Podcast Summary: Inside the Mind of the Mad Scientist Rewriting Aging

Podcast: The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance
Episode: 1401
Host: Dave Asprey
Guests: Dr. Ted Achicoso (Founder of Health Optimization Medicine, Polymath, Co-founder of Troscriptions), Boomer Anderson (Business partner, Shaman in training)
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively and intellectually rich episode, Dave Asprey welcomes back Dr. Ted Achicoso, a multi-disciplinary physician, researcher, biohacker, and entrepreneur, joined by his business partner Boomer Anderson. The conversation delves deep into health optimization beyond traditional medicine, cutting-edge supplements, the realities and myths of nanotechnology, and the underlying science of how we can upgrade our health and longevity. Dr. Ted’s approach synthesizes advanced biochemistry, evolutionary biology, and consciousness theory—offering a radically holistic yet data-driven pathway to human enhancement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Philosophy of Health Optimization Medicine

Timestamps: 03:02–07:47

• Dave introduces Dr. Ted's impressive credentials and eccentric brilliance, highlighting his foundational work with the C. Elegans connectome and the creation of Health Optimization Medicine (HOMe).
• Dr. Ted describes the need to focus not on the root causes of disease, but on the "root causes of health":

  "Let's go and take a look not at the root causes of disease, but the root causes of health. And then all of this lifestyle stuff that you're just guessing is going to help in the disease is actually going to optimize the health of your patient." — Dr. Ted (06:08)

• Dave credits Dr. Ted for furthering the field by giving formal frameworks and academic grounding to biohacking and self-experimentation.

2. The Biohacker’s Mindset and Community

Timestamps: 07:47–09:12

• The importance of empowering individuals to be their own health advocate ("health daddy").
• Building academic and teaching infrastructure so biohackers gain not just competence for themselves, but confidence to help others.

3. The Genesis of Troscriptions & Product Innovation

Timestamps: 09:47–13:12, 35:33–43:18

• Troscriptions’ methylene blue/ nootropic trochees (sublingual lozenges) were born out of a need for "instant" symptomatic relief, especially around jet lag, cognitive focus, and mood support.
• Dr. Ted’s playful but rigorous approach to formulation:

  "I was looking at methylene blue, I said, this is an electron recycler. It can actually grab electrons directly from NADH and bypass complex one and three. Oh, I like shortcuts." — Dr. Ted (36:13)

• Practical hurdles included dealing with blue-stained equipment and FDA compliance.
• The visual novelty (blue tongues) became a viral marketing advantage.

4. Cell Danger Response: Foundations of Cellular Health

Timestamps: 14:54–18:45

• Dr. Ted explains the evolutionary and cellular stress response called "Cell Danger Response" (CDR)—how cells defend against threats like viruses, chemicals, and psychological stress.

• CDR involves shutting off external resources, strengthening cell membranes, activating innate immunity, changing gene expression, and warning other cells via extracellular ATP.

• Dave connects CDR to chronic illness (antibiotic-induced, food sensitivities, mold), noting its centrality within biohacking.

  "The cell, if you look at it evolutionarily is trained to fight off viruses. So it will try its best to—okay, I am not going to give you resources to produce more viruses... It emits microbials and viruses in the exterior and then it changes the DNA by using jumping genes, right?" — Dr. Ted (15:55)

• To turn off CDR: balance metabolites, support the body's healing, rest, nutrition, and the parasympathetic system.

5. Metabolites, Mitochondria, and Longevity

Timestamps: 21:56–26:55

• Dr. Ted introduces the concept of "summer metabolism" (growth, e.g., leucine) and "winter metabolism" (healing, e.g., alpha lipoic acid), happening within a single day.

• LDL cholesterol’s protective role is discussed; aggressive LDL lowering can decrease the body’s ability to remove bacterial toxins (LPS).

