In this episode, Evgeny sits down with Professor Tim Spector and Dr Federica Amati - two of the leading scientific voices behind personalised nutrition company ZOE - to rethink everything we’ve been told about food.

From the myth of “good” and “bad” fats to calorie-counting obsessions, Tim and Federica uncover why so much of our nutritional advice is outdated, over-simplified - and in some cases, actively harmful. They unpack how ultra-processed foods and constant snacking damage our gut, why breakfast is not magically the most important meal of the day, and how time-restricted eating might be the key to optimising your daily health.

At the core of their discussion is a simple idea: eat for your gut microbes. 

This episode was produced by Message Heard and The Standard.

Producer: Florence de Schlichting

Production Coordinator: James Cox

Production Manager: Kirsty McLean

Video Editor: Nani Wenani

The Standard team:

Joe Bromley

Will Rogers-Coltman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the first episode of Season 4 of Brave New World.

This time, Evgeny is joined by Steven Bartlett to talk about mindset, ambition and the future. He shares how he manages “a million tabs” without burning out, why self-empathy boosts performance, and how a humiliating paddle match taught him a breakthrough lesson on failure.

He opens up about growing up in poverty and shame, the influence of his mum, and why the biggest entrepreneurial lesson he learned was simply: have an idea, then do it.

Steven unpacks the thinking behind his book Just F**ing Do It, the neuroscience of hard things, his obsession with 1% gains, and why his company has a “Head of Failure.”

The conversation expands to happiness, arrival fallacy, AI, humanoid robots, the future of work, the creator economy, and why he’d homeschool his future kids to double down on uniquely human skills.

This episode was produced by Message Heard and The London Standard.

Producer: Florence de Schlichting

Production Coordinator: James Cox

Production Manager: Kirsty McLean

Video Editor: Nani Wenani

The Standard team:

Joe Bromley

Will Rogers-Coltman

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Evgeny Lebedev talks about the remarkable potential of ketamine with Dr John Krystal, Professor of neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine. 

Their discussion delves into the world of neurology, what ketamine actually does to our brain and the importance of glutamate receptors in treating depression. Ketamine may have gotten bad press after Friends actor Matthew Perry died of an overdose while receiving treatment with the drug, but for Dr Krystal, it is a critically overlooked solution to the epidemic of mental illness.

Also in this episode:

• Ketamine’s complicated history starting in the 1950s
• The real reason depression leads to suicide
• Why ketamine is effective at dealing with trauma
• The detailed procedure of ketamine therapy 
• The importance of ketamine’s “narrow window” dosage
• Ketamine’s reputation and why it needs to change

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, we are excited to be joined by Peter Attia: a longevity expert, physician, and bestselling author.

Peter’s podcast, The Drive, is one of the most popular in the world. Through it, he’s brought cutting edge science to the masses, sharing tips and tricks, some of which are still experimental, on how to boost your chances of ageing well.

Tune into Peter and Evgeny’s conversation on what the former calls “Medicine 3.0” — his blueprint for good health — and how happiness is essential to longevity, not just a bonus. “It doesn’t matter how healthy you are,” Peter says, “if the most important relationships in your life are not happy.”

Topics covered include: 

• The difference between health span and lifespan
• How AI can revolutionise clinical trials and the development of new medicines 
• ⁠How to regulate glucose levels
• Tips to reducing caloric intake
• Why cancer immunity is under-researched
• How to prevent heart disease
• ⁠Debunking the biggest myths around nutrition

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evgeny Lebedev joins Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a visionary in biomedical gerontology and co-founder of the SENS Research Foundation.

Known for his radical approach to ageing, Dr. de Grey discusses why some need to awaken from a "pro-ageing trance".

What’s Aubrey’s biological age?

In this episode:

• Why we don’t “have” to age
• Reversing cellular aging
• The ethical questions surrounding life extension
• The societal shifts we might expect if ageing becomes a treatable condition
• The science behind extending the human healthspan

Plus more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show Evgeny Lebedev is in conversation with the Oscar-winning actor, Dame Helen Mirren.

They discuss everything from the evolution of fashion to the contemporary media landscape.

“It’s so sad that Kurt Cobain died when he did, because he never got to see GPS”

Also in this episode:

• The evolution of technology and why Helen is grateful to have been around in a world without it
• How young people rediscover previously forgotten tech and bring it back to life
• Helen reflects on spirituality, the power of belief and how it shapes our lives, but why she doesn't believe in God.
• Russian heritage and the complexities of her identity
• How Helen stays youthful, both in body and mind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evgeny Lebedev is joined by Jim Poole, chairman, president and chief executive of neuroscience company Solace Life Sciences.

