By Dan Pardi, MS, PhD & Josh Turknett, MD
Table of Contents
- Better Brains Program
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Hardware and Software
- Hardware
- Software
- Brains vs Cars
- The Potential of Enrichment
- Value of Better Brains
- Value At Work
- Value Outside of Work
- Better Brain Program
- Better Brain - Program Aims
- Aim #1: Enhance the “Hardware.”
- Aim #2: Develop “Software” That Helps You Learn Faster
- Better Brains - Program Details
- Phase 1 - Build the Skills
- Phase 2 - Sustain the Practice
- 1-Year Program Cost
- Better Brains - Team Details
- Experience & Expertise
- Team Members
Better Brains Program
Better Daily Performance, Faster Learning
Executive Summary
What is the program?
Our program helps individuals establish and sustain their own personal system for peak brain performance. Participants learn how to recover from mental exertion (a daily need), and how to upgrade brain health and function. They are also trained in a specific style of brain exercise that leads to transferable benefits in work and life tasks (i.e., faster learners).
Why is the program important?
The routine tasks of modern work are actually quite demanding. This means that, mentally, we’re all pushed to perform at a high level day in and day out. We must also learn new information continuously. The conditions of modern life stifle peak brain performance, and we aren’t taught the types of brain training that leads to transferable benefits to other tasks of work and life.
How does the program work?
The program has two phases:
- Phase 1 - Build the Skills: A 14-week rapid-development period where we help anyone develop the mindsets, habits, and skills successful in facilitating a higher-functioning brain.
- Phase 2 - Sustain the Practice: Ongoing practice of the developed skills allowing enhanced daily performance and faster knowledge acquisition in perpetuity.
Introduction
Hardware and Software
Hardware
We all know that keeping a car running well requires ongoing care and maintenance of its parts. Otherwise, parts degrade and performance suffers. With care and attention, however, hardware lasts longer and functions better during its lifespan.
If we avoid maintenance, and our car breaks down, we hold ourselves accountable. We understand the wear and tear of repeated use is a natural law of the universe and ignoring this is never a real solution.
Furthermore, the integrity and sophistication of that hardware plays a crucial role in determining the car’s capacities. Improvements in the quality of the parts and their engineering translate to improved performance of the vehicle.
For those who routinely push their cars to the limits, such as a Formula One driver, considerable time and effort are placed into optimizing that hardware to deliver a competitive edge.
Software
Hardware is useless without something to run it. Cars need drivers to navigate their way through a city. Computers need software - collections of procedures, or algorithms, that provide the instructions for how to use the hardware to achieve a particular result.
The best drivers, and the best software programs, are able to push their machines to their fullest potential. Peak performance requires optimization of both the hardware and software, with ongoing development and attention to both.
Brains vs Cars
The same is true of our brain. It is the most complex and sophisticated “machine” in the known universe. We are all born with neurobiological hardware, including the 80 billion neurons whose coordinated activity underpins all of our thoughts and actions.
The human brain is a general-purpose machine that can be programmed in nearly limitless ways. We can acquire ‘algorithms’ for drawing, typing, talking, presenting, reasoning, whistling, listening, and on, and on. This of course includes all the domain-specific algorithms that apply to our line of work.
Even more remarkable is that new knowledge integrates into the physical structure of the brain, a feature that allows for continuous gains in intelligence and capabilities throughout the lifespan.
Furthermore, any improvement in the underlying hardware expands the range of capabilities of the entire system. To illustrate this concept, consider all the new software that could now be run during the generational leaps occurring between the iPhone 1 and the iPhone 13; as the hardware upgrades, increasingly-complex software can be run.
The Potential of Enrichment
Given that the brain is the engine behind everything we will ever create, shouldn’t nothing be more important than optimizing its health and function? Particularly if such enrichment leads to a deeper capability and engagement with all facets of life.
In sum, just like cars, getting the most out of our brain requires optimizing both its hardware (the parts) and its software (the algorithms).
Value of Better Brains
Value At Work
If you think about it, any training you do is actually brain training. For instance, if you want to get better at public speaking, you’re training the brain to further develop your existing capacities.
Yet despite the fact that changing brain function is the goal of all training and development, an understanding of the brain’s biological needs, as well as the mechanics of brain change, are often conspicuously absent from these programs. This leads to inefficient, incomplete, and even counterproductive approaches to personal development.
Furthermore, the foundational role of the health of the brain’s hardware is often overlooked entirely, and ways to optimize the software side is often narrowly focused. For instance, in reference to the example of public speaking above, we typically work on specific skills directly. In other words, if you want to get better at public speaking, one practices speaking. And yes, this does train the brain, but what if there was a way to develop skills faster; to get a greater return on your time investment in everything you will be investing time in. Wouldn’t that be worthwhile?
In fact, a comprehensive approach designed to enhance domains of brain performance and faster skill acquisition has never been more important given all the technological advancements on the horizon.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is here and only promises to grow in its reach, continuing to subsume many of the jobs and tasks once performed by humans.
