In this eye-opening episode of the Humanware Project, pioneering researcher Marianna Obrist reveals how our most overlooked sense – smell – could revolutionise technology. As co-founder of a sensory tech company, she’s created “digital smell” devices that can help COVID patients recover their sense of smell and personalised scent systems that improve sleep quality.

Unlike our other senses, smell connects directly to our brain’s emotional and memory centres. That’s why a single scent can instantly transport you back to childhood – a power Marianna is harnessing to create richer, more human digital experiences.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How “digital smell” technology works and why it matters for our future
• Why we unconsciously smell people when we first meet them
• How smell training can improve cognitive function and counter age-related decline
• The potential for scent technology to detect neurodegenerative diseases early
• Why multisensory experiences might be what distinguishes humans in the age of AI
• Discover why the future of technology might not just be what we see and hear, but what we smell, touch and taste.

*This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any health or lifestyle changes.*

For Peter Diamandis – the celebrated founder of XPRIZE, Singularity University and Fountain Life – it’s discovering your “Massive Transformative Purpose” (MTP).

In this thought-provoking conversation with Méline, Peter reveals:

• Why only a third of the brightest students at Singularity University knew their purpose in life
• How his purposefinder.ai helps people discover what truly drives them through a series of powerful questions
• Why our medical system trains doctors who follow established patterns rather than staying at the cutting edge
• The science behind biological age – and how it can be reversed through targeted lifestyle interventions
• His approach to longevity through Fountain Life, where he measures and optimises over 200 biomarkers
• The secret to entrepreneurial success: “The world’s biggest problems are the world’s biggest business opportunities

Peter shares his own journey through multiple MTPs – from opening space commercially to helping entrepreneurs impact a billion people, and now extending the human healthspan. He offers practical wisdom on finding the purpose that will wake you up in the morning and sustain you through challenges.

As Peter puts it: “I truly believe everybody was born to do one special thing only they are born for – but it takes a lot of courage, trial and failure to find it.”

**This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any health or lifestyle changes.**

While conventional medicine excels at treating disease, in this episode Dr. E reveals why it’s shockingly ill-equipped to help you truly thrive.

“Industrialised healthcare is like Ford industrialised the manufacturing of cars,” he explains. “We have a heart doctor, but you can’t speak to them about your stomach problem. It doesn’t make sense, right? Because you’re one human body.”

In this riveting conversation with Méline Liu, Dr. E – a London-trained general practitioner, TEDx speaker, and visionary behind one of London’s premier longevity clinics – unveils his revolutionary framework for understanding human health. He reveals how treating the body as disconnected parts is failing us all, while sharing the four fundamental pillars of health that conventional medicine overlooks.

Dr. E explains how the earliest signs of deterioration – subtle changes in energy, mood, digestion – are systematically ignored until they manifest as diagnosable disease. “The HumanWare deteriorates over time,” he warns. “The sooner we can identify the deterioration, the quicker we can prevent that deterioration.” Through fascinating insights into cutting-edge therapies, Dr. E shares how his clinic is achieving what many would consider impossible: “I was really surprised that we could improve people’s health and their requirement for medication would decrease.”

From hyperbaric oxygen chambers that stimulate stem cell production to revolutionary treatments that can “reverse a decade of decline in just two weeks,” his approach bridges the gap between conventional medicine and optimal human performance.

And what exactly are the four pillars of health as he sees them? Listen in to find out that what makes Dr. E’s perspective so valuable is his ability to bridge conventional medicine with cutting-edge science. Whether you’re dealing with persistent health issues or simply want to understand how to maintain optimal performance as you age, this conversation offers practical wisdom for taking control of your health in ways conventional medicine rarely addresses.

As Dr. E eloquently puts it: “Our state now is determined by how we’ve lived, and our state in the future is how we live now. Big energy equals big bank.”

**This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any health or lifestyle changes.**

For James Croall, this frustrating reality led to a profound discovery that would completely transform not only his own life but also his entire career trajectory.

