How Your Brain Works & Changes

Today’s episode provides an introduction to how the nervous system works to create sensations, perceptions, emotions, thoughts and behaviors, as well as how we can change our nervous system—a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. The information sets the stage for all Huberman Lab podcast episodes that follow by covering neurons, synapses, brain chemicals and the rhythms that control our ability to focus, learn and sleep… and more. Thank you for your interest in science. We'll see you next week! Access the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: http://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:25) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:07:57) What is the Nervous System (00:7:25) Deja Vu (00:08:09) How War, Guns & Soap Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain (00:10:47) Jennifer Aniston Neurons (00:11:58) Sensations (00:13:30) Magnetic Sensing & Mating (00:14:51) Perceptions & The Spotlight of Attention (00:16:33) Multi-Tasking Is Real (00:17:45) Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Control of Behavior (00:18:38) Focusing the Mind (00:21:47) Antidepressants (00:25:01) Thoughts & Thought Control (00:25:56) Actions (00:30:40) How We Control Our Impulses (00:33:44) Neuroplasticity: The Holy Grail of Neuroscience (00:38:34) The Portal to Neuroplasticity (00:43:53) Accelerating Learning in Sleep (00:47:29) The Pillar of Plasticity (00:52:22) Leveraging Ultradian Cycles & Self Experimentation (00:57:17) Summary (00:58:03) Zero-Cost Support, Feedback, Reviews Disclaimer