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Weekly · Sunday Morning

Five longevity claims.
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Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan 9–14%
NAD+ precursors reverse aging in humans
Blue-light glasses improve sleep quality
Walking 10 min after meals blunts glucose
Verdict change — caffeine half-life downgraded

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How to Make Better Decisions | Dr. Michael Platt — Whalespan

Content›Video›How to Make Better Decisions…

How to Make Better Decisions | Dr. Michael Platt

Andrew Huberman3h 49m · 2025-02-17

Support Rate

82%

250 of 305 claims supported

Support rate

250 of 305 claims supported

250 supported55 partial / not

Claims from this content

145

✓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 SupportedComprehensive blood testing is vital for detecting many aspects of mental and physical health, and Function Health offers this affordably.✓Well SupportedAndrew Huberman's mercury levels decreased after limiting tuna, increasing leafy greens, and supplementing with NAC.✓Well SupportedFunction offers over 100 advanced lab tests for comprehensive bodily health assessment.✓Well SupportedThe book 'Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body' offers scientifically substantiated protocols for sleep, exercise, stress control, and focus/motivation.

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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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N. Park

2d

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

✓Well SupportedEffective therapy provides rapport with a trusted individual, emotional support or directed guidance, and useful insights that can lead to significant life improvements.

✓Well SupportedDaily intake of AG1 has been observed to improve digestion, enhance immune system robustness, and optimize mood and mental focus.

✕Not SupportedNon-stick pans can contain toxic compounds like PFAS, which are linked to hormone disruption, gut microbiome disruption, and fertility problems.

✓Well SupportedMDMA's specific effect on social interactions provides a clue for understanding empathy.

✓Well SupportedOur Place's Always Pan Pro is a non-stick pan made of pure titanium without chemicals or coatings, free from PFAS and other harmful chemicals.

✓Well SupportedTestosterone may enhance the feeling of reward associated with effort.

✓Well SupportedFunction offers testing for toxins such as BPA and PFAS, and provides insights from expert doctors on how to address elevated levels.

✓Well SupportedTestosterone amplifies an individual's existing traits, such as sexual arousal, libido, aggressiveness, spontaneous aggression, and reactive aggression.

✓Well SupportedHaving a phone in the room where one is trying to learn something significantly diminishes performance on tasks like mathematics and learning.

✓Well SupportedAG1 primes the system for a healthy gut microbiome.

✓Well SupportedMDMA causes massive increases in oxytocin release, contributing to enhanced kinship and feelings of connection.

✓Well SupportedNAC (N-acetylcysteine) can support glutathione production and detoxification, and aid in reducing mercury levels.

✓Well SupportedAndrew Huberman has continued therapy with the same therapist, trained in psychoanalysis and other modalities, one to three times per week for over 30 years.

✓Well SupportedMoney can buffer stress by enabling the purchase of goods and services that provide help.

✓Well SupportedPanoramic vision can be relaxing and beneficial.

✓Well SupportedA network of brain areas in monkeys precisely tracks who owes whom in social grooming interactions.

✓Well SupportedMortality makes life meaningful by emphasizing the importance of choices within a limited timeframe.

◐Partially SupportedThe hypothesis that humans have two adjustable spotlights of attention is consistent with understanding how attention amplifies sensory signals.

✓Well SupportedCulturally accepted, consensual, casual physical touch signals to the nervous system and body that one is not isolated.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin administration in monkeys increases pro-social behavior.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin appears to increase internal state synchrony and awareness of a partner's emotional state, facilitating social bonds.

✓Well SupportedThe lack of intimate connection is as detrimental to physical health as smoking 1.5 packs of cigarettes daily.

✓Well SupportedBehavioral methods can increase endogenous release of neurochemicals that enhance arousal and attention as an alternative to pharmacology.

◐Partially SupportedBrain activity can align over time when individuals work through questions together, increasing liking and closeness.

◐Partially SupportedPassage through the vaginal canal during birth stimulates oxytocin and has a bidirectional effect on the mother-infant relationship in rodent models.

◐Partially SupportedThe human capacity for theory of mind develops from gaze following and joint attention.