In this eye-opening next episode of The Humanware Project, Méline sits down with James Croall, a self-described “neurohacker” who spent 25 years in cybersecurity before pivoting to help others optimise their brain function.

Through his own journey overcoming attention deficits and sleep disorders, James discovered that we aren’t limited by the brains we think we have – they can be trained, conditioned, and fundamentally rewired. James reveals the fascinating science behind neurofeedback and neurostimulation, explaining how techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), photobiomodulation, and PEMF therapy can create lasting changes in brain function.

As he puts it, “We’re trying to understand the language of the brain and then hack it.” The results can be remarkable – from clients who go from completing 20% of their to-do lists to 80%, to those overcoming anxiety patterns that had previously paralysed their careers. Perhaps most compelling is James’s breakdown of how our modern environment has rewired many of our brains for distraction.

Social media, constant notifications, and multitasking have disrupted our dopamine reward circuitry, leading to attention difficulties even in those without genetic predispositions. Through the neurotherapy techniques James employs, we can potentially reverse these patterns and reclaim our capacity for sustained focus.

What sets this conversation apart is James’s unique perspective as someone who approaches the brain like a computer system – identifying patterns, applying the right inputs, and measuring outputs. His background in programming and cybersecurity gives him a distinct advantage in understanding the “language” of the brain and how to hack it for optimal performance.

In this wide-ranging conversation, you’ll discover:

– How neurofeedback acts like a “mirror” for your brain, allowing it to see and correct its own patterns
– Why neurostimulation can create faster, more effortless changes in brain function
– The surprising connection between sleep quality and attention span How vagus nerve stimulation can help balance your autonomic nervous system
– Why ADHD may actually confer certain creative advantages when properly managed
– The ethical considerations around “neurohacking” and finding qualified practitioners

Through James’s eyes, we glimpse a future where technologies like these could fundamentally change how we approach mental health, cognitive performance, and human potential – not by medicating symptoms away, but by teaching our brains to function more optimally from the inside out.

In this episode of The HumanWare Project, Méline sits down with Aaron Deere, Hooke’s leading fitness and nutrition expert, who dismantles popular health myths with data-driven clarity.

Aaron, whose journey began as a basketball player before evolving into strength conditioning and nutrition, reveals how the current information overload often leads to confusion and misguided health choices. Drawing from his extensive experience working with athletes, actors, and now longevity-focused clients, he challenges common misconceptions about exercise frequency, nutrition plans, and the latest health technologies.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Aaron breaks down Hooke’s comprehensive approach to health optimisation. Unlike generic fitness advice found online, their method begins with extensive testing – from cardiovascular fitness to strength assessments – before creating truly customised programs. As Aaron explains, “The key bit is personalisation because you might see something where somebody is giving generic information that might have worked for them or they believe works, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to work for you.”

Aaron offers valuable insights on several trending health topics, including:

• Why continuous glucose monitors are often misused and how they should instead track patterns rather than vilify specific foods
• The nuanced truth about medications like Ozempic and semaglutide for weight management
• How resistance training becomes even more crucial when using these medications
• The delicate balance between pushing yourself physically and proper recovery
• The four major diseases that comprehensive nutrition plans should aim to prevent

Working alongside Hooke’s cognitive health team, Aaron addresses the challenging reality that most lifestyle changes require more than just willpower – they demand systematic approaches to breaking decades-old habits. For listeners struggling to maintain consistency in their health journey, he offers this simple yet powerful reminder: the most effective approach isn’t found in New Year’s resolutions or extreme regimens, but rather in sustainable practices maintained over time. Listen in to find out the ‘one’ word that’s more important to fitness than any other.

This episode provides a rare glimpse into how elite health optimisation centres like Hooke approach holistic wellbeing, combining cutting-edge testing with personalised interventions and behavioural support to achieve lasting results.

In our latest episode, Méline explores the frontier of brain health with Professor Bouloux, senior physician at Hooke and leading endocrinologist.

