213: LeVar Burton | Storytelling the Enemies of Education Off

From microplastics in your brain to multivitamins that actually work, Dr. Rhonda Patrick of FoundMyFitness separates real science from wellness hype here!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1267What We Discuss with Dr. Rhonda Patrick:Microplastics are accumulating in our brains at up to 10 times more than other organs, and studies show people with Alzheimer's disease had up to 10 times more microplastics in their brains than those without, suggesting these invisible particles may be driving neuroinflammation and cognitive decline.That "BPA-free" label on your water bottle is essentially a marketing sleight of hand. Companies simply replaced BPA with BPS — a chemical now proven to be just as harmful as its predecessor, still disrupting hormones and leaching into everything you drink.Screens and phones are the new sitting (which was the new smoking). Early screen time exposure in children is now linked to depression, mental illness, and even sensory processing issues later in life — and the dopamine-hijacking effects mirror how hyper-palatable processed foods rewire taste preferences.A basic Centrum Silver multivitamin taken daily for two years delayed global brain aging by over two years and episodic memory decline by nearly five years in older adults, contradicting decades of "expensive urine" dismissals from the medical community.Your brain's best friend might be sitting in your gym bag. Creatine at 10 grams daily accumulates in brain tissue, eliminates afternoon energy crashes, and supercharges cognitive performance under stress — a cheap, evidence-backed hack anyone can start today.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Noom: Go micro for macro results: noom.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Tammi 1h 26min

A colleague made crude jokes, monopolized you at events, then possibly used you to make his ex jealous. How do you handle this creep? It's Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1266On This Week's Feedback Friday:A professional acquaintance has been giving you mixed signals — complimenting your appearance, making wildly inappropriate sexual comments, and monopolizing your time at events. Then you learned he might've been using you to make his ex jealous. How do you confront a creep without burning your network?Your friend Mary — practically a grandmother figure — is spiraling after her husband's affair. The other woman is harassing her, possibly killed her dog, and Mary attempted suicide but refuses all help. You're still grieving your own dad. How do you support someone who won't let you in?Your boyfriend is the "best employee" at his job, yet his boss won't commit to a salary number after two months. Worse, he discovered he's been illegally denied sick pay since 2020 under New York law. Should he fight for what's owed and risk retaliation — or stay quiet and hope for the best?Recommendation of the Week: Bartender for MacYour father lost millions in 2008 and has spent 17 years chasing entrepreneurial pipe dreams while refusing therapy. He's 62, unemployed, and relying on you and your brother for hope he can't generate himself. Should you buy him a car for Uber — or is that just enabling the fantasy?Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Bombas: Go to bombas.com/jordan to get 20% off your first orderFitbod: 25% off: fitbod.me/jordanHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comAG1: Welcome kit: drinkag1.com/jordanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Tammi 1h 19min

Former bank robber Joe Loya reveals how childhood trauma transformed him into a prolific criminal — and how he found his way back. [Part 2 of 2 — catch up with Part 1 here!]Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1265What We Discuss with Joe Loya:Trauma fragments your sense of the future. When Joe kept robbing banks while out on bail, it wasn't recklessness — it was survival mode. Unprocessed trauma keeps you focused only on getting through today, unable to imagine or protect a future that feels impossible anyway.Compassion beats forgiveness as a healing strategy. Instead of bestowing forgiveness from a position of moral superiority, Joe learned to accept his abusive father by understanding his formation — a beaten child who grew into a broken adult. It wasn't personal; any son would have been beaten.Self-examination is scarier than any external threat. A man who fearlessly robbed 30 banks and survived federal prison found confronting his own grief and dismantling his rage infinitely more terrifying than anything the outside world could throw at him.Your survival armor can become your prison. Joe needed his rage and menacing persona to stay safe in prison, yet that same emotional armor prevented him from healing — forcing him to project violence while secretly working on becoming a more sensitive, self-aware person.Transformation begins with telling your story honestly. Writing became Joe's tool for self-investigation — processing grief, rebuilding conscience, and eventually sharing his journey with his daughter and the world. Start documenting your own growth; the act of articulating your past can illuminate your path forward.And much more... [Part 2 of 2 — catch up with Part 1 here!]And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Huel: Get free shipping, a shaker, and a t-shirt with your first order at huel.com/jordanShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanCookUnity: 50% off first week: cookunity.com/jordan or code JORDANHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Tammi 1h 8min