✕Not SupportedConsuming more than four to five servings of alcohol per week is clearly not beneficial.

◐Partially SupportedThe ability to attend to one location with eyes while paying attention to the periphery is a unique feature of Old World primates.

✓Well SupportedAn income threshold of $75,000 does not significantly increase happiness.

◐Partially SupportedFocusing on a fixation point before cognitive work improves attention and performance.

◐Partially SupportedLip smacking is an affiliative gesture in macaques used to elicit attention or positive response.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin levels are difficult to measure accurately.

◐Partially SupportedWhen accuracy is paramount in decision-making, one should slow down and gather as much information as possible.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons in the cortex can respond specifically to individual identities.

◐Partially SupportedHigher testosterone levels in male traders are correlated with more aggressive decision-making and increased risk-taking in financial markets.

◐Partially SupportedScrolling through social media may hinder the ability to maintain focus on difficult cognitive tasks by training brief attention and frequent redirection.

✓Well SupportedLack of sleep exacerbates stress and anxiety, leading to regret and negative physical consequences.

◐Partially SupportedTestosterone can decrease cooperation by increasing confidence, leading individuals to believe they can succeed independently.

◐Partially SupportedDuring romantic interactions, individuals' autonomic nervous systems tend to synchronize at the level of heartbeats and breathing.

◐Partially SupportedEngaging in sustained cognitive tasks requires a brain warm-up period.

◐Partially SupportedUsing a nebulizer/aerosolizer for intranasal oxytocin delivery in monkeys ensures a more consistent and effective dose reaches the brain.

◐Partially SupportedMDMA has a profound impact on reducing anxiety, which is linked to its empathogenic properties.

◐Partially SupportedConsistency in moderate lifestyle habits contributes to longevity and health.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals can adjust their focus-exploration dial to increase focus or enhance exploration.

◐Partially SupportedDifficulty directing attention can result from training the brain to constantly redirect attention to new things.

◐Partially SupportedGiving to a beloved charity activates reward circuitry in the brain, similar to receiving a reward.

◐Partially SupportedBehavioral tools can increase endogenous release of neurochemicals that increase arousal and attention as an alternative to pharmacology.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons in the reward system are strongly activated by pictures of attractive females and dominant male faces.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain's circuitry for value-based decision-making can be flexible, allowing for selfless giving.

◐Partially SupportedChanging the environment by putting away devices enables focused work.

◐Partially SupportedProgress in life scales with the ability to focus on one thing for a period of time.

◐Partially SupportedThe optimal foraging strategy is to abandon a resource when its yield falls below the environmental average.

◐Partially SupportedNeural circuits involved in attention can be trained to drop into a focused state with greater signal-to-noise ratio.

◐Partially SupportedBounded rationality explains how brain and energetic constraints limit information processing, causing choice fatigue and decoy effects.

◐Partially SupportedEcological rationality posits that our brains are ill-suited for modern 'WEIRD' environments because they are adapted to an ancestral environment.

◐Partially SupportedConsciously controlling and ramping up the intensity of attention spotlights is an underutilized aspect of human cognition.

◐Partially SupportedHigh arousal levels can lead to speeding up, misjudging information, mistaking noise for signal, and correlating unrelated events, resulting in poor decisions.

◐Partially SupportedTasks involving foraging for dispersed points on a screen can increase subsequent exploratory behavior and creativity.

◐Partially SupportedGames mimicking soccer can numerically identify strategic planning abilities and theory of mind by eliciting specific brain circuits.

◐Partially SupportedNeural activity data supports the idea of limited attention spotlights.

◐Partially SupportedOffloading decision-making to an external person can be a strategy for execution when fatigued.

◐Partially SupportedPressure to make a quick decision that is not an emergency is likely a scam.

◐Partially SupportedThe valuation of things and people is based on proximity.

◐Partially SupportedFatigue causes individuals to prioritize speed over accuracy in decision-making tasks.

◐Partially SupportedIn primates, faces naturally capture attention unless neurological differences are present.

◐Partially SupportedThe loss of social touch is contributing to an epidemic of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and despair.

