Cool to have Nick White with me on today's podcast. Nick is a genetic engineer with an interest, amongst many things, in nootropics. I'm an average guy and I often question my right and ability to study at PhD level, and so with Nick's interest in brain science I wanted to discuss the idea of IQ with him. First up we discussed and critiqued the idea of IQ, before touching on techniques for raising one's self-esteem when experiencing imposter syndrome. We then segued into a more general discussion and about potential gene therapy developments in cancer care, Chinese CRISPR babies, and the legacy of the legendary self-proclaimed "dumbass genius", Rick Rosner. Ultimately, Nick and I concluded that what counts in a person is character and heart, not how smart they are. Hope you enjoy the show.

Nicholas White is a genetic engineer at Ginkgo Bioworks and the founder of Flux Odyssey. At 18 he was diagnosed with ADD and cyclothymia, a form of bipolar disorder, and told he’d never be able to graduate college without taking medication like Ritalin and Lithium. Despite dropping out of college twice (while taking those fancy medications the psychiatrists were so fond of), he eventually graduated with a BS in Chemistry and a minor in Neuroscience without taking prescription stimulants. On the side, he co-founded the Fencing Club of Asheville, completed undergraduate research on the signaling protein Gα13 and its role in cancer, and co-founded UNCA’s first iGEM team to compete in a genetic engineering competition. Nick discovered how to solve his own health complications with supplements, nootropics and natural products. He now works as a genetic engineer at a synthetic biology company on the cutting edge of science and has 4+ years experience as a molecular biologist. One of his current projects at work is helping with the strain engineering and process development of a covid19 RNA vaccine, a collaboration between Ginkgo Bioworks and Moderna Therapeutics.

Nick's Twitter account https://twitter.com/nicholasfwhite

Nick's podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7pG6iNPsdNoNANvmH2Vaym?si=p9OvPpcNSz2ZiTKNA1Uj8A

Nick's nootropics company https://flux-odyssey.com/