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Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan 9–14%
NAD+ precursors reverse aging in humans
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Walking 10 min after meals blunts glucose
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The Science of Creativity & How to Enhance Creative Innovation — Whalespan

Content›Video›The Science of Creativity & …

The Science of Creativity & How to Enhance Creative Innovation

Andrew Huberman2h 17m · 2022-12-19

Support Rate

90%

190 of 212 claims supported

Support rate

190 of 212 claims supported

190 supported22 partial / not

Claims from this content

101

✓Well SupportedAG1 is a vitamin, mineral, probiotic drink with adaptogens designed to meet foundational nutritional needs and provide insurance for adequate fruit and vegetable intake.✓Well SupportedAndrew Huberman drinks Athletic Greens twice a day, typically once in the morning and again in the afternoon or late afternoon, mixed with water and lemon or lime juice.✓Well SupportedInside Tracker's platform provides actionable protocols to adjust blood markers into ideal ranges for health.✓Well SupportedRegular blood work is essential for monitoring factors impacting immediate and long-term health.✓Well SupportedAG1 supports the gut microbiome, which in turn supports the immune system and the gut-brain axis, impacting mood, energy, focus, and overall mental and physical health.

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A. Volkovreader

4h

Bookmarking — the dossier-vs-overview split is the right call. Most of the time I want overview; sometimes I want receipts.

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Would love a "what would change this verdict" RSS feed. Sign me up if it exists.

✓Well SupportedDaily NSDR or yoga nidra can proactively refill the dopamine reservoir, especially during periods of high output.

✓Well SupportedRegular caffeine ingestion increases the number and efficacy of dopamine receptors in the brain's reward pathways.

✓Well SupportedMomentous supplements are recommended for their single-ingredient formulations, varied dosages, and high quality for personalized supplement protocols.

✓Well SupportedThe Huberman Lab Podcast's free newsletter, 'The Neural Network Newsletter,' provides monthly summaries of podcast episodes and specific protocols.

✓Well SupportedL-tyrosine taken at 500-1000mg can increase focus without causing jitteriness or overstimulation.

✓Well SupportedFor regular caffeine users abstaining for 2-15 days, 1-3 mg/kg body weight of caffeine 30 minutes before an event can enhance mental performance.

✓Well SupportedChildren with ADHD can exhibit intense focus on enjoyable activities, indicating an altered attention activation threshold.

✓Well SupportedCreativity involves a transition from divergent thinking (high dopamine) to convergent thinking (low dopamine).

✓Well SupportedElectrolyte drinks with sodium, magnesium, and potassium without sugar are important for optimal brain and body function and hydration.

✓Well SupportedExercise can increase dopamine levels two times above baseline for individuals who enjoy the activity.

✓Well SupportedBrief meditation sessions of around 13 minutes can improve working memory.

✓Well SupportedL-tyrosine is an amino acid that serves as a precursor for dopamine synthesis.

✓Well SupportedThesis uses phosphatidylserine and alpha GPC in their nootropics to optimize brain and body states.

✓Well SupportedPhenylethylamine (PEA) increases dopamine and dopamine-related metabolites, enhancing energy, well-being, and motivation.

✓Well SupportedOpen observer meditation can restore engagement in focus and enhance creativity and creative problem-solving.

✓Well SupportedPracticing meditation for divergent and convergent thinking improves these skills.

✓Well SupportedThe improvement in divergent thinking from open monitoring meditation is due to increased activity in dopamine circuits along the nigrostriatal pathway.

✓Well SupportedMeditation-induced consciousness can increase dopamine and enhance creativity.

✓Well SupportedDopamine increases gonadotropin-releasing hormone, LH, and FSH, stimulating estrogen and testosterone release.

✓Well SupportedDopamine controls the rate of blinking, which influences attention, focus, and time perception.

✓Well SupportedMicrodosing psilocybin daily for several weeks at dosages that do not induce hallucinations appears to increase divergent thinking ability.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons require sodium, potassium, and magnesium to fire action potentials and perform functions.