Professor Bouloux reveals how our brains communicate with our bodies through two crucial pathways – electrical signals via the nervous system and chemical messengers through hormones. This bidirectional communication influences everything from mood fluctuations to the ageing process itself.

The conversation challenges widely-held beliefs about hormonal influences.

Women experiencing premenstrual symptoms aren’t producing different hormones – they have different responses to them. This individual susceptibility explains why universal health approaches often fall short.

Using Méline’s brain scan results, Professor Bouloux demonstrates how measuring brain voltage can provide early warning signs of cognitive issues and establish a baseline for tracking brain health over time.

While cutting-edge experimental treatments exist, Professor Bouloux emphasises the timeless fundamentals: “Lead a really healthy lifestyle, sleep well, be happy, have good nutrition, exercise… and be able to cope with stress.” These elements, combined with understanding your unique biology, remain the true “secrets and ingredients” for extending both healthspan and lifespan.

Listen in to understand how your brain-body connection could be the key to living not just longer, but better.

In this eye-opening episode of The Humanware Project, Méline sits down with Dr. Clare Nieland, a pioneering longevity physician who splits her time between the NHS and Hooke – one of London’s premier longevity clinics.

Dr. Nieland reveals how our traditional healthcare system was never designed for prevention, while explaining how modern science now allows us to measure – and improve – our biological age. By testing over 200 biomarkers – from cardiovascular health to cognitive function – Hooke’s approach provides a comprehensive picture of how well you’re actually ageing.

The most powerful revelation? While chronological age is fixed, biological age is surprisingly fluid. Through small, sustainable lifestyle changes, we can literally turn back our body’s clock. As Dr. Nieland explains, “If you know your numbers, you can introduce small changes that are sustainable, that can then mean those numbers are on an improving trajectory.”

This isn’t about radical interventions or unattainable regimens. It’s about understanding your body’s unique needs and making targeted adjustments – whether that’s increasing omega-3 intake, improving sleep habits, or finding social connections that give your life meaning and purpose.

Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Nieland challenges our cultural perceptions about ageing itself. Looking at centenarians in the world’s Blue Zones, she highlights how many older adults continue living vibrant, meaningful lives well into their 80s, 90s, and beyond.

For listeners of any age, this conversation offers practical wisdom on taking ownership of your health journey. Whether you’re in your 20s establishing foundational habits, or later in life seeking optimisation, Dr. Nieland provides actionable insights on how small, consistent changes can yield remarkable long-term results.

In this episode you’ll discover why the future of healthcare isn’t about treating disease – it’s about preventing it entirely through personalised, data-driven approaches that empower you to live your healthiest life at any age.

In this eye-opening episode of The HumanWare Project, Méline Liu takes us inside HOOKE – one of London’s premier longevity clinics where the focus isn’t just on extending life, but optimising it.

Join Méline as she undergoes a series of cutting-edge assessments that go far beyond standard check-ups:

– A brain scan that measures electrical activity and cognitive function
– Analysis of over 200 biomarkers to determine her true “biological age”
– Physical performance tests revealing hidden strengths and weaknesses

Through conversations with HOOKE’S top experts including Dr. Clare Nieland, Professor Pierre-Marc Bouloux and Aaron Deere, Méline uncovers the fascinating science behind preventative healthcare and how small lifestyle changes can dramatically alter your ageing trajectory.

The most powerful revelation? While your chronological age is fixed, your biological age is surprisingly fluid – capable of being improved through targeted interventions based on your unique biomarkers.

This isn’t just about living longer – it’s about taking ownership of your health, understanding what’s actually happening inside your body, and making data-driven decisions that could add years of vitality to your life.

Whether you’re a health optimisation enthusiast or simply curious about the future of preventative care, this episode reveals how cutting-edge technology and personalised medicine are transforming our approach to longevity.

As Dr. Nieland says: “Everybody brings to the table their own different experiences… there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to health.”
Discover what your body might be trying to tell you, and why the future of healthcare isn’t about treating disease – it’s about preventing it entirely.

