Remarkably Human Radio

On this episode of Remarkably Human Radio, I take you high into the Himalayas as I recount my journey to Mount Everest Base Camp just prior to the devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal.   From the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to make such a trek happen - including how to prepare physically, what to expect for food, shelter and sanitation and the challenges of hiking at high altitude - to my deeply personal reflections, including how the trek challenged my willpower, emotional fortitude, and what it's like to trek with plantar fasciitis and illness (and learn how and why I temporarily went deaf!) "The most extreme experience don't happen on the outside. They happen on the inside." Throughout the episode we discuss the tragic earthquakes and how you can help by supporting the Remarkably Human Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund that I set up with GlobalGiving. (read or listen to my personal letter that followed the first quake). Plus, toward the end of the episode I extend

A mere few weeks ago, I returned from an extraordinary adventure deep into the Khumbu region of Nepal. My trip took me from Kathmandu all the way to Mt. Everest and back... Nepal changed me in direct proportion to the size of its glorious mountains, the largest in the world. This past Saturday, Nepal itself changed as it suffered the most devastating earthquake to hit the region in over 80 years. This is an audio essay in support of Nepal Earthquake Relief Efforts.

On today's episode, we talk float tanks with veteran flotation expert and researcher Richard Bonk.   Sometimes called sensory deprivation, isolation, flotation or REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy) tanks, we chat about their beginnings in 1950s neuropsychiatry research and their resurgence today as a therapeutic tool for modern man. The thought of paying for the privilege to step into a small, enclosed box filled with water and spending ninety minutes alone in the dark with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company, seems terrifying to some. But those that try it rapidly discover, contrary to how it may appear at first blush, that it is one of the most relaxing, rejuvinating and transcendent experiences they've ever taken part in. More than a novelty new age fad, there's solid science showing that float tanks can massively alter your stress response, alleviate chronic pain, lift depression, enhance athletic performance and even allow to you achieve the s

If there were a pill that could increase your focus, improve your memory, alleviate your anxiety and protect your brain from age-related decline, would you take it? On this episode of Remarkably Human Radio, we talk about smart drugs - also known as nootropics or cognitive enhancers - with the host of the leading podcast on the topic, Jesse Lawler of Smart Drug Smarts.   WE CHAT ABOUT What smart drugs are, and what they are not. How smart drugs differ from simple "healthy lifestyle." The "Hierarchy of Cognitive Enhancers." How smart drugs often start their lives as something else in the pharmaceutical world. Why modern medicine is not interested in “enhancement” but only “repair.” Why it’s really hard to do caffeine studies. Why taking smart drugs is a proactive and smart choice, and not "cheating." The granddaddy of all smart drugs - piracetam - and the entire class of "racetams." What is the “cognitive ceiling?” Anecdotal stories from Roderick and Jesse&r

Today’s show is an incredible one!  We had a few Skype issues so I spent some extra time cleaning up the audio for you, but secretly I was using it as an opportunity to listen to my guest, Dr. Stan Beecham, over and over again. Dr. Beecham is a very successful sports psychologist who’s been in the industry virtually from the birth of the field.  He’s also the author of a recent book called Elite Minds and has a lot to teach anyone - whether you like sports or not. If you’re interested in performing your best in any field, be it business, sports, or life in general, this conversation is for you. IN THIS EPISODE WE CHAT ABOUT: How belief – more than training and talent combined – is responsible for your performance in every aspect of life. Abandoning your ego to improve performance. Expectation vs. Hope.  There’s a HUGE difference between expecting to win and wanting to win. How perfection and mistakes go hand-in-hand. Why profes

On a recent trip to Austin, Texas, I met up with the host of Entrepreneur Fitness, Brandon Epstein. Brandon has a strong interest in the role of thought, as it relates to fitness and well-being, and he himself has quite a success story, having been an overweight former college football player who turned it all around in just a few short months to become a competitive body builder and a sought after fitness model for some of the world's biggest fitness brands.  He's gone on to apply his experience to his clients and has been achieving similar results. His college thesis work was on the manipulation of brainwave states to enhance performance and health, and our conversation in-person was so enjoyable and thought provoking that I invited him on the show. It was a joy to sit for an hour and talk, and what came out of it was a great conversation with simple, practical advice that we all need to continuously hear.  We also get pretty personal and share some things that few know about either of u

