Mind & Matter Newsletter

M&M written content is human-generated, independently researched, and filled with links to resources to deepen your learning. Click here to see all the ways you can support this work.

Wide release: February 9, 2026. Not medical advice. TOPICS DISCUSSED: Cerebral cortex structure: Described as a six-layered structure with pyramidal neurons and inhibitory interneurons; information flows between layers and regions to process sensory input and enable complex behaviors.

Wide release: February 4, 2026. Not medical advice. TOPICS DISCUSSED: Biased agonism: Different drugs activate the same receptor (e.g., 5-HT2A) but trigger varied intracellular pathways, explaining why LSD is psychedelic while similar lisuride is not. Enantiomers & isomers: Mirror-image versions of drugs like MDMA (S and R forms) and LSD (four isomers) often produce distinct effects; only one LSD isomer is psychedelic, for example.

Wide release date: December 26, 2025. Topics Discussed: Maternal care behavior in rodents: Nursing, pup retrieval, grooming, and nest-building, essential for altricial pups’ survival; conserved across mammals but varies by species. Hormonal changes in pregnancy: Estradiol and progesterone surge then drop at birth, crossing the blood-brain barrier to enable infant attraction and care via gene expression and neuroplasticity.

Weight loss drugs past and present have worked along the pathway linking dietary PUFAs to body fat. Not medical advice. M&M written content is human-generated, independently researched, and filled with links to resources to deepen your learning. Click here to see all the ways you can support my work. This post is one of several exploring the relationship between dietary ω-6 polyunsaturated fats and obesity, fatty liver disease, and adiposity generally.

Wide release date: December 21, 2025. Topics Discussed: Historical trends in soybean oil use: Consumption increased dramatically since the 1960s due to farming subsidies, now providing over 10% of calories for many Americans, far exceeding the 1-2% required biologically. Soybean oil’s effects in mice: Diets with 8-10% linoleic acid cause obesity, fatty liver, and diabetes over weeks, unlike coconut oil diets; effects persist even after diet switch unless combined with fasting.

Wide release date: December 17, 2025. Topics Discussed: Evolutionary context of circadian rhythms: All organisms have adapted to Earth’s 24-hour day for survival, with internal clocks slightly offset and adjusted by environmental cues. Molecular clock mechanism: Involves a feedback loop where proteins turn on/off genes, lasting ~24 hours, regulated by phosphorylation and degradation for timing precision.

Wide release date: December 12, 2025. Topics Discussed: Organs have different fuel preferences: brain strongly prefers glucose, heart prefers fatty acids, skeletal muscle is flexible and likes fat/ketones. Humans evolved with high metabolic flexibility; regular ketosis was normal for ancestors, but today most people never experience it. “Keto flu” is largely glucose withdrawal plus electrolyte/sodium loss; proper salt and hydration prevent most symptoms.

Wide release date: December 7, 2025. Topics Discussed: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): Omega-6 from seed oils like safflower and corn can convert to pro-inflammatory molecules, while omega-3s produce resolving ones; imbalance biases toward chronic inflammation. Inflammation regulation: Acute inflammation aids healing but requires active “on” and “off” signals from lipid mediators; chronic inflammation arises from excess omega-6, delaying resolution.

Wide release date: December 2, 2025. Topics Discussed: Epidemiology basics: Studies disease influences using observational designs like case-control and prospective cohorts, plus trials, to identify patterns and test hypotheses. Hierarchy of evidence critique: Rejects rigid pyramids favoring RCTs, as all studies can be biased; advocates triangulation integrating varied data types for robust conclusions.