This is the first of four videos on HOOKE, with the full interviews with Dr Clare Nieland, Professor Pierre-Marc Bouloux and Aaron Deere being released each week.

For Michael Antonov, co-founder of Oculus and now CEO of Deep Origin, it’s the pursuit of groundbreaking technologies that enhance human potential.

In this captivating conversation with Méline, Michael reveals how a 19-year-old’s DIY virtual reality headset grew into Oculus, a company that Facebook would later acquire for $2 billion. From late-night coding sessions to breakthrough moments in positional tracking, he shares the behind-the-scenes story of VR’s revival and what it takes to build something truly revolutionary.

But Michael’s journey didn’t stop at VR. Now, as the founder of Deep Origin, he’s taking on what he considers humanity’s greatest challenge: ageing. He explains how his engineering mindset might help unlock the secrets of human biology, and why creating better tools for understanding life at the molecular level could accelerate breakthroughs in longevity research.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Michael shares:
– The pivotal moment when Oculus caught John Carmack’s attention and set VR’s comeback in motion
– Why he believes ageing is the biggest technological challenge facing humanity
– How Deep Origin is working to democratise drug discovery through better computational tools
– His practical approach to health optimisation and thoughts on biohacking
– Why success often comes from pursuing what genuinely excites you This conversation isn’t just about technology – it’s about the mindset that drives innovation and the courage to tackle seemingly impossible challenges.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a technology enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of human health and longevity, Michael’s insights offer a fascinating glimpse into what’s possible when vision meets persistence.

In this immersive episode, Méline Liu steps beyond theory into practice, experiencing firsthand the transformative power of Dr. Zhang’s healing techniques.

Through slow, deliberate treatments, Dr. Zhang demonstrates how muscle tension, energy blockages, and even emotional stress manifest in the body. By tracing muscle lines, analysing the pulse, and using precision acupuncture, he works to restore balance, unlocking the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

But TCM is more than just physical treatment. As Méline discovers, every session is a lesson in awareness. Dr. Zhang explains why true health isn’t just about fixing symptoms but cultivating a deep connection between mind and body. He shares insights on movement, posture, and the subtle signals our bodies send, often ignored in modern life.

Could this ancient approach offer a missing piece in modern medicine? Step inside Dr. Zhang’s practice and witness how Traditional Chinese Medicine bridges the gap between science and philosophy, offering a path to true well-being.

For Dr. Zhang, it began with a deeply personal mission – finding alternative treatments for his mother when conventional medicine fell short.

In this captivating conversation with Méline, Dr. Zhang reveals how TCM views the human body not just as organs, but as an intricate energy system influenced by five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. He explains why your birth date might affect your health trajectory, how tongue examination can reveal internal imbalances, and why treatments are always personalized – there’s no one-size-fits-all in Chinese medicine.

Most intriguingly, Dr. Zhang challenges our modern understanding of healing. Instead of forcing change, TCM creates space for the body to return to its natural balance. Through techniques like acupuncture and facial manipulation, practitioners help patients reconnect their mind, body, and spirit – a connection often lost in our fast-paced urban lives.

As our healthcare systems grapple with chronic conditions and stress-related illnesses, could this ancient wisdom offer solutions for modern wellness? Through Dr. Zhang’s eyes, we discover how Traditional Chinese Medicine might hold the key to not just treating illness, but achieving true longevity – starting with the simple yet profound practice of finding peace of mind in our chaotic world.

In Sedona, Arizona – where ancient wisdom meets cutting-edge neuroscience – our host Méline embarks on an extraordinary journey to explore exactly that.

In this special documentary episode, Méline tests four radically different approaches to altering consciousness. Her quest begins at dawn on Bell Rock, one of Sedona’s mysterious energy vortexes, where yoga takes on an entirely new dimension.

At the waters of Red Rock Crossing, scientist-turned-meditation-guide Michele Mattix reveals how modern research is validating ancient practices, showing how just minutes of meditation can fundamentally rewire our stress response.

