Addiction Commonality

Alcohol, Opiates, Fat and Sugar are all Addictive Substances: this blog is about that "addiction sameness".

Butter Pig Family

* A butter sculpture of a sow and her piglets

Monday, November 3, 2025

Dirty Pictures | Full Documentary | Alexander Shulgin | Ann Shulgin




Dirty Pictures | Full Documentary | Alexander Shulgin | Ann Shulgin | Ted Shulgin | Bob Seager

https://youtu.be/aZLkAMDO5dI


 
Explore the mind of Alexander Shulgin, the genius behind MDMA's synthesis, more commonly known as Ecstasy. This riveting documentary dives into the heart of psychedelic research, merging chemistry, neuroscience, and philosophy to question the untapped potentials of the human mind.

2010 American Documentary: Psychedelic Science Unveiled

The film presents an intimate look at Alexander Shulgin's pioneering work, his synthesis of over 200 psychedelic compounds, including MDMA, and his profound influence on psychoactive drug research. The narrative is enriched by contributions from Ann and Ted Shulgin, continuing the family's legacy in exploring psychedelic substances, with additional insights from experts like pharmacologist William Fantegrossi. 

Directed by Etienne Sauret, this documentary not only celebrates Shulgin's scientific achievements but also navigates the complexities of his role as a controversial figure in the realm of psychedelic studies. Nominated for the 2010 SXSW Grand Jury Award in Documentary Feature, 'Dirty Pictures' offers a rare glimpse into Shulgin's laboratory and his challenges, underscoring the documentary's deep exploration of science, society, and the quest for understanding the human psyche.

This documentary is a must-watch for anyone fascinated by the intersection of science and consciousness, offering an unparalleled insight into the life and work of one of the most influential figures in psychedelic research.

The controversy surrounding psychedelic scientific research hinges on a delicate balance between groundbreaking potential and societal apprehension. At the heart of this debate is the transformative power of psychedelics to alter human consciousness, offering unprecedented insights into the mind, potential therapeutic applications for mental health conditions, and a deeper understanding of our cognitive processes. However, this exploration comes with challenges, notably the stigma and legal constraints rooted in decades of prohibition and negative public perception. 

Director: Etienne Sauret
Stars: Alexander Shulgin, Ann Shulgin, Ted Shulgin, Bob Seager, David Nichols, William Fantegrossi.



Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Willie Nelson - Are You Sure



  


Look around you
Look down the bar from you
At the faces that you see
Are you sure this is where you want to be?

These are your friends
But are they real friends?
Do they love you as much as me?
Are you sure this is where you want to be?


https://youtu.be/Mk4llZw_Zj0


Sunday, October 26, 2025

92-year-Old Sprinter’s Muscles Baffle Scientists, Resemble Those In Their 20s

 


Her secret, if she has one, is neither a miracle supplement nor a hidden training formula. It is consistency, joy and the refusal to surrender to stillness.

The 92-year-old wonder with muscle cells of sprinters in their 20s

By Olivier Acuña Barba • Published: 24 Aug 2025 • 


Emma Maria Mazzenga is 92 years of age but has the muscle cells of someone in their 20s Credit: Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera

 


Emma Maria Mazzenga has the world wondering how she does it, and scientists studying her muscles, nerves, and mitochondria, the cell powerhouse, to gain a better understanding of how she’s able to keep running at 92 and beating her own records.

She’s simply amazing. Emma dislocated her shoulder during a race in Germany a dozen years ago because she threw herself ahead of a competitor to win the race. “The woman next to me was about to overtake me,” Mazzenga said. She was 79 at the time. “Now, Mazzenga, who lives in Padua, Italy, is running out of competition,” wrote the Washington Post in a special report about her. “At 5-foot-1, she’s an elite sprinter with four age-group world records to her name — and very few opponents to race against.” Last year, Mazzenga broke the outdoor 200-metre world record for women over 90 with a time of 51.47 seconds. A month later, she broke her own record by a second.

The US influential news outlet said that Mazzenga seems to possess cardiorespiratory fitness of someone in their 50s, and her muscle mitochondria function as well as a healthy 20-year-old, researchers studying her have said. Marta Colosio, a postdoctoral fellow at Marquette University and the first author of the case study, told the Washington Post she has not found another 90-year-old who can compare to Mazzenga. “She’s ageing, but she can do things that at 91, people can’t do.”

Mazzenga said “all hell broke loose” when the elderly sprinter broke the indoor 200-metre world record for her age group last January with a time of 54.47. “I ended up in the newspapers, something which had never happened before.” Scientists reached out to her, asking to study her. In the lab, researchers used a needle to collect a piece of muscle the size of a pencil eraser from Mazzenga’s quadriceps, recalled Chris Sundberg, a co-lead of the study on Mazzenga and the director of the Integrative Muscle Physiology and Energetics Laboratory at Marquette University. Under a microscope, Mazzenga’s muscle proved to be a mosaic of both the expected and extraordinary. Her fast-twitch muscle fibres, which are associated with speed, resembled those of a healthy 70-year-old. The truly fantastic thing came next. Mazzenga’s slow-twitch muscle fibres, which are associated with endurance activities, looked like those of a 20-year-old, as did the blood flow and nerve pathways to her muscles.

Mazzenga’s advice for other older athletes: Know your limits. Meet with your doctor first to ensure you are fit to run. Then, stay consistent and run multiple times a week. By studying elite older athletes, researchers can learn more about what’s possible as we age, said Sundberg.