Former bank robber Joe Loya reveals how childhood trauma transformed him into a prolific criminal — and how he found his way back. [Part 1 of 2]Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1264What We Discuss with Joe Loya:Childhood trauma doesn't excuse criminal behavior, but it explains how violence becomes normalized. Joe's father beat him over 100 times before age 15, creating a psychological framework where aggression felt like the only authentic response to a world that had brutalized him first.Bank robbery became a twisted form of therapy — a way to reclaim power stolen in childhood. Joe describes the "rapture" of robberies as moments where he finally felt in control, transforming victim psychology into predator psychology through carefully orchestrated criminal acts.Solitary confinement can either break you or remake you. Joe spent seven years total in "the hole." Rather than destroying him, isolation became an unexpected crucible for self-reflection, forcing him to confront the rage he'd been running from his entire life.The most dangerous lies we tell are the ones we believe about ourselves. Joe constructed elaborate internal narratives justifying his crimes as righteous rebellion, only recognizing decades later how childhood shame had corrupted his entire moral operating system.Redemption isn't about erasing your past — it's about transforming it into something useful. Joe now channels his understanding of trauma, violence, and recovery into writing and speaking, proving that even the darkest experiences can become tools for helping others navigate their own shadows.And much more... [Part 1 of 2 — stay tuned for Part 2 later this week!]And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent: Get more at northwestregisteredagent.com/jordanNutrafol: $10 off 1st month: nutrafol.com, code JORDANShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanApretude: Learn more: Apretude.com or call 1-888-240-0340Homes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30 Joulu 20251h 8min

Are near-death experiences proof of an afterlife — or just the brain's final fireworks? Michael Regilio goes into the light to find out on Skeptical Sunday!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1263On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:Near-death experiences are real experiences — but that doesn't make them supernatural. NDEs happen to ordinary people during medical crises, and while skeptics question the metaphysical claims, no one disputes the profound personal impact. These aren't grifts or delusions — they're genuine neurological events that often leave people calmer, kinder, and less afraid of death.The "tunnel of light" isn't universal — it's cultural. Western NDEs feature tunnels and beings of light, but Buddhist and Hindu experiencers often describe rivers, bridges, or ancestors. This cultural filtering suggests NDEs are brain-based events shaped by personal beliefs — not visits to a one-size-fits-all afterlife waiting room."Clinically dead" doesn't mean the brain has completely shut down. Proponents argue NDEs prove consciousness survives death because brains were "flatlining" — but neuroscientists note that minimal brain activity can still occur undetected, and memories may be reconstructed after the fact as the brain "reboots."Dying might actually be a psychedelic experience. When the brain faces extreme stress, it releases a cocktail of DMT, endorphins, and dopamine while electrical hyperexcitation fires neurons en masse — creating vivid, dreamlike experiences that may explain the transcendent feelings people report.You don't need a near-death experience to live like you've had one. People who've had NDEs often return less materialistic, more focused on love, and at peace with mortality. The takeaway? You can adopt that perspective right now — prioritize connection over accumulation, presence over panic — without the terrifying trip to death's door.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!Connect with Michael Regilio at Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and YouTube, and check out War Bar, his new comedy special!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent: Get more at northwestregisteredagent.com/jordanNutrafol: $10 off 1st month: nutrafol.com, code JORDANShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanApretude: Learn more: Apretude.com or call 1-888-240-0340Homes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Joulu 202553min