◐Partially SupportedThe nigrostriatal dopamine circuit is engaged during divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedA meditation and NSDR practice of 10-30 minutes (up to an hour) should be followed within 5-15 minutes by a practice of divergent thinking to explore creative solutions.

◐Partially SupportedFocused attention meditation enhances the ability to focus.

✓Well SupportedOpen monitoring meditation involves allowing whatever surfaces in the mind to surface without judgment, typically for 10 to 30 minutes.

◐Partially SupportedDopaminergic compounds like Ritalin, Adderall, and Modafinil are prescribed to treat ADHD by increasing dopamine levels.

◐Partially SupportedThe dopamine system evolved primarily for the pursuit of rewarding activities related to food, reproduction, and avoiding environmental extremes.

◐Partially SupportedConvergent thinking relies on persistence and focus to arrive at a specific answer, utilizing distinct brain circuits from divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedBoth divergent and convergent thinking are necessary for creativity, regardless of natural aptitude or acquired skills.

◐Partially SupportedThe mesolimbic reward pathway is crucial for motivation and can lead to addiction to substances or behaviors.

◐Partially SupportedEngaging in both divergent and convergent thinking activities, particularly between ages 5 and 25, enhances the ability for both.

◐Partially SupportedDrugs that block dopamine receptors can cause tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder.

◐Partially SupportedElevated dopamine levels enhance divergent and convergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedThe executive network, primarily involving the prefrontal cortex, governs executive functions such as suppressing action and eliminating choices.

◐Partially SupportedAndrew Huberman wears sunglasses when driving and reading at night, but not during morning sunlight exposure.

◐Partially SupportedHigh THC cannabis can enhance divergent thinking, but may impair coherent implementation or recall.

◐Partially SupportedRepeatedly engaging a specific neural circuit through practice strengthens that circuit, making it easier to engage.

◐Partially SupportedStimulants like caffeine should not be used prior to divergent thinking but can be used prior to convergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedExploring movement patterns that do not require conscious attention can enhance divergent thinking and creativity.

◐Partially SupportedThere is no known dopamine-related pharmacology that selectively increases dopamine in the pathway associated with divergent thinking and creativity.

◐Partially SupportedMeditation can be viewed as a perceptual exercise to access different understandings of experience.

◐Partially SupportedBiological processes, including metabolic and thermoregulatory ones, are dynamic processes (verbs) rather than static events (nouns).

◐Partially SupportedPhysical movement, such as pacing or walking, can enhance divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedWalking while talking into a voice recorder or simply walking without focusing on any specific sensory input can benefit individuals who find seated creativity challenging.

◐Partially SupportedMovement engages nigrostriatal pathways, fostering creativity by allowing idea intersection.

◐Partially SupportedThe mesocortical pathway is involved in motivation, emotion, focus, and persistence.

◐Partially SupportedTools and interventions exist to enhance convergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedNarrative and storytelling can access neuroplasticity, enhance memory, and foster creativity.

◐Partially SupportedUnderstanding how dopamine pathways differentially engage divergent and convergent thinking can enhance creativity.

✕Not SupportedMicrodosing psilocybin can cause off-target effects by affecting multiple brain circuits.

◐Partially SupportedConvergent thinking requires accessing memory and understanding of the external world with focus and persistence.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain has three major neural networks involved in creativity: the executive network, the default mode network, and the salience network.

◐Partially SupportedThe default mode network functions as a catalog of past experiences for creating new ideas.

◐Partially SupportedActivities like walking, running, cycling, swimming, hiking, or pacing can activate pseudo-random neural pathways that are normally less active when still.

◐Partially SupportedIllicit drugs and dopamine D2 receptor blockers increase or decrease dopamine non-selectively across major dopaminergic pathways.

◐Partially SupportedHigh dopamine levels from conditions like manic bipolar disorder or methamphetamine/cocaine use can paradoxically result in poor divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedSerotonin, particularly via the 5-HT2A receptor, underlies brain activity for divergent and convergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedPrescription drugs that increase dopamine should only be taken under the supervision of a psychiatrist or physician.