◐Partially SupportedIn non-human primates, males display dominance through physical features and females signal receptivity through perineal swelling.

◐Partially SupportedNeuroscience offers tools to directly measure traits like creativity, which are more accurate than self-reporting or traditional personality tests.

◐Partially SupportedPsychiatric medications like Ritalin and Adderall can help individuals with attention issues focus without diminishing their core drive.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin is an empathogen that raises dopamine and serotonin simultaneously.

◐Partially SupportedEntrepreneurs exhibit attention problem rates 2-4 times higher than the general population and this is often comorbid with anxiety and bipolar disorder.

◐Partially Supported100 jumping jacks is an effective warm-up for cardiovascular and resistance training, potentially diminishing injury risk by raising core body temperature.

◐Partially SupportedIndividual neurons can respond to approximately seven different factors simultaneously.

◐Partially SupportedHigher testosterone levels in men are associated with reduced cognitive reflection, leading to more impulsive responses and a greater likelihood of errors.

◐Partially SupportedExogenous androgens can help individuals maintain moderate to high testosterone levels, even with insufficient sleep, and enhance recovery.

◐Partially SupportedTestosterone and estrogen influence the perceived value of potential mates, friends, or co-workers.

◐Partially SupportedIntranasal administration of oxytocin allows it to be taken up by nerves in the sinuses and reach the brain.

◐Partially SupportedSustained, internally-directed thought without external input becomes easier after about 10 minutes.

◐Partially SupportedMaintaining attention and redirecting it without visual input can train the ability to maintain visual input during demanding cognitive tasks.

◐Partially SupportedControlled breathing or using a mantra can reduce arousal, allowing for better reliance on evidence over noise in decision-making.

◐Partially SupportedDeep conversation using structured sets of questions can help synchronize brain activity between individuals.

◐Partially SupportedBrain areas involved in theory of mind and empathy are larger in monkeys with more friends.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin release in females with an infant may lead to increased aggression towards males.

◐Partially SupportedSocial isolation is a significant driver of deaths of despair and declining fertility rates.

◐Partially SupportedGoing too fast in decision-making or work leads to mistakes that have later consequences.

◐Partially SupportedHunter-gatherer and horticulturalist societies generally exhibit better health and happiness compared to industrialized societies.

◐Partially SupportedPeople generally have more time to make decisions than they realize, except in immediate emergencies.

◐Partially SupportedThe minimal group experiments by Tajfel demonstrated that random assignment to groups (e.g., red team vs. blue team) immediately leads to dislike and negative stereotyping of the out-group.

◐Partially SupportedLoss aversion is the tendency to feel the pain of loss more than the pleasure of winning.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin is released during childbirth and maternal nursing, and in social creatures, it has been co-opted to play a role in relationships beyond offspring or partners.

◐Partially SupportedA sense of the passage of time and mortality becomes more visible in psychology with age.

◐Partially SupportedA balance between stimulus-response functioning and inward reflection using attention spotlights is essential for a well-lived life.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin is released during orgasm and may contribute to feelings of attachment.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin has a relaxing effect, reducing vigilance to threats and making individuals more chill.

◐Partially SupportedRetiring without engaging in new activities or pursuits can be a short path to decline and death.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons in the parietal cortex signal the expected value of different options, guiding choices.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals with higher social sensitivity are more likely to lose money in a market bubble.

◐Partially SupportedFocusing attention on positive aspects of life can amplify positive surprises and increase dopamine release.

◐Partially SupportedDecision-making processes rely on factors like good sleep and being well-rested, in addition to hormones like testosterone.

◐Partially SupportedMonkeys and humans value social information from high-status and attractive individuals.

◐Partially SupportedFatigue negatively impacts decision-making accuracy, particularly in physically demanding activities.

◐Partially SupportedThere is a lack of a clear, universally recognized equivalent to '100 jumping jacks' for cognitive work to enter a focused state.

◐Partially SupportedWarming up the brain for specific cognitive activities is not as commonly practiced or studied as warming up for physical exercise.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain likely calculates social exchanges on an individual basis, meaning five sentences of affirmation are not necessarily equivalent to five acts of service.

