Over the past couple years, I’ve consumed a pretty insane amount of information related to tech, nutrition, and fitness. However, I am fairly selective over what I add to my life. Inside are a few of my favorite discoveries from recent memory and a brief explanation of why they’re a part of my regular life now...
Read more23andMe: A Look Into My Past and Our Future
23andMe is a glimpse into the future - the future of our society and each of us as individuals. We are nearing a time where everyone will have a comprehensive understanding of their DNA and be able to influence genetic expression (epigenetics) by using this knowledge to make certain lifestyle choices. This will lead to people living longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives. The time is not far off where we will be able to screen and prevent babies from being born with certain genetic variants that lead to disabilities, chronic diseases, and death, all before they're even conceived. Not long after, parents will be able to select particular traits they want their "designer" baby to be born with. If you think that sounds like science-fiction, try to imagine a world where we are altering our own DNA to extend our lives to hundreds of years and beyond, essentially taking evolution into our own hands and accelerating its progress exponentially - a world that many experts at the cutting-edge of this research believe is just a few decades away...
Read moreHow Star Wars has Influenced Modern Computer Science
In honor of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this Thursday, December 17th, the New Jersey Institute of Technology computer science program wanted to commemorate the event with a video that looked at how Star Wars and other bedrocks of the science fiction canon influenced and predicted the future of computer science.
Read moreDo Less (Working and Jerking), Get More with HIIT & Adaptive Resistance Training
I used to hit the gym pretty hard virtually every day. Unless you’re a competitive athlete or training for something specific, that’s just silly. Most of us aren’t in either of these camps. Not only is there a distinct point of diminishing returns (think bell curve), but research indicates that excess exercise negatively impacts longevity. That’s right – too much of a seemingly good thing isn’t best for the long haul. Minimum effective dose is what we’re talking about here...
Read moreBulletproof Biohacking Conference 2015
If you're interested in the topics of health, technology, or culture (the cornerstones of AlphaNerd), then the Bulletproof Biohacking Conference is like an adult playground where all of these areas intersect. This is the third year Bulletproof has organized this conference in Pasadena, California and is "the community's foremost live event celebrating groundbreaking work in the optimization of human mental and physical performance." In other words, it's like Disneyland for biohackers and AlphaNerds alike. In fact, I attended last year's Bulletproof Conference and it was a big part of the inspiration and motivation behind the launch of this site. I'm very excited to be going to the Conference again this year to see how Dave Asprey and his team have made it "bigger, better, and upgraded."
Read moreOur Friends at Flex Watches Launch their Kickstarter Campaign Today!
My good friends and colleagues Travis Lubinsky and Trevor Jones founded Flex Watches in 2011 to raise funds and awareness for different charities while creating fun products that Millennials would love. The watches have evolved over the years, but their mission to help others with stylish tech and accessories has remained constant. Flex has raised tens of thousands of meals for impoverished children in Mexico and partnered with organizations that range from fighting cancer and helping injured veterans to providing clean water and food to children in need. This is a campaign that any AlphaNerd can get behind.
Read moreIt's Time to Cut the Cord on Cable
Did you know that the average American spends over 4 hours per day watching television?! That sounds crazy, but it's true - and what's more disturbing is that in a 65-year life (probably won't live much longer than that if you're sitting on your ass this much) that average person will have spent 9 solid years in front of their idiot box! To someone who spends an average of 4 hours per month watching TV (me), it's insanity...but there is some hope (kind of). Trends are showing that people are shifting their TV time to other forms of electronic devices and media (Facebook, YouTube, Hulu on iPhones, tablets, etc.), and this is especially true with younger audiences, according to Nielsen studies. There is more good news - we have more options than ever before with the rise of Netflix, HBO Go, and more. Are you ready (and able) to pull the plug on cable?
Read more15 Minutes to Less Stress, More Focus, and Better Health (There's an App for That)
What if there was an app that could help you reduce stress, increase your attention span, boost your immunity, sleep better, forgive more easily, appreciate life and those around you more, be more creative, be more happy, and get more done? Sounds too good to be true, right? But there is an app for that - it’s called Headspace. This isn’t an exaggeration or woo-woo pseudoscience stuff either; this is the real deal backed by many years of research and confirmed by recent advancements in neuroimaging. And despite how relatively new Headspace is, it is simply a tool to guide the user in a practice that has actually been around for thousands of years - mindfulness meditation.
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