In this podcast episode, neuroscientist AndrewHuberman is joined by Dr. Jack Feldman, Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a pioneering world expert in the science of respiration (breathing).

They discuss how and why humans breathe the way we do, the function of the diaphragm and how it serves to increase oxygenation of the brain and body. They also discuss how breathing influences mental state, fear, memory, reaction time, and more. And Dr. Huberman and Dr. Feldman discuss specific breathing protocols such as box-breathing, cyclic hyperventilation (similar to Wim Hof breathing), nasal versus mouth breathing, unilateral breathing, and how these each affect the brain and body. They discuss physiological sighs, peptides expressed by specific neurons controlling breathing, and magnesium compounds that can improve cognitive ability and how they work.