MAGIC Message: The MATRIX is REAL!
(Memory, Appearance, Genius, Image, Conversation)
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from MAGIC!” -Sir Arthur C. Clarke
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Dear Impossible Family,
I got great feedback from dozens of you about your New Year’s resolutions — thanks so much! what’s your IMPOSSIBLE goal this year? As I said, I want to lose 10 lbs this year. I have been studying the problem, and this week I will share with you my learnings. I am happy to report I have already dropped 3 lbs, and not in the sense of my old dad joke “I dropped 3 pounds…from my chin to my stomach!”
I’ll keep you posted, both as part of the ‘family’, and to be accountable to others I care about.
Last time I shared my goal and here is what i used to help, so far, based on some nutritionist’s tips on food choices from Massachusetts General Hospital.
Studies have correlated certain diet patterns with up to seven years of delay in the onset of brain aging, helping with functions like memory and speed. The following suggestions supposedly can help you maintain good brain health as well…so what’s good for Brian’s body is good for Brian’s 🧠.
More Deep Colored Produce
Vegetables, especially leafy ones, and berries have demonstrated benefits. This may be partly related to their flavonoids, plant chemicals that fight disease-promoting actions in our bodies. In one study, individuals with the lowest flavonoid intake had a 50% higher risk of developing dementia over a five-year period than those with greater intakes.
Anthocyanidins are specific flavonoids found in deep purple, pink, and blue-colored produce. Consuming them is associated with slower cognitive decline. Some studies specifically highlight strawberries and blueberries as beneficial.
More Berries and Greens
If the thought of eating an amethyst-colored potato salad doesn’t move you, standard green leafy vegetables contain flavonoids as well. They also offer nutrients like folate and vitamin E, which have also been linked to supporting brain health. Include options like kale, collards, spinach and lettuce at least six times per week — nearly one daily serving — plus at least one other vegetable each day.
As for the berries? Eating them twice a week may offer benefits. If these amounts seem low, remember that this research was done on older adults, who typically have lower calorie needs.
Swapping Out Red Meat
This has been tough for me. I love meat. But I found that swapping out foods can make a difference too. Replacing red meat with ‘Impossible Meat’ (side note: I should pitch them as a sponsor for The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast 😂) and plant-based sources is wise. Having fish once a week and legumes, like beans, lentils and edamame (soybeans), three times a week has been shown to be protective.
While we can’t help getting older, we can make diet changes to better support our brains as they age. I wish everyone a healthier, happier, and better 2022!
I hope you will soon note improvements from my upgraded home studio [thank you Patreonpatrons and Youtube Members!]. And, as mentioned in my recent video, look for the first-ever audiobook by Galileo produced by yours truly, featuring my voice alongside my heroes Carlo Rovelli, Lucio Piccirillo, Frank Wilczek, Fabiola Gianotti, and Jim Gates.
Have a magical week!
CONVERSATION:David Chalmers was my guest a few weeks back. He is an Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist specializing in the areas of philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. He is a Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at New York University, as well as co-director of NYU’s Center for Mind, Brain and Consciousness (along with Ned Block).
Steven Pinker, praised Chalmers for his argumentative rigor and “impeccable clarity.” Others, such as Daniel Dennett and Patricia Churchland, believe that hard problem is really more of a collection of easy problems, and will be solved through further analysis of the brain and behavior.
This week we discussed his excellent new book, Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already. Along the way, Chalmers conducts a grand tour of big ideas in philosophy and science. He uses virtual reality technology to offer a new perspective on long-established philosophical questions. How do we know that there’s an external world? Is there a Glod? What is the nature of reality? What’s the relation between mind and body? How can we lead a good life? All of these questions are illuminated or transformed by Chalmers’ mind-bending analysis.
See below for an exclusive, Members’ Only video with David : “The Thrilling three”
IMAGE: I read a great article The Day the Dinosaurs Died in the New Yorker — about a young paleontologist who may have discovered a record of the most significant event in the history of life on Earth. By Douglas Preston
Level-up your writing and thinking; join my friend David Perell’s online cohort based course, Write of Passage!
GENIUS: My friend David Perell is a rock-star; an up-and-coming genius writer and an awesome role model for kids and adults. He’s a good friend and entrepreneur working seemingly 24/6 to better the lives of folks in the most efficient way possible: by improving their writing.
David was a guest on The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast last year and has quickly become one of my favorite ‘thought leaders’, despite being half my age! He’s truly wise beyond his years. Check out his course”Write of Passage’ — it will make you a better writer, thinker and, as David calls it, ‘citizen of the internet’. (I’m not affiliated in any way with this program — I just want David’s work to receive the attention it deserves. But, if you do sign up for his course, please do let him know you learned about it through me 😀)
APPEARANCE: I made a recent appearance on the Drinkin Bros podcast to discuss the James Webb Space Telescope and the state of science in America. Check it out!
MEMORY: Chalmers Members Only video David Chalmers Thrilling Three! EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS
The only thing I want for President’s Day is for you to leave a review of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast! We are up to 348 reviews. Will you be #349? Every Review helps so much!
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