On April 15th, 2013, the largest domestic terrorist incident since the 9/11 attack hit the city of Boston and the surrounding communities. Two bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring an estimated 264 others. What ensued was one of the largest and most complex tactical responses in the history of civilian law enforcement, involving an unprecedented shut-down of the city, multi-community collaboration, a pioneering use of social media to identify suspects as well as gun battles, car chases and further bombings.  It was an intense and harrowing man-hunt for the two terrorist responsible, ultimately ending in the successful capture of the one remaining suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. It could not have been accomplished without the thousands of well-trained law enforcement personnel and the astonishing assistance of civilians, but at the middle of it all was one figure, tying everything together – Boston Police Chief Daniel Linskey.  A

By all outward appearances, Tim Cannon looks like a fairly ordinary guy.  If you saw him on the streets of his hometown of Pittsburgh, he’d probably blend in. But on the inside, he’s far from ordinary.   What sets him apart are not only his several electronic implants that make him part cyborg, but the fact that he has done this himself – at home, outside of the lab, without the help of a team of surgeons, using affordable, safe, open-source technology. He’s the co-founder of an organization called Grindhouse Wetware, and he’s a biohacker, a do-it-yourself technologist pushing the limits of integrating technology with the human body – and he’s bringing it to the mainstream, so that it’s accessible to everyone. Tim joins me for a discussion of his own personal history with DIY biohacking and implantation, as well as some broader philosophical musings on technology, the state of the human condition and where we might be going tec

On this episode of Remarkably Human Radio, I chat with living sideshow legend and pain control expert Tim Cridland (aka Zamora the Torture King) about the extreme demonstrations of pain control that he performs on-stage, how and why he does it, and what the rest of us can learn from his experience. Tim Cridland is known worldwide for his demonstrations, which involve pushing large skewers through his body - directly through deep muscle tissue - with no pain, no blood and extremely rapid healing.  His many feats have made him a regular subject of documentaries and medical studies, and he travels the world lecturing and performing for a wide variety of clients. It gets real weird, real quick as we discuss everything from the mystical traditions of the Sufi dervishes to modern medical pain control techniques - we even weigh in on the paranormal, biofeedback and how Tim caused trouble in his home economics class as a kid. It's strange.  It's fun.  It's a great conversation with a truly remarka

Anti-aging and life extension technologies are rapidly accelerating, and some scientists, doctors and futurists believe that we are just a few decades away from being able to extend our lifespans indefinitely. But what happens if you're not in that younger generation? Or perhaps you are - but what happens if you die in an accident? Cryonics - the low-temperature preservation of the human body in hopes of future revival - is the topic of this episode of Remarkably Human Radio, and here to talk about it is Dr. Max More, President of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.   Dr. More tells us exactly what cryonics is and is not, helps us to separate science fact from science fiction, and shows us why the idea is not at all as far fetched as some might think.  It's a thorough and captivating introduction to the science, philosophy and practice of cryonics.

Most of us have heard of – or even practiced – what call we “curating.”  But Joel’s method of curating his experiences is nothing short of outsourcing human memory.  We chat about what he outsources, how he does it, and most importantly, the surprising ways in which it has changed his life significantly for the better. I must admit that I was a skeptic when I first picked up his book, but he quickly converted me into a believer, and I’m thrilled to have him on the show."DON’T LET YOUR EXPERIENCES HAPPEN TO YOU. LET YOUR EXPERIENCES MAKE BIG THINGS HAPPEN FOR YOU."

On the inaugural episode of Remarkably Human Radio, I chat with 5-time Arctic Man Champion Eric Heil about the human side of the "world's toughest downhill ski race."  He shares with us the history of the Arctic Man Competition, how he mentally rehearses for such an extreme performance (where the top competitors are skiing over 5 miles in under 4 minutes), and what happens when it all goes terribly wrong.