  "Some LPS are very toxic and some are less toxic. But if you have low LDL, you can't stick to these things and then you can't excrete it, which is why the people who live a very long time have higher LDL, not lower." — Dave Asprey (24:10)

• Dr. Ted outlines a “first principles” model of the body: food, mitochondria, gut, and microbiome—arguing that optimizing cellular rather than organ function leads to broad health improvements.

6. Consciousness: Emergent or Inherent?

Timestamps: 27:00–29:45

• A philosophical segment on whether consciousness is an emergent property or an intrinsic part of the universe.
• Dave: "I believe that the body and the entire universe is created by consciousness." (27:49)
• Dr. Ted contrasts inherent consciousness with the emergent nature of ego/self.

7. Nanotechnology, Hackers, and Medical Informatics

Timestamps: 30:03–32:49

• Dr. Ted recounts working on nano-cameras in the 1990s, secret government raids, and being at the forefront of nanotech and medical informatics.

• The group speculates on current state-of-the-art nanotech, implicating government and military-level secrecy.

• Dave draws a parallel between open-source hacking (Linux) and the ethos of biohacking—personal autonomy, code ownership, and decentralized control:

  "As long as I get to own the code and it's open source, I'm not opposed to that... Sorry, if I don't own the code and I don't own the cloud servers... then fuck off." — Dave Asprey (32:17)

8. Giving Back and the Role of Service Amid Success

Timestamps: 32:58–35:03

• Dr. Ted stresses giving back is core to the mission—service, mentorship, curriculum development, and funding bold, young innovators.

9. Regenerative Molecules, Personalized Use, and Practical Biohacks

Timestamps: 42:10–45:40

• Optimal methylene blue dosing: Ted takes 16mg in the morning; Boomer can take it at night.
• Introduction of cordycepin (from Cordyceps militaris mushroom) for sleep and immune/inflammation support.

  "Cordycepin itself... is a partial adenosine agonist, helps with slow wave sleep, has a lot of benefits to inflammation and immune system function." — Boomer Anderson (43:18)

• Emphasis on personalized protocols, real-world data, and the rear-view mirror evaluation of health improvement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On giving people permission to self-experiment:

  "You are the first person, this is my judgment, who ever gave permission to those who are interested in the health population to experiment on themselves in an end to one."
  — Dr. Ted Achicoso (07:12)

• On the blue side effects and Internet culture:

  "It's a very visual medium. Blue tongues will attract people." — Dr. Ted (38:23) "I've taken transcriptions and people like, what's going on? I just... I made out with a Smurf."
  — Dave Asprey (38:56)

• On consciousness:

  "Consciousness is inherent... The ego or the self is emergent."
  — Dr. Ted (28:57)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment or Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 03:02 | Dr. Ted’s background, HOMe origins | | 05:38 | Food/supplements vs. pharmaceuticals | | 09:47 | Product innovation: Troscriptions | | 14:54 | Cell danger response explained | | 21:56 | Metabolite mapping (growth/healing, daily rhythms) | | 24:39 | Mold, LPS, and health optimization model | | 27:00 | Subcellular consciousness, emergence vs. inheritance | | 30:03 | Nanotech, informatics, "hackers" ethos | | 32:58 | Service and philanthropy | | 35:33 | Methylene blue and product design | | 43:18 | Cordycepin for sleep and immunity | | 45:40 | Real-world evaluation of health optimization | | 46:56 | Travel biohacking wrap-up, sleep tips |

Final Thoughts

This conversation offers an entertaining yet profound look at the future of medicine, health sovereignty, and what it means to truly "biohack" aging—fusing ancient wisdom, futuristic tech, philosophical rigor, and pure scientific curiosity.

Fans of biohacking, longevity, neurochemistry, and systems biology will find plenty of inspiration, as well as concrete product tips and frameworks for taking charge of their own health journey.

Discount & Resource:
Listeners get a discount at troscriptions.com with code “Dave”.

End of Summary