Huberman Lab
How to Use Curiosity & Focus to Create a Joyful & Meaningful Life | Dr. Bernardo Huberman
Mon, 16 Dec 2024
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Bernardo Huberman, Ph.D., a research physicist, expert on quantum networks, and vice president of CableLabs’ Next-Gen Systems. We discuss his journey into science, beginning in South America, how a curiosity about physics led him to the United States, and how his hunger for studying novel problems guided him into fields like physics, computer science, biology, economics, and, most recently, quantum computing. He explains relativity theory, chaos theory, fractals, and quantum internet in terms anyone can understand. We explore how curiosity has continually guided his decisions about what to study and how to live, and how researching hard, even abstract, problems can serve as a model for staying grounded and enjoying everyday life. We also discuss meditation, spirituality, and why continually asking questions about how the world is organized can bring about an immense and lasting sense of meaning and joy. Read the full show notes at hubermanlab.com. Pre-order Andrew's new book, Protocols at protocolsbook.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Helix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/huberman BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/huberman Mateína: https://drinkmateina.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Bernardo Huberman 00:02:13 Sponsors: Helix Sleep & BetterHelp 00:05:08 Early School, Science Interest, Argentina; Soccer 00:12:29 Physics, Childhood Teacher, Family 00:20:48 Music; Dictatorship; Humanistic Education 00:29:09 Sponsor: AG1 00:30:40 US Graduate School 00:39:27 Counterculture, Peer Pressure; Graduation, Job Search 00:49:19 Xerox, Personal Computers; Risk-Takers, Tachyon 00:54:49 Sponsors: LMNT & ExpressVPN 00:57:33 Relativity Theory, Quantum Mechanics 01:05:53 Chaos Theory, Fractals, Butterfly Effect 01:17:21 Scientists, Positive Contributions & Flaws 01:26:19 Sponsor: Mateína 01:27:45 Enjoyment of Life, Meditation; Goal Pursuit 01:35:44 Changing Fields, Computers 01:43:24 Mentors, Students; Restlessness, Curiosity 01:47:41 Industry, Academia, Graduate Degrees 01:54:02 Podcast, Interviewing; Mistakes, Working with Others 02:05:48 Quantum Internet, Unbreakable Code 02:09:48 Physics & Neuroscience; AI 02:15:06 Analog vs. Digital Life, Thinking about Future 02:21:38 Worry, Meditation 02:24:22 Beliefs, God; Spiritual Experiences, Randomness 02:33:53 Thinking about Past; Nostalgia 02:39:19 Politically Incorrect; Libertarians; Cryogenics; Enjoying Life 02:46:30 Joyful; Pushing to Limits; Worry & Enjoyment, Living with Elegance 02:55:57 Etiquette, Clothing 03:04:11 Retirement, Money, Travel 03:12:00 Future Plans; Joyful Life 03:13:33 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures
Full Episode
Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Bernardo Huberman. Dr. Bernardo Huberman is the vice president of NextGen Systems at Cable Labs.
Prior to that, he was the director of the Social Computing Laboratory at Hewlett-Packard, and he is, as his name suggests, my father. Today, we discuss various topics in science, including relativity theory, chaos theory, and quantum computing.
But I'd like to assure you that even if you have zero background in physics, computer science, or mathematics, that entire discussion will be clear to you as to what those things are and even some of how they work.
During today's discussion, we also talk about a life of science, that is, what it is to spend one's life in curiosity, in trying to understand the universe around us and how to understand ourselves. Indeed, today we also talk about neuroscience, how the brain works, and the different sorts of questions that I do believe everybody asks. whether you're a scientist or not.
Questions like, where do we come from? Is there a God? What is our use or purpose in the universe? And how is it that we can ponder these super high level abstract questions about how we got here and what our purpose is and how things work at the quantum level, tiny, tiny bits of things that we can't even see. And at the same time to lead an everyday life that is meaningful and joyful.
We talk about this in the context of understanding oneself in relation to others, family, community, including scientific community and what it is like to come from a different country. My father immigrated from South America. What it was like to do science in the United States then and now. cultural differences. And of course, we touch on some of our relationship as well. How could we not?
I must say, for me, it was an immense pleasure and privilege to have this conversation, not just because Dr. Huberman is my father, but because I believe the knowledge and indeed some of the wisdom that he shares will be useful to everybody about what it is to carve one's own unique trajectory in terms of career and life, and at the same time, how to savor the simple everyday things that make life so worth living.
Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is Helix Sleep.
Helix Sleep makes mattresses and pillows that are customized to your unique sleep needs. Now I've spoken many times before on this and other podcasts about the fact that getting a great night's sleep is the foundation of mental health, physical health, and performance. Now the mattress you sleep on makes a huge difference in the quality of sleep that you get each night.
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