Yet, AI has clear limits. Contrary to the hype, AI is far from competing with human intelligence in several key areas like communication, understanding, reasoning, problem-solving, novel idea generation and innovation, and creativity - the very parts of human cognition that distinguish us as a species.
As such, as advancements in narrow AI reduce costs and time in the tasks it performs well at, those advancements simultaneously increase the value of our uniquely human brains to best leverage these newfound technical levers.
Organizations that create cultures of continuous learning, with deliberate and thoughtful approaches to the care and cultivation of human brain function and intelligence, will thrive.
Value Outside of Work
A better brain program could seem Orwellian: Your organization is trying to get more out of you. But the truth is, it feels great when we are able to successfully handle our work without friction. It gives us an empowering command over our tasks. After all, it’s quite frustrating to have days where you grind at work but just can’t manage to get much done. Therefore, making yourself better at your tasks while making your tasks easier to do, aligns with one’s self interest.
But the value of a program that enhances daily performance and learning speed, doesn’t end at work. It is also valuable for life outside of work. If you get your tasks done faster, you gift yourself the option for more personal time. If you have more energy outside of work, your fullest personality will be available for family, friends, and hobbies. A more energized brain that learns faster is more likely to seek out new hobbies to engage in, new joys to discover, and new ways to make life richer.
Better Brain Program
Better Brain - Program Aims
There are two primary aims of the program.
The first is to learn how to shape favorable internal and external environments for optimal brain performance and health. This is related to the care and maintenance of our brain hardware.
The second aim is to the realization of cognitive potential through the continuous development of new “software.”
Aim #1: Enhance the “Hardware.”
When it comes to caring for our car, most are primarily concerned with supporting its basic operation. We want to get it from point A to point B without breaking down. For Formula One drivers, on the other hand, it’s another story. They push their vehicle to the limits, and so they are keenly interested in optimizing its function, and where possible, upgrading it.
But here’s the thing when it comes to brains: the demands of everyday life make us all like Formula One drivers. Most of our opportunities come from what we can do with our minds, yet the conditions of modern life also undermine brain performance. So, demands are high, but normal modern conditions frustrate our brain’s ability to work at its peak potential.
To unlock untapped potential, we must establish the right internal and external environments needed for the brain’s hardware to perform at its best. And when we do so for near-term performance benefits, we also just so happen to create the conditions for long-term brain protection.
None of us want to lose our minds yet few of us do enough to make that outcome less likely. Why?
There is simply no well-established model for delivering the services that are required (and needed).
Some might think that the prevention of brain dysfunction would be the purview of our health care system. It is not. Our health care system is concerned primarily with identifying and treating disease; in recognizing advanced stages of biological deterioration that is typically decades in the making, then hopefully slowing the further decline from there.
The great news is that our understanding of human health, including brain health, has grown tremendously in recent years. In short, there is much we can do to protect the brain that is far more powerful than doing crossword puzzles. Plus, the solution required to get the outcomes we want can be practical and fun (it’s critical they are both, actually).
For the brain, protection against degradation is a matter of all the forces incurred through our lifestyle, and the solution can come in the form of small tweaks to your daily pattern of living. And adopting new protective measures can radically improve existing cognitive capabilities and future brain health, well being, and quality of life.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.” - Chinese Proverb
Aim #2: Develop “Software” That Helps You Learn Faster
Enduring misconceptions about human brain function is the belief that it is fixed after early adulthood and largely constrained by genetics.
While research in the neurosciences in recent decades has overturned these ideas, their influence remains, and few of us take full advantage of the potential hidden inside our skulls because we aren’t taught ways to do so.
The human brain has a lifelong ability to change itself in order to acquire new knowledge and skills. We can add new “software” to our brain at any age, and with a thoughtful approach to doing so, can experience far more rapid growth in our intelligence capability, while also cultivating the conditions for the emergence of our own unique creative genius.
This is not a special property of a select few brains, but a property of every brain.
Our program helps people adopt a systematic approach to the continuous expansion of their unique intelligence so that they may more fully realize their personal effectiveness, contribution, and potential in their life.
If we’re going to make efforts to increase our brain performance, we want that training to transfer to all aspects of our everyday tasks, from large to small, from routine to our most special moments. That is the dream of brain training: that the efforts we put in impact everything we do, and not just the thing we train on (i.e., better only at crossword puzzles but not anything else).
After all, for a program to be worth it, the net benefit to daily performance and learning must exceed the time spent on that training.
Better Brains - Program Details
Phase 1 - Build the Skills
Time: 14 Weeks
Goals:
- Equip participants with the necessary foundational ‘mental programs’ for optimizing brain fitness and achieving peak cognition potential.
- Develop individualized programs for mental performance and well-being in participants.
- Establish a core set of habits within the participants that help their brains flourish.