The company owns NuCalm, a technology designed to reduce stress and improve sleep without recourse to drugs.

You may have even spotted the Duchess of Sussex wearing one of their stress relief patches.

In this episode, Evgeny and Jim explore the evolution of the human brain, anxiety and how to deregulate the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped part of the brain that plays a central role, which Jim says ‘feeds on fear’.

In this episode:

• The current state of brain understanding
• Brain psychology and its evolution
• The autonomic nervous system and how it shapes everything from stress to relaxation
• Ho to control anxious thoughts
• How to downregulate the amygdala, the part of the brain that triggers intense fear responses
• Different frequencies in the brain and how they influence mental states
• Why “the Western world may be leading the cause” of anxiety

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re joined by one of the most famous faces of alternative medicine on the planet, Deepak Chopra. 

The world-renowned author, health and wellness expert has been at the intersection of science and spirituality for nearly 50 years.

Deepak sits down with host Evgeny Lebedev to mark the release of his 95th book ‘Digital Dharma’. He explains why artificial intelligence is the key to unlocking both personal and spiritual growth, and why humanity is at a crucial crossroads with technology. One of those roads, he says, "leads to the extinction of humanity."

Other topics discussed in this episode: 

• Ideas for a preventative health service in the UK & beyond
• How VR is going to lead the future of therapeutics 
• Why 'living our best life' needs to be more than just a soundbite 
• How technology can change our biology 
• What is consciousness, and why science alone doesn’t have the answer
• Digital Deepak, his new AI twin dispensing medical and spiritual advice
• Mortality and longevity 

Get in touch with us at [email protected] 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there such a thing as perfect sleep? Leading expert in circadian neuroscience from Oxford University, Professor Russell Foster, joins host Evgeny Lebedev, to explain the science behind nighttime slumber and why it's crucial to living our best lives awake. 

The pair discuss everything from sleep hygiene, our circadian rhythm and body clocks, the impact of technology before bed and whether it actually affects us, the myths, and even some tips to improve longevity. This episode also includes excerpts from Eight Sleep founder Matteo Franceschetti, the pop star Rita Ora, and the author and actress Davinia Taylor.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Is sleep an indulgence?
• How a bad culture of sleep was heightened in the 1980s
• Can poor sleep link to dementia?
• The different types of sleep: Deep and Rem
• The science of our dreams
• Understanding how circadian rhythms work and how they relate to our genetic makeup
• The perfect recipe for a nap
• Sleeping pills and memory loss
• Are sleep apps worth the hype?
• The critical role of body temperature
• Sleep myths: Cheese and dreams, sipping Horlicks and counting sheep
• Rita Ora’s sleep routine

Get in touch with us at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Brave New World, we’re turning our attention to nootropics and neuroscience. 

Nootropics are drugs and supplements which proponents say can boost alertness, increase focus, and improve memory. 

Today, Evgeny Lebedev meets Nootopia founder Mark Effinger, AKA Mr Noots. Since launching in 2004, Nootopia has helped 300,000 people- including doctors, biohackers, and fitness instructors- unlock their potential. 

The two discuss:

- The Nootopia lab and its research methods 

- Mark’s journey from child prodigy to entrepreneur 

- How the loss of his wife was the catalyst for Mark to start Nootopia

- Why everyone has an ‘inherent Achilles heel’

-The complexities of ADHD treatment

-Natural ways to rebuild neural pathways 

Plus more… 

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave us a review and rating. The next episode will drop on 22 Aug.

Drop us a line at [email protected]

Disclaimer: you should always seek own medical advice.

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In this episode of Brave New World, billionaire entrepreneur Christian Angermayer and Olympic athlete James Magnussen – who's been offered $1 million if he wins the competition's 100m freestyle swimming race – talk to Evgeny about taking part in the most radical sports event ever conceived; where doping is not just allowed but encouraged. 

Christian talks about: 

• Dropping out of university and becoming an entrepreneur 
• Why he believes medical psychedelics will be available to prescribe within a couple of years
• How psychedelics can help us cope with change, AI panic and our fear of the "new reality"
• How Ozempic has changed the game for pharmaceutical companies 
• Why alcohol is "the worse drug of all" 
• How the Enhanced Games will actually improve drug testing at the Olympics 
• How most athletes struggle to make ends meet – and how the competition will help them earn proper money 

James talks about:

• How the Enhanced Games have given him fresh purpose
• Why he isn’t worried about using testosterone to “juice to the gills” – safe for the impact on his fertility 
• Why stigma persists around performance enhancing drugs
• Why this could become one of the biggest industries in the world 

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow, leave us a review and vote in the poll below. The next episode will drop on 8 August.

Get in touch with us at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.