◐Partially SupportedBehavioral tools and pharmacology can be used to access divergent and convergent thinking, which are neural circuits underlying creativity.

✕Not SupportedThe popular concept of 'dopamine hits' often describes compulsive behaviors rather than active seeking driven by positive anticipation.

◐Partially SupportedBehavioral tools for enhancing creativity should be prioritized over pharmacology because they are often safer, easier to adjust, and can offer greater specificity.

◐Partially SupportedLying motionless with eyes closed for 10-30 minutes, focusing on relaxation and long exhales, favors brain states associated with divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedDuring NSDR-like practices, decreased readiness for action correlates with increased visual imagery and divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedRegular practice of research-tested tools for divergent and convergent thinking can improve creativity.

◐Partially SupportedReducing bodily movement during practices like NSDR or yoga nidra is essential for engaging divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedThe idea of hidden geniuses spontaneously possessing vast knowledge without formal learning is exceedingly rare and likely does not exist.

◐Partially SupportedThe default mode network is engaged when attention is turned inward, away from sensory input, and is crucial for spontaneous imagination based on memory of past experiences.

◐Partially SupportedFor individuals in a very good mood, it is better to avoid activities or pharmacology that further increase dopamine and to limit external stimuli when engaging in divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedAlcohol, in very low doses, can enhance divergent thinking by reducing prefrontal cortex activation.

◐Partially SupportedLMNT electrolyte drink is suitable for ketogenic, low carbohydrate, Paleolithic, or omnivore diets.

◐Partially SupportedA good mood facilitates divergent thinking, potentially due to increased dopamine levels.

◐Partially SupportedPharmacology can enhance creativity but may cause off-target effects when safe and legal.

✕Not SupportedAlcohol consumption in excess of two drinks per week is associated with cancer-promoting and toxic effects.

◐Partially SupportedAssessing baseline dopamine levels in the nigrostriatal circuit by mood can help leverage tools for creative processes.

◐Partially SupportedDeveloping creativity in a domain requires foundational knowledge and skills in that domain.

◐Partially SupportedBrainstorming is a useful exercise for divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedTo engage in divergent thinking, it is necessary to suppress autobiographical narratives and judgments.

◐Partially SupportedTraining divergent and convergent thinking can be achieved through regular practice.

◐Partially SupportedElevated dopamine is required for divergent thinking, but excessive levels inhibit it.

◐Partially SupportedThere are four major dopamine-utilizing circuits in the brain, each serving distinct purposes.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine is involved in neural circuits that motivate actions in the external world.

◐Partially SupportedThe visual system encodes information in two and three dimensions.

✕Not SupportedFurther increasing dopamine when already in a very good mood is detrimental to divergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedDivergent thinking taps into brain networks involved in mental flexibility, specifically areas of the prefrontal cortex that generate multiple options.

◐Partially SupportedThe creative process involves idea generation, testing, and implementation, supported by distinct neural networks.

◐Partially SupportedUnderstanding the functions of brain areas is more important for creativity than knowing their names.

◐Partially SupportedThe human visual system suppresses repetitive patterns and highlights unusual features.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals can learn to calibrate and assess their mood on a scale of 1 to 10 to determine if a dopamine-elevating stimulus is needed.

◐Partially SupportedWhen neural circuits encounter known elements in novel ways, dopamine and other neuromodulators are released.

◐Partially SupportedL-Tyrosine can enhance dopamine transmission across multiple brain pathways.

◐Partially SupportedParkinson's disease involves selective dopamine deficits in the substantia nigra, leading to movement issues and reduced blinking.

◐Partially SupportedPsilocybin is illegal in most areas but is being explored in clinical trials for depression, trauma, and eating disorders, often with macrodoses.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine acts within four different brain networks, two of which are relevant to divergent and convergent thinking.

◐Partially SupportedPharmacology can cause off-target effects, whereas behavioral tools can offer more specificity.

◐Partially SupportedDivergent thinking, relying on memory and logical association, is creativity's main neural engine.