Optimal Diet and Movement for Healthspan, Amplified Intelligence and More with Ken Ford

Feb. 23, 2018

Dr. Kenneth Ford is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), a research institute that is home to world-class scientists and engineers focused on building technology that extends human cognition, perception, locomotion and resilience. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tulane University and is the author of hundreds of scientific papers and six books, with interests in an array of areas including artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and human performance under extreme conditions.

Ken is also co-host to the popular and respected STEM-Talk podcast which recently won first place in the 12th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards in the Science and Medicine category. Many leaders in the areas of health and exercise physiology appear on STEM-talk, with a focus on the scientific elements behind extending human longevity and performance. Ken is here with us today to talk about some current projects at IHMC, artificial intelligence, ketosis, and his favorite cutting-edge training methods.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Ken Ford:

[00:04:16] Episode 49 of STEM-Talk, first place People's Choice Awards in the Science and Medicine category.

[00:06:43] Current projects.

[00:07:10] Dr. James Allen, World Modelers.

[00:08:54] Economic modeling, weather modeling for crop failure.

[00:09:45] Cognitive orthotics.

[00:10:36] Dr. Dawn Kernagis, brain glymphatic system. Podcast: Human Performance and Resilience in Extreme Environments.

[00:11:52] Artificial gravity.

[00:12:34] The double secret selection committee.

[00:13:56] Extending human capabilities.

[00:16:35] Locomotion for paraplegics.

[00:17:31] Humans in extreme environments.

[00:19:51] Space flight and aging.

[00:20:41] Few rules but strong culture and a flat organisational structure.

[00:22:07] Growth mindset.

[00:22:41] Choosing people rather than an agenda.

[00:28:09] Fostering a network of friends and experts.

[00:28:46] Barry Barish, STEM-talk Episode 10.

[00:31:37] Understanding the limits of knowledge.

[00:32:47] Do the big tech companies have too much power?

[00:35:51] EU 2.5$ penalty for Google.

[00:36:45] Google D.C. influence operation.

[00:38:36] Duckduckgo.

[00:39:10] The term artificial intelligence.

[00:42:41] The danger of a superhuman AI.

[00:44:21] HAL 9000.

[00:45:09] Dropped a physics.

[00:45:58] Driverless cars.

[00:51:52] Ketogenic diet.

[00:53:23] The benefits of ketones.

[00:53:55] Signalling functions of beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and acetoacetate.

[00:54:26] Study: Shimazu, Tadahiro, et al. "Suppression of oxidative stress by β-hydroxybutyrate, an endogenous histone deacetylase inhibitor." Science 339.6116 (2013): 211-214.

[00:55:11] Study: Newman, John C., et al. "Ketogenic diet reduces midlife mortality and improves memory in aging mice." Cell metabolism 26.3 (2017): 547-557.

[00:55:57] Study: Sleiman, Sama F., et al. "Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate." Elife 5 (2016).

[00:57:03] Study: Roberts, Megan N., et al. "A ketogenic diet extends longevity and healthspan in adult mice." Cell metabolism 26.3 (2017): 539-546.

[00:58:03] Podcast: Why Your Diet Isn’t Working: Undereating and Overtraining, with Megan Roberts.

[00:58:24] Podcast: The Keto Masterclass with Robb Wolf.

[00:59:38] Virta Health, results with 0.5 - 1 mmol/L of BHB.

[01:00:11] Study: Shimazu, Tadahiro, et al. "Suppression of oxidative stress by β-hydroxybutyrate, an endogenous histone deacetylase inhibitor." Science 339.6116 (2013): 211-214.

[01:01:01] Study: Cunnane, Stephen C., et al. "Can ketones compensate for deteriorating brain glucose uptake during aging? Implications for the risk and treatment of Alzheimer's disease." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1367.1 (2016): 12-20.

[01:02:53] Exogenous ketones.

[01:05:26] Exercise.

[01:06:33] Hierarchical sets.

[01:07:11] Art DeVany.

[01:08:17] Episode 30 of STEM-Talk.

[01:10:15] Eccentric movements.

[01:10:41] Study: Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. "Hypertrophic effects of concentric vs. eccentric muscle actions: a systematic review and meta-analysis." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 31.9 (2017): 2599-2608.

[01:13:37] Blood flow restriction training.

[01:14:41] Episode 34 of STEM-Talk.

[01:16:31] Dr. Jim Stray-Gundersen, Dr. Adam Anz.

[01:18:13] Kaatsu and Go B Strong (discount code: IHMC).

[01:18:43] Vibration platform training.

[01:19:16] Power Plate.

[01:21:12] Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS).

[01:22:56] PowerDot.

[01:26:41] Kettlebells.

[01:27:04] Pavel Tsatsouline.

[01:28:21] Strong First, Coaches Mark Reifkind and Tracy Reifkind.

[01:29:15] Why not cardio?

[01:30:36] Zoo humans. Book: The Human Zoo: A Zoologist’s Classic Study of the Urban Animal, by Desmond Morris

[01:32:12] Study: Fain, Elizabeth, and Cara Weatherford. "Comparative study of millennials' (age 20-34 years) grip and lateral pinch with the norms." Journal of Hand Therapy 29.4 (2016): 483-488.

[01:34:56] Don't be normal.

[01:38:07] Finding versus inventing a purpose.

[01:41:45] Cal Newport.

[01:43:19] IHMC.us newsletter.