Program Specifics:
The 14-week Build the Skills program consist of the following:
- Pre kick-off Survey
- Kick-off session (live workshop)
- Insights Report review with a coach
- Weekly curriculum
- Between-session action items via coaches
- Access to humanOS and Brainjo tools
Weekly Time Commitment of Participants:
- Listen to weekly podcast: 10 minutes
- Do post-podcast exercise: 10 minutes
- Discuss subject with coach: 30 min (Every other week)
Pre kick-off Survey and Insights Report
The survey and Insights Report helps participants identify growth opportunities. In particular, high ROI areas to focus their initial efforts on, and to identify any existing habits and behaviors that are likely undermining mental performance and well-being.
Kick Off Session
Live (preferred), virtual, or recorded. In this session, participants will meet the Better Brain team, receive their Insights Report, and learn about their strength and betterment opportunity, the core principles of mental performance and well-being, and what to expect from the program.
Training & Education Series
14-customized podcast episodes will be released over the course of the program, each covering a core component of the program and tailored to the needs of the organization (in part based on the survey data). Participants will be given action items to perform after each episode.
Phase 2 - Sustain the Practice
Time: Month 4 to 12
Goals:
- Continue to develop and refine one’s practice of better brain performance.
- Keep the ideas top of mind, week to week.
- Maintain your growth dialog with your coach.
1-Year Program Cost
- $6000 per person per year
- 20 executives = $120K
- 30 executives = $180K
Better Brains - Team Details
Experience & Expertise
The program has been developed by the our team’s wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary expertise and decades of experience in areas including clinical neurology, cognitive neuroscience, sleep neuroscience, ancestral health, neuroplasticity, accelerated learning, and creativity, nutrition and metabolism, biochemistry, and peak performance.
Team Members
Dan Pardi, MS, PhD
Dan is the founder and CEO of humanOS.me, a digital health training tool designed to help individuals optimize health and performance. Formerly, he served as the Chief Health Architect for Restore Hyper Wellness, the fastest growing health and wellness chain in the US. He now serves as a key advisor to the organization providing input on its vision and strategy. Dr. Pardi has done work with many different types of high performing groups, including:
- FINANCIAL: Artis Ventures, Firstmark Capital, Francisco Partners, Ziff Brother Investments, Raymond James, Mayfield Fund.
- COMPANIES: Salesforce, Workday, Adobe, Pandora, Intuitive Surgical, and many more.
- MILITARY: SWICC, SEALS, Dev Team, Special Forces.
- EDUCATION & INSTITUTIONS: Buck Institute on Aging, Leiden University, Institute for Human-Machine Cognition.
- MEDICAL: Savant Medical, Amenity Direct Care, Ultrapersonal Healthcare, Defiant Direct Primary Care, American Academy of Nurse Entrepreneurs (AANE)
Josh Turknett, MD
Josh is a board-certified neurologist, 3-time best-selling author, award-winning musician, Founder of Brainjo, and creator of the Brainjo Method of instruction.
He currently serves as President of Physicians for Ancestral Health. Formerly, he served as Head of Cognitive Enhancement for Nourish Balance Thrive, providing performance optimization for elite athletes.
He was the founder of the Turknett Center for Neurology and Cognitive Enhancement and has conducted clinical research in the areas of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, migraine, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Turknett received his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine.
Megan Hall, MS
Megan is the Head Health Coach at humanOS, where she helps people achieve their personal version of optimal health and peak performance. She has worked with individuals of all levels of health and fitness - from professional athletes looking to optimize performance, to those who are sick and wanting to feel better. Her expertise includes nutrition, gut health, sleep optimization, metabolic health, and blood chemistry interpretation. Megan received her BS in Exercise Biology and MS in Nutritional Biology at the University of California, Davis where her research focused on the effects of low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets on longevity and healthspan in mice.
Ginny Robards
Ginny is the Senior Scientific Writer at humanOS.me, who has helped develop our communication and learning methodology. Ginny can scale her writing up to a scientific audience or down to a beginner learner. Here is a sampling of some of her contributions to humanOS:
- Developed our scientific authority on Twitter (~10K engaged followers)
- Written over 220 Saturday Newsletters
- Lead the development of 7 peer-reviewed nutrition and physical activity courses.
- Edited all 35 courses on the platform.
- Has written the quiz questions for all courses on the platform.
- Has narrated 6 courses.
- Has authored all the “Talking Points” docs for every course.
- Co-authors all How-to Guides on the platform.
- humanOS Radio podcast production.
Thomas Wood, MD, PhD
Tommy Wood MD, PhD is a neuroscientist and evidence-based lifestyle expert who has coached world class athletes in a dozen sports. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, where his research interests include determinants of brain health across the lifespan, as well as developing easily-accessible and equitable methods with which to track health, performance, and longevity in both professional athletes, high-performing executives, and members of the general population with serious health and performance aspirations.