Mind & Matter

Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers about how your body & mind react to what they're fed. New episodes weekly. Not medical advice. mindandmatter.substack.com

Mind & Matter is a science podcast hosted by Nick Jikomes, with 255 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Nick Jikomes hosts Mind & Matter, a science show with 255 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Mind & Matter

  Bile Acids in Health & Metabolic Disease

  Feb 20, 202653 minS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Wide release: February 28, 2026. Not medical advice.</p><p>TOPICS DISCUSSED:</p><p>* Bile acids basics: They enable cholesterol excretion, with about half of bodily cholesterol eliminated this way, and also aid digestion by emulsifying fats to increase enzyme access.</p><p>* Bile production & pathway: Synthesized in liver hepatocytes, bile flows via ducts to the gallbladder for storage or directly to the small intestine; post-meal, cholecystokinin triggers gallbladder contraction for fat emulsification.</p><p>* Regulation of bile acids: Self-regulated to prevent cytotoxicity...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Mind & Matter

  Circadian Rhythms, Metabolism & Why Timing Your Meals Matters | Dr. Joseph Bass

  Feb 16, 20261h 31mS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Wide release: February 24, 2026. Not medical advice.</p><p>TOPICS DISCUSSED:</p><p>* Master circadian clock in the brain: Light detection via retina entrains the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which coordinates body-wide rhythms; intrinsic period slightly deviates from 24 hours, allowing seasonal flexibility.</p><p>* Peripheral clocks in organs: Nearly all cells have autonomous clocks; liver and fat clocks rapidly adjust to feeding time, while brain clock aligns more tightly to light.</p><p>* Clock mutations and metabolism: Disrupting core clock genes (e.g., CLOCK...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Mind & Matter

  Opioid Addiction: RNA Biology, Brain Inflammation & Psychedelic Therapy

  Feb 12, 20261h 18mS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Wide release: February 19, 2026. Not medical advice.</p><p>TOPICS DISCUSSED:</p><p>* Gene regulation basics: DNA transcribes to RNAs, including non-coding types like microRNAs that inhibit mRNA translation into proteins, influencing up to 60% of the proteome.</p><p>* Non-coding RNAs in neuroplasticity: MicroRNAs and circular RNAs regulate synaptic changes, with activity-induced ones like miR-485-5p linked to rapid responses in drug cue memory and addiction reinforcement.</p><p>* Opioid addiction models: Rats self-administer heroin or fentanyl via levers, showing compulsive...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Mind & Matter

  Estrogen & Body Fat: Menopause, Puberty, Females vs. Males

  Feb 11, 20261h 40mS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Wide release: February 14, 2026. Not medical advice.</p><p>TOPICS DISCUSSED:</p><p>* Adipose tissue basics: White fat primarily stores energy in large lipid droplets, while brown fat burns fatty acids for heat via high mitochondrial density; white fat can “brown” with exercise or certain foods like capsaicin.</p><p>* Fat distribution & health: Subcutaneous fat (under skin) is more insulin-sensitive and less problematic than visceral fat (around organs), which links to metabolic issues; females store more subcutaneously pre-menopause, shifting to visceral post-menopause.</p><p...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Mind & Matter

  The Claustrum: Cognition, Consciousness, Alcohol & Psychedelics | 278

  Feb 5, 20261h 36mS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Wide release: February 9, 2026. Not medical advice.</p><p>TOPICS DISCUSSED:</p><p>* 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.</p><p>* Claustrum anatomy & connectivity: A sheet-like subcortical structure embedded in white matter, bidirectionally connected to cortical areas, especially prefrontal regions in rodents, with broader connections in primates and humans suggesting an integrative role.</p><p>* Claustrum function in cognition: Experiments...

  ListenShow Notes

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.