 

  

  https://leadership.ng/92-year-old-sprinters-muscles-baffle-scientists-esemble-those-in-their-20s/

92-year-Old Sprinter’s Muscles Baffle Scientists, Resemble Those In Their 20s


Friday, September 30, 2022

Dr. Dean Ornish Tribute to Swami Satchidananda, July 2014




Swami Satchidananda, the founder of Integral Yoga,® is one of the most revered Yoga masters of our time. 

Regarded by many as an apostle of peace, Swami Satchidananda serves as an example of the teachings of Yoga and its goal of Self-realization. 

 His teachings included Hatha Yoga, Yoga philosophy, and interfaith ideas.



Dr. Dean Ornish Tribute to Swami Satchidananda, July 2014

Swami Satchidananda

In honor of the 100th birth anniversary of Sri Swami Satchidananda, Dr. Dean Ornish offers a tribute to his mentor and talks about his role in the development of his groundbreaking medical research and program.

https://youtu.be/vQWY136twrE





Monday, September 12, 2022

5 Ways To Improve Your Breathing with James Nestor




 

5 Ways To Improve Your Breathing with James Nestor

https://youtu.be/f6yAY1oZUOA


James Nestor believes we're all breathing wrong. Here he breaks down 5 ways to transform your breathing, from increasing your lung capacity to stopping breathing through your mouth.
Order your copy of his book Breath here: https://amzn.to/34EElbw
There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day.
Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences.
In Breath, journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can: - jump-start athletic performance - rejuvenate internal organs - halt snoring, allergies, asthma and autoimmune disease, and even straighten scoliotic spines None of this should be possible, and yet it is.
Drawing on thousands of years of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to the Penguin channel: http://po.st/SubscribePenguinYouTube
Follow us here: Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/penguinukbooks
Website | http://www.penguin.co.uk
Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/penguinukbooks
Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/penguinbooks

Friday, September 2, 2022

Drinking Alcohol is bad for your health

 



If you have three or more alcoholic drinks in a week, you’re putting your health at risk, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction. Now the CCSA is proposing an update to Canada's low-risk drinking guidelines. tgam.ca/3cMKuqy


Sunday, August 14, 2022

In Defense of Food | Michael Pollan | Talks at Google





In Defense of Food | Michael Pollan

https://youtu.be/I-t-7lTw6mA


Michael Pollan visits Google's Mountain View, CA, headquarters to discuss his book, "In Defense of Food." This talk took place on March 4, 2008, as part of the Authors@Google series.




Consciousness and psychedelics | Peter Sjostedt-H | TEDxTruro






 


https://youtu.be/tV8PSevhd_M


 


Philosopher of mind Peter Sjöstedt-H discusses the hidden impact psychedelics have had on philosophy and asks if such extreme, altered modes of mind could help give us answers to some of the big questions facing the philosophers and scientists of today. 

Peter is an Anglo-Scandinavian philosopher of mind and author. 

He lives in West Cornwall and is engaged in his PhD with the University of Exeter, where he also teaches philosophy modules and writing skills. 

Peter is the inspiration behind the inhuman philosopher Marvel Superhero, Karnak. 

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx 






Thursday, June 30, 2022

Dr Gabor Maté




 

Gabor MatĂ©’s book: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
https://youtu.be/0uRGiP8l6P8

CREDIT: Speaker: Dr Gabor Maté Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsRF... Website: https://drgabormate.com/





Friday, June 24, 2022

Is Coffee Healthy with James Hoffman and Professor Tim Spector





Is Coffee Healthy with James Hoffman and Professor Tim Spector

https://youtu.be/XO-7irGCaTA


Coffee’s earliest consumption dates back millennia when the tribesmen of Ethiopia used its ground-up berries to help aid concentration during prayer. Arriving in Europe in the 17th century, Coffee quickly began to replace beer and wine as a favourite breakfast drink. In the 20th century, coffee was blamed for high blood pressure and heart attacks, and more recently linked to a rising epidemic of poor sleep. None of this has prevented coffee’s relentless rise. Over 2 billion cups of the stuff are drunk each day.


So, is coffee a guilty treat as many of us suspect? Or is it a health drink feeding your good gut bacteria? In this episode, Jonathan speaks with James Hoffmann and Tim Spector to find out. They discuss how coffee affects your gut bacteria, your hormones and your heart, whether decaffeinated coffee is healthy, and discover some of coffee’s most surprising side effects – which could come in handy if you find yourself in the jungle. James Hoffmann is a leading coffee expert and author of the World Atlas of Coffee and co-founder & chairman of the Square Mile Coffee Roasters. Tim Spector is a co-founder at ZOE and one of the top 100 most cited scientists in the world. If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinzoe.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program. Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 00:09 - Topic introduction 01:51 - Quickfire questions 04:48 - What is coffee and why are we willing to spend money on it? 05:18 - Views on coffee 09:12 - Health properties of coffee 11:49 - How is coffee made? 16:19 - Quantities of caffeine in beverages 18:11 - How important is fermentation for coffee flavor? 19:22 - What does the fermentation stage look like? 22:19 - Fiber & coffee 27:14 - Effects of coffee 28:25 - How much is too much coffee? 30:26 - What time is the best to drink coffee? 35:07 - What is decaf and is it safe? 38:59 - Does James drink decaf? 39:47 - Is decaf as healthy as caffeinated coffee? 41:16 - Does coffee quality matter? 42:31 - James' coffee preference 44:02 - Health side effects of coffee 46:45 - Is it healthy to mix coffee with milk? 49:33 - James' opinion on coffee with milk 51:35 - Summary 53:58 - Instagram question: Does coffee dehydrate you? 54:21 - Goodbyes 54:38 - Outro Episode transcripts are available here: https://joinzoe.com/learn/category/nu... Follow James: https://www.instagram.com/jimseven/ Follow Tim: https://twitter.com/timspector Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/ This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.