Huberman Lab Podcast Review

Paula Szlendak, Year 2

How much does an average person know about the physiology of the human brain? Probably very little. What if we asked an ‘ordinary Joe’ if they possess tools to positively shift their cognitive and emotional abilities (without the use of psychoactive substances, that is)? Except for some meditation and mindfulness fanatics, there would probably be few such persons among the public. Dr. Andrew Huberman’s mission is to change that status quo.

This professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology from Stanford University School of Medicine is the creator of Huberman Lab podcast – one of the wittiest, most fascinating and fact-dense podcasts I’ve ever come across. The show discusses neuroscience in relation to human behaviours, perception and health, with a focus on understanding an underlying mechanism and what can be done to optimise that function. Huberman is like a combination of a cool uncle and badass scientist, whose passion for all things brain-related is truly infectious. In each of his solo-episodes he tackles a neurobiological mystery (emotions, stress, motivation, creativity) and explains the physiological basis of it in a simple and accessible way. Huberman Lab also hosts other scientists keen to share their expertise. 

Providing a bit more background about the author himself, Andrew Huberman is a respected researcher who for more than 20 years has consistently published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, such as Nature, Current Biology and Neuron. He has particular interests in neural regeneration, neuroplasticity and optimal performance in states of stress, fear and focus. Being a member of several National Institutes of Health review panels, he regularly consults for health policies.

What is remarkable about the Huberman Lab podcast is that it aims to not only educate its listeners, but more importantly equip them with real tools to actively change the way they think and feel. Of course, you probably won’t gain superhuman abilities of brain-control after listening to one episode. However, Huberman’s podcast can provide you with basic understanding of the most complex creation in the universe – the brain, and even (to some extent) help you control the way your brain works. Pretty cool, right?

To give an idea of what to expect from the podcast, here’s a summary of one of the recent episodes ‘The Science of Making and Breaking Habits’, which might be just the advice we need to stick to those New Year’s resolutions for longer than a month. This episode discusses the science of habit formation/elimination and in particular the neuroplasticity that underlies it.  Habit formation relies very much so on the brain states at specific times of day and our ability to overcome a ‘friction’ associated with certain tasks. There is also a link between habit consolidation and how long we implement an action for – hence, the famous 21-day habit challenge. Huberman introduces an interesting take on strengthening existing habits called “task bracketing”, which is meant to rewire neural circuits in the basal ganglia. Understanding these processes could prove useful for building better habits for work, school, fitness and even relationships.

We often feel like our mental states are out of our control, like we can’t really do much about the motivation levels, attention span or emotional states we experience daily.  I personally find that educating myself about neuroscience and easy behavioural tools helps me feel more in-tune with myself and in-control of my ‘monkey brain’. We can all benefit from getting to know our brains – and as a result, ourselves – a little bit better.