Using Play to Rewire & Improve Your Brain

A specific set of neurons in the brainstem, discovered by Dr. Jack Feldman, that controls physiological sighs. Visual narrowing (e.g., from smartphone use) seems to suppress activity in this nucleus.

A brain stem area rich with neurons that make endogenous opioids, which are released during play to 'dope up' the system slightly, allowing the prefrontal cortex to explore different roles and contingencies.

A growth factor deployed during play, along with other chemicals, that actually triggers the rewiring of brain circuits, contributing to neuroplasticity.

Also known as Non-Sleep Deep Rest, a practice that can enhance or accelerate neuroplasticity, supporting the learning process alongside focused effort.

A common trauma therapy that, like play, focuses on exploring different emotional experiences and contingencies related to traumatic events.

An engineering-based therapy for severe trauma that is paired with talk therapy to help rewire the brain and explore new contingencies.

Makes high-quality sunglasses and eyeglasses designed by Stanford All-American swimmers, known for seamless adaptation to light changes and lightweight, aesthetic design.

A mattress and pillow company that tailors products to individual sleep needs through a quiz, offering customized mattresses like the 'Dusk' model.

An all-in-one vitamin, mineral, and probiotic drink the host has used since 2012, covering basic foundational needs and supporting gut microbiome and brain function.

A supplement company partnered with the podcast, known for the highest quality ingredients and precise amounts in their products.

A luminary in the field of play research, known as the 'Rat Tickler,' who pioneered understanding the biology and psychology of play, including its homeostatic regulation and role in generating laughter in animals.

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist and professor at Caltech, known for being a lifelong tinker, prankster, and maintaining a playful spirit that allowed him to see the world differently and make great discoveries.

A distinguished neuroscientist at Stanford Medical School (formerly at Berkeley and Harvard) who coined the phrase 'fire together wire together' regarding synaptic plasticity.

Host of the Huberman Lab Podcast and Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.

Co-author with Jaak Panksepp on a key review paper about the neurobiological substrates of social playfulness in mammalian brains.

Professor from the University of California Los Angeles, a world expert in breathing and respiration and its impacts on the brain. He discovered the parafacial nucleus, which controls physiological sighs.

A research child psychologist who wrote 'The Toddlers Creed,' a poem that illustrates the self-entered worldview of very young children during play.

Recognized as one of the greatest skateboarders of all time, known for evolving the sport through his tinkering and playful exploration of new ways to use skateboards.

A great psychologist from Canada who established many basic cellular learning rules for memory, often incorrectly attributed with the phrase 'fire together wire together'.

A Turkish researcher who coined the term 'personal play identity' and authored the paper 'Personal play identity and the fundamental elements in its development process.'

A psychiatrist who has done extensive work on how parent-child interactions in early life shape the brain and emotional system's ability to regulate states of excitement and calm.

Author of the book 'Play It Away: A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety,' which provides guidance on engaging in play.

Known for hiring tinkerers, people who played with things in unconventional ways, which contributed to their success in engineering.

The California Institute of Technology, where Richard Feynman was a professor and where technologically challenging pranks were historically common.

A research lab at Harvard Medical School that has done incredible work showing how glial cells eat non-functional synapses to prune neural connections.

A psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and author of the book 'Spark,' which discusses the important role of play in neuroplasticity and offers protocols for engaging in it.

Another fantastic book by Richard Feynman that recounts short stories highlighting his playful spirit and unique perspective.

An excellent, peer-reviewed journal from Nature Press where a study on smartphone reading was published.

A poem written by child psychologist Burton White that defines the self-centered rules and contingencies of play in very young children, revealing their narrow worldview and sense of possession.

A journal that published a review by Jaak Panksepp and Stephen Siviy titled 'In Search of the Neurobiological Substrates for Social Playfulness in Mammalian Brains,' which discusses the neurochemistry of play.

A book by John Ratey that is highly relevant to the discussion of play, neuroplasticity, and protocols to engage in it, also emphasizing the importance of new environments.

One of Richard Feynman's wonderful books of short stories, illustrating his playful and mischievous nature.

A journal that published a paper in 2017 titled 'Is Chess Just a Game or Is It a Mirror That Reflects a Child's Inner World?' supporting chess as a tool for neuroplasticity.

The journal where the paper 'Personal play identity and the fundamental elements in its development process' by Gökhan Güneş was published in 2021.

A book by Charlie Hoehn focused on anxiety relief through play, suggesting how to incorporate playful behavior, particularly for workaholics.

First author of the study 'Reading on a smartphone affects sigh generation, brain activity and comprehension,' which looked at 34 healthy individuals reading on smartphones vs. paper.

Important for cardiovascular function and proper calcium balance.

Extremely important for many biological functions and often requires supplementation, as sun exposure alone may not provide ample levels.

A children's storybook character mentioned to clarify that a playful mindset isn't necessarily about being overtly silly or Tigger-like.

Used as an analogy to describe neural connections in the brain, with extensive early connections that prune away to form established routes.

A blog from which the host learned about the book 'Play It Away: A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety' by Charlie Hoehn.

An Instagram persona known for practices that involve walking or doing sled pulls backwards, which the host found beneficial for back health and posture.

A neurochemical therapy for severe trauma that is increasingly being paired with talk therapy to explore new ways of thinking and behaving.