You're battling overeating and started therapy, but you're unsure if you're growing or just failing slowly with extra steps. Welcome to Feedback Friday!And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1262On This Week's Feedback Friday:You're struggling with overeating and wondering if you quit tracking calories because you lack discipline. You've started therapy but aren't sure if you're making progress fast enough — or what "progress" even looks like. How do you grow without beating yourself up along the way?Jordan shares feedback that illustrates what makes doing this show so worthwhile and fulifilling for him.Gabe and Jordan discuss the good, the bad, the ugly, and the transformative about the past year, including: Dark Jordan's way of dealing with breached airplane window ettiquette, a grandiose corollary about prioritizing now over later (convenience be damned!), learning to say "no" without feeling bad about it, Gabe's expectations vs. realities of hitting the road as a digital nomad, how to make meaning when one's own stories refuse to cohere, disturbing concentration camp kitchen murals, the lessons of failure, coping with crushing loneliness while traveling, turning sap into maple syrup Ken Burns style, and more!Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com!Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Momentous: 20% off first order: livemomentous.com, code JORDAN20Mint Mobile: Shop plans at mintmobile.com/jhsLinkedIn: Post your job for free: linkedin.com/jordanLand Rover Defender: landroverusa.comHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Joulu 20251h 21min

Q-Day — when quantum computers crack all encryption — is coming. Quantum eMotion COO John Young breaks down the pros and cons of what's to come.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1261What We Discuss with John Young:Q-Day is the looming moment when quantum computers become powerful enough to break current encryption — rendering bank accounts, medical records, government secrets, and critical infrastructure vulnerable not through hacking, but through raw computational power that can solve in minutes what would take today's computers longer than human civilization has existed."Harvest now, decrypt later" is already happening. Adversaries are collecting encrypted data today, storing it like a time capsule, waiting for quantum computers to mature so they can unlock secrets that were meant to stay buried forever — meaning today's sensitive communications could become tomorrow's exposed vulnerabilities.Quantum computers aren't just faster classical computers — they operate on fundamentally different physics — using qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, allowing them to explore countless possibilities at once rather than checking solutions one by one, which is what makes them so dangerous to current encryption methods.The transition to quantum-safe encryption is a massive, slow-moving crisis. Large institutions with decades of layered encryption systems face years of retrofitting, while startups can build quantum-resistant from day one, creating a dangerous gap where critical infrastructure remains exposed during the changeover.The same technology threatening our digital security also promises extraordinary breakthroughs. Quantum computing could deliver miracle drugs, better batteries, climate solutions, and new materials, so the path forward isn't fear but preparation: organizations should begin transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms now while the benefits still outweigh the risks.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Function Health: $100 credit: functionhealth.com/jordan, code JORDAN100HelloFresh: Get $80 off your first order at hellofresh.com/jhs80MasterClass: Get 15% off a yearly membershipAirbnb: Turn your house into a host: airbnb.com/hostHomes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Joulu 20251h 12min

Big Tobacco's playbook is back — just with better branding and candy flavors. Jessica Wynn clears the air about vaping here on Skeptical Sunday!Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Jessica Wynn!Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1260On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:Vapes don't produce harmless vapor. They emit aerosol, a "chemical soup" containing nicotine, heavy metals like lead and nickel, formaldehyde, and ultrafine particles that penetrate deep into lungs where filtration is impossible.JUUL revolutionized addiction by using nicotine salts instead of freebase nicotine — lowering the pH for smoother hits at higher concentrations, delivering a faster brain rush with less coughing, and packing one pod with the equivalent of an entire pack of cigarettes.Many vapes labeled "nicotine-free" actually contain nicotine when tested, and secondhand aerosol isn't safe either — it deposits residue on surfaces, harms pets, and exposes bystanders to the same toxic cocktail inhaled by the vaper.The same playbook Big Tobacco used for decades — targeting kids, using candy flavors, buying off scientists, and fighting regulation — is now deployed through sleeker devices and better branding.Quitting is possible, and the tools actually work. Programs like the Truth Initiative's "This Is Quitting" show 40% higher quit rates, and texting DITCHVAPE to 88709 connects you with free, judgment-free support designed for real people fighting real addiction.Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram and Threads, and subscribe to her newsletters: Between the Lines and Where the Shadows Linger!And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Uplift Desk: Special offer: upliftdesk.com/jordanWayfair: Start renovating: wayfair.comShopify: 3 months @ $1/month (select plans): shopify.com/jordanApretude: Learn more: Apretude.com or call 1-888-240-0340Homes.com: Find your home: homes.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 Joulu 202559min