◐Partially SupportedHuman studies on intranasal oxytocin show significant variability and controversy, potentially due to inconsistent self-administration.

◐Partially SupportedThe purpose of attention is efficiency, as one cannot process everything simultaneously.

◐Partially SupportedDecision-making involves a probabilistic function with statistical noise, and after a choice is made, the brain forecasts the outcome and updates the system based on prediction accuracy.

◐Partially SupportedAn urgency signal in the anterior cingulate cortex is associated with moving on from depleting rewards.

◐Partially SupportedBiological aging imposes a time limit on making certain decisions.

◐Partially SupportedSerial monogamy in pursuits, dedicating 5-15 years to one before moving to the next, is associated with happiness and longevity.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain makes decisions by weighing evidence about alternatives against past information to compute expected values.

◐Partially SupportedUnspecialized sensors in hairy skin, stimulated by body temperature and pleasant touch, directly trigger oxytocin release.

◐Partially SupportedIncreased behavioral and physiological synchrony, mediated by hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin, serves as a biological marker of close relationships.

◐Partially SupportedFemale facial features change subtly throughout the ovulatory cycle and can influence attractiveness ratings.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin's primary role in early mammalian evolution was to build bonds between mother and baby, released during childbirth and nursing.

◐Partially SupportedEndocrine disruptors during pregnancy are linked to a diminishing effect on male taint size.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin can flatten social hierarchies and promote affiliation, which promotes feelings of safety and reduces anxiety.

◐Partially SupportedActivation of the reward system through dopamine reinforces behaviors, making them more likely to be repeated.

◐Partially SupportedFaster decisions tend to result in more mistakes due to a speed-accuracy trade-off.

◐Partially SupportedArginine vasopressin plays a role in social behavior, potentially more so in males.

◐Partially SupportedLevels of autonomic arousal, influenced by hormones, set the baseline for thinking, feeling, and action.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin and arginine vasopressin are ancient neurohormones present early in vertebrate evolution.

◐Partially SupportedAttention is a high-level functioning that can be developed and measured.

◐Partially SupportedOxytocin acts as a volume knob for pro-social interactions and other aspects of mental and emotional function.

◐Partially SupportedIncreased prefrontal cortex size in primates is associated with more complex social behaviors and decision-making.

◐Partially SupportedNeurons in distinct brain areas show indistinguishable modulation of firing rates in response to animal behaviors, social context, and the presence of other individuals.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals in their 70s in subsistence hunter-gatherer and horticulturalist groups appear as fit and lean as Westerners in their 30s or younger.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain's cortex is highly plastic and adaptive, allowing for recovery from behavioral deficits after lesions over time, unlike deeper brain structures where lesions cause permanent deficits.

◐Partially SupportedEmpathy and pro-social behavior can be restored by emphasizing shared group identity.

◐Partially SupportedCommittees with higher synchrony, indicated by synchronized heartbeats, are more likely to reach the correct decision on difficult problems compared to less synchronized committees.

◐Partially SupportedBehavioral and physiological synchrony can be measured as a biomarker for trust-building and teamwork interventions.

◐Partially SupportedEngaging in acts of pure giving provides a return on investment through positive subjective experience.

◐Partially SupportedSynchronization of behavior, including mirroring movements and postures, is a marker of strong relationships and good rapport.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals tend to attend more to potential losses than potential gains, especially when experiencing negative affect like anxiety or depression.

◐Partially SupportedHuman decision-making is highly malleable and can be subtly shifted by changes in context below conscious awareness.

◐Partially SupportedCreating a fake video depicting a needle stick to the cheek can elicit empathy signals in the brain.

◐Partially SupportedSocial isolation in chimpanzees can lead to self-neglect, immune issues, and death.

◐Partially SupportedTherapy is an important component of overall health.

◐Partially SupportedHigh-speed internet access leads to spending less time on any single resource compared to slow dial-up internet.

◐Partially SupportedIncreasing arousal may increase the likelihood of false positives and false negatives in perception.