h0-Ig

The mind and methods of a Memory Champion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t76N00urDlU

https://www.ted.com/talks/boris_nikolai_konrad_how_to_use_memory_techniques_to_improve_learning_and_education_jan_2018

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Long COVID isn't just lingering fatigue. It's a complex, often life-altering condition that can follow even mild or unnoticed infections. Listen in as Mayo Clinic's Dr. Stephanie Grach breaks down what we really know about Long COVID, who's at risk, and why believing and individualizing care for patients is absolutely critical.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Stephanie Grach discuss the emergence and impact of Long COVID. Dr. Grach explains that Long COVID affects an estimated 18 million Americans with a wide variety of symptoms that can manifest differently from patient to patient, influenced by a variety of factors, such as viral variant, genetics, and immune responses. Dr. Grach emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment and highlights ongoing research and the need for better understanding and management of this complex chronic condition.

Key Takeaways:

• Long COVID can look very different from person to person, with over 200 symptoms. However, common symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, changes in smell, and more, affecting nearly every organ system.

• The larger proportion of people with Long COVID had multiple COVID infections, partly because of sheer numbers - each additional infection is another opportunity for post-acute symptoms to develop or worsen.

• The presentation of the Long COVID symptoms is not going to be consistent - patients may have good weeks and feel pretty close to normal, as well as bad weeks, where the symptoms are at their strongest.

• Telling someone to "push through" on the assumption that it will just get better really isn't what helps the Long COVID patients.

"Long COVID is real. Patients deserve to be believed, and treatment should be individualized, rather than trying to fit or wait for a one-size-fits-all." — Dr. Stephanie Grach

Connect with Dr. Stephanie Grach:

Professional Bio: https://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/grach-stephanie-l-m-d-m-s/bio-20536370

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniegrach

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

How does ChatGPT affect your ability to learn, recall, and share information?

In this episode, Therese Markow and Natalie Wexler discuss the impact of generative AI (like ChatGPT) on education. They discuss the change in writing skills, how AI can undermine the learning process that comes with writing, and the incorrect information often provided by generative AI. Natalie explains how AI can function as cognitive outsourcing, which can reduce the cognitive benefits of learning and memory retention. She emphasizes the importance of explicit writing instruction in education and background fundamental knowledge stored in long-term memory for critical thinking and effective learning - including the importance of memorization (even if you don't use that word). Finally, Natalie warns of a potential downward spiral where AI dependence weakens cognitive abilities and advocates for systematic changes to combat this trend.

Key Takeaways:

• Generally speaking, reading and writing are connected. But writing is harder, so you can be a good reader and still not be a good writer. However, if you learn to write well, you're almost certainly going to be a good reader as well.

• The problem is over-reliance on AI, and when students use it as a crutch, they don't develop the understanding or the cognitive abilities that they would develop if they did the cognitive work themselves.

• Writing helps with the cognitive processes of long-term memory, retrieval, elaboration, and more. When we offload that cognitive work, it can hamper our ability to retrieve the information from our long-term memory bank.

• Unconsciously, we use background knowledge to understand pretty much anything that we try to read.

• Democracy depends on a citizenry that is educated enough to understand the issues and to be able to distinguish misleading information from reliable information.

"Writing is, itself, a way of thinking, of deepening understanding, maybe of realizing that you didn't understand something as well as you thought you did, and you need to go and do some more research. If we skip that step of doing the writing, then we're missing out on developing those cognitive abilities, retaining knowledge, and deepening our understanding of things." — Natalie Wexler

Connect with Natalie Wexler:

Professional Bio: https://nataliewexler.com/about/

Show: https://nataliewexler.com/podcast/

Substack: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-wexler-0b89979/

Books:

• Beyond the Science of Reading: https://nataliewexler.com/beyond-the-science-of-reading/

• The Knowledge Gap: https://nataliewexler.com/the-knowledge-gap/

• The Writing Revolution: https://nataliewexler.com/the-writing-revolution/twr-2-0-cover-amazon/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Ru Marshall pulls back the curtain on the man behind the myth of Carlos Castaneda, exposing the real lives, lies, and losses buried beneath his legendary books.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Ru Marshall discuss the life and legacy of Carlos Castaneda, who claimed to have been trained as a shaman by Don Juan. Castaneda's books, which sold over 8 million copies, were initially believed but later dismissed as fiction. Marshall's book, "American Trickster," explores Castaneda's origins in Peru and his life in the U.S. Castaneda, born Cesar Arana, was a charismatic storyteller who seduced both women and academics. Despite initial academic support, his claims were eventually debunked. Ru's research spanned 20 years, revealing Castaneda's complex personal life and the impact of his cult-like following.

Key Takeaways:

• Long before the books, Carlos Castaneda was known as a gifted storyteller and trickster, blurring the line between entertainment, fabrication, and manipulation.

• Castaneda's real power was psychological. He made individuals, especially women, feel uniquely seen, chosen, and special, a classic mechanism of charismatic control.

• The disappearance and deaths of key followers after Castaneda's passing reveal the devastating human cost when a closed belief system collides with reality. And when followers are willing to follow a narrative all the way to the end.

"It's a really interesting thing, that when people, both professionally and, more importantly, I think, emotionally, become invested in a belief, it is incredibly hard for people to admit they're wrong." — Ru Marshall

Connect with Ru Marshall:

Website: https://rmarshallstudio.com/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@robtmars

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robtmars/

American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda: https://orbooks.com/catalog/american-trickster/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Patrick Wyman discuss Patrick's latest book, Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World. Patrick also discusses his journey as a historian from studying the Fall of Rome to popular history. He emphasizes the importance of understanding past climactic changes and their impact on human societies, including the development of agriculture and the rise of social hierarchies. Patrick also highlights the significance of migration and the diverse burial practices that reveal aspects of ancient societies' beliefs and social structures.

Key Takeaways:

• Human history is not stable, and it always starts with the climate. Climate and environment are the unavoidable parameters within which everyone is living, and, whether people are aware of them or not, they are responding to the pressures and shifts that are happening climatically around them.

• Abandonment of sites and cities happens over time and often for a variety of reasons that are always specific to the climate systems and problems of that particular area.

• Modern science, like ancient DNA extraction, now allows us to learn more about dynamics in ancient periods that we never could have seen before.

• Funerary practices vary across the world in ancient times, as they do in modern times. Often, it is based on one of two poles: when people die, are their spirits potentially dangerous (ghost society) or potentially beneficial (ancestor society)?

• Every single one of the billions of people who lived was living a life that was full, rich, sophisticated, and complex.

• As humans, we have been through big, crazy stuff, and yet we are still here and still thriving. Humanity is incredibly durable, and we can make it through some really, really bad times if we work hard and work together.

"Migration is humanity's most basic tool for getting out of bad situations and finding better ones. The simplest possible thing you can do if things get bad wherever you're living is to move somewhere else. And this has been our response at every time and on every geographic scale over the course of human existence." — Patrick Wyman

Episode References:

• Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/lost-worlds-patrick-wyman?variant=43084775817250

Connect with Patrick Wyman:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/PastLivesMedia

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wyman_patrick

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@patrick.wyman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wyman_patrick/

Substack: https://substack.com/@patrickwyman

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/patrickwyman.bsky.social

Shows:

The Fall of Rome: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fall-of-rome-podcast/id1141563910

Tides of History: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tides-of-history/id1257202425

Past Lives: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-soon-past-lives/id1852618120?i=1000736506949

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.