Then, when shamanic breathwork specialist Valerie Irons guides Méline through an ancient breathing ritual, something unexpected happens that challenges everything she thought she knew about the mind-body connection. The experience raises a compelling question: what transformations are possible when we combine ancient wisdom with modern technology?

But it’s at the BioCybernaut Institute where science fiction seems to become reality – a $20,000 brain training device promises to compress decades of meditative practice into a week, with some participants reportedly jumping from an IQ of 75 to 120.

In this exciting first for The HumanWare Project, we glimpse a future where we don’t have to choose between time-tested traditions and technological innovation. Instead, we might find our next evolutionary leap in their harmonious integration, opening new pathways to optimise our brain’s remarkable capacity for change.

This is a question that challenges decades of medical practice. While most treatments rely on hormones and painkillers with concerning side effects, few have explored the root cause: our brain’s response to hormonal changes.

In this episode of The HumanWare Project, Emilė Radytė – the founder of Sapphire Neuroscience and an Oxford-trained neuroscientist – explains how she is pioneering this paradigm shift. Born in Lithuania and educated at Harvard before pursuing her PhD at Oxford, Emilė’s journey through emergency medicine revealed a critical gap in healthcare – the overwhelming number of women suffering from mental health issues closely tied to their reproductive cycles. This observation, combined with her expertise in neuroscience and engineering, led her to develop Nettle – the world’s first brain stimulation device specifically designed for PMS and menstrual pain.

In this enlightening conversation, Emilė shares her groundbreaking approach to women’s health through neuroscience. From explaining how transcranial direct current stimulation can rebalance brain activity to discussing the latest research on menstrual cycles’ effects on cognition, she reveals how technology could free women from accepting monthly suffering as inevitable. Through her work, Emilė demonstrates how understanding our brain’s response to hormonal changes could revolutionise women’s healthcare, offering hope for a future where women no longer need to “push through” reproductive health challenges.

For Alina Su, it was deeply personal – the loss of her grandfather before she was born sparked a lifelong quest to give people more time with their loved ones.

In this captivating conversation with Méline, Alina reveals how she went from bringing coffee to a legendary scientist at Berkeley to co-founding Generation Lab, a company at the cutting edge of longevity science. Her journey challenges everything we think we know about ageing – it’s not the steady decline we imagine, but rather more like a car that starts making noise at certain mileages. The exciting part? We might be able to fix it.

Alina takes us into the fascinating world of biological age, explaining how our bodies don’t all age at the same rate – your heart might be younger than your brain, or your immune system might be ageing faster than your muscles. It’s a bit like having different parts of your car wearing down at different speeds. Through Generation Lab’s groundbreaking work, we can now actually measure this, opening up the possibility of targeted interventions before problems arise.

But the real showstopper comes when Alina discusses their therapeutic plasma exchange treatment. Remember those controversial “young blood” stories from Silicon Valley? Alina explains how her team has transformed that concept into something far more sophisticated – a treatment that could potentially wind back our biological clock without needing young donors at all.

Looking ahead, Alina paints an optimistic but grounded picture of human longevity. While living to 120 or even 150 might be possible, she emphasises that the goal isn’t just to live longer – it’s to stay healthy and vibrant throughout those years. Imagine being 100 but feeling like you’re 40, with all your faculties intact and energy to spare.

This episode of The Humanware Project isn’t just about science – it’s about reimagining what it means to age. What would you do differently if you knew you had another 50 healthy years ahead? How would society change if retirement at 65 became a mid-life sabbatical instead of the end of our productive years?

Through Alina’s eyes, we glimpse a future where ageing isn’t something that happens to us, but something we actively manage – not through questionable anti-ageing creams or fad diets, but through precise, scientifically-measured interventions. It’s a future where we might not just live longer, but live better, with more time to pursue our dreams, spend with loved ones, and maybe even make it to Mars.

While most of us think of dental health as just about having a bright smile, pioneering dentