alternative medicine

AMA with Brian Robertson. Rewatch the live AMA! Brian Robertson is the Holacracy founder now building a psychedelic church based on love, presence, and service

looks like I've been wrong and spreading misinformation about the disproven "triune brain theory".

The final—and most important—problem with this mistaken view is the implication that anatomical evolution proceeds in the same fashion as geological strata, with new layers added over existing ones. Instead, much evolutionary change consists of transforming existing parts. 

- From https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721420917687#con1

I have definitely made this mistake, many many times.

I'm not sure yet the implications of recognizing instead that "all vertebrates possess the same basic brain regions, here divided into the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain;" in some ways it seems like a nuance, but in other ways I think it'll shift how I see things and talk about things. 

more quotes in case you don't read the article:

neural and anatomical complexity evolved repeatedly within many independent lineages

the correct view of evolution is that animals radiated from common ancestors (Fig. 1c). Within these radiations, complex nervous systems and sophisticated cognitive abilities evolved independently many times. For example, cephalopod mollusks, such as octopus and cuttlefish, possess tremendously complex nervous systems and behavior (Mather & Kuba, 2013), and the same is true of some insects and other arthropods (Barron & Klein, 2016; Strausfeld, Hansen, Li, Gomez, & Ito, 1998). Even among nonmammalian vertebrates, brain complexity has increased independently several times, particularly among some sharks, teleost fishes, and birds (Striedter, 1998).

The idea that larger brains can be equated with increased behavioral complexity is highly debatable (Chittka & Niven, 2009). 

What cool new technologies are you seeing emerge? How do we know we can trust them? Curious about all, but I'd especially love to see non-AI versions, like:

• New batteries for solar: storing heat in big piles of dirt
• A while back Tommy mentioned cowfart backpacks
• Maybe it's something old for you, but we're not in your field so we don't know about it yet

Even though a lot of what we share won't make it, for a variety of reasons, I always find get an overview of the cool stuff humans are creating really inspiring and hopeful.

What will the future literally look like? This idea comes from watching Mad Men- seeing smoking and drinking freely at the office for example, and my brother once pointing out that if a show or movie ever wanted to make it really clear that it was set in the 1990’s, all they’d have to do is have multiple people driving Saturn cars.

So here are a few of what I think (hope) the future will literally look like:

Gas stations will be very rare, and parking spaces will almost always have charging stations.

Having a garage in homes will be rare because car ownership will be rare. Using self-driving Uber-esque systems will be way more affordable, and car ownership then will be similar to antique car ownership now.

Lawns will be very rare, and permaculture-style of local fauna that doesn’t need care, upkeep, or watering will be common.

What do you think the future will look like?

How do we realign the incentives in Healthcare to actually support wellbeing? Currently, there are many conflicts of interest and misaligned incentives in the Western medical system. For example, Doctors by default fight for their patients to live as long as possible, even when that’s not what might actually benefit the patient’s overall wellbeing (or even when it contradicts the patient’s stated preferences), because they rightfully fear litigation for not doing enough.

In general, the medical system is full of multi-polar traps like this. Collaboration and humility and vulnerability are devalued, because unless everyone simultaneously were to adopt them (which would actually benefit everyone), then individuals suffer for adopting them.

How do we realign the incentives in Healthcare to actually support wellbeing? Currently, there are many conflicts of interest and misaligned incentives in the Western medical system. For example, Doctors by default fight for their patients to live as long as possible, even when that’s not what might actually benefit the patient’s overall wellbeing (or even when it contradicts the patient’s stated preferences), because they rightfully fear litigation for not doing enough.

In general, the medical system is full of multi-polar traps like this. Collaboration and humility and vulnerability are devalued, because unless everyone simultaneously were to adopt them (which would actually benefit everyone), then individuals suffer for adopting them.

What's your view on EMFs? What do you belief about EMFs? I keep hearing seemingly reputable people warning about them. My husband says the argument isn’t scientifically sound. If you think EMFs are harmful, why, and how do you reduce exposure? I use wireless headphones a lot- my phone not so much.

Anyone drinking molecular hydrogen rich water? A friend of mine bought a water bottle that turns regular water into hydrogen rich water. She’s been drinking this water for several months and swears by it. She says she has more energy, recovers easily from physical exercise, and her senses are heightened.

The water bottle is distributed by a MLM. I thought it was a new thing. But I researched and was surprised to see how popular molecular hydrogen rich water is.

I’ll usually an early adopter of stuff like this but I’m hesitant because the long-term effects are not known.

Is there anyone drinking this stuff? What has your experience been?

Anyone drinking molecular hydrogen rich water? A friend of mine bought a water bottle that turns regular water into hydrogen rich water. She’s been drinking this water for several months and swears by it. She says she has more energy, recovers easily from physical exercise, and her senses are heightened.

The water bottle is distributed by a MLM. I thought it was a new thing. But I researched and was surprised to see how popular molecular hydrogen rich water is.

I’ll usually an early adopter of stuff like this but I’m hesitant because the long-term effects are not known.

Is there anyone drinking this stuff? What has your experience been?

Anyone drinking molecular hydrogen rich water? A friend of mine bought a water bottle that turns regular water into hydrogen rich water. She’s been drinking this water for several months and swears by it. She says she has more energy, recovers easily from physical exercise, and her senses are heightened.

The water bottle is distributed by a MLM. I thought it was a new thing. But I researched and was surprised to see how popular molecular hydrogen rich water is.

I’ll usually an early adopter of stuff like this but I’m hesitant because the long-term effects are not known.

Is there anyone drinking this stuff? What has your experience been?

Anyone drinking molecular hydrogen rich water? A friend of mine bought a water bottle that turns regular water into hydrogen rich water. She’s been drinking this water for several months and swears by it. She says she has more energy, recovers easily from physical exercise, and her senses are heightened.

The water bottle is distributed by a MLM. I thought it was a new thing. But I researched and was surprised to see how popular molecular hydrogen rich water is.

I’ll usually an early adopter of stuff like this but I’m hesitant because the long-term effects are not known.

Is there anyone drinking this stuff? What has your experience been?

What antioxidant supplements are you taking? What’s your view of antioxidant supplements? I hear don’t take them near a workout and that makes sense. What about at all?

Antioxidants donate an electron to unstable cells. What doses are too high and cause unstable cells?

What are you taking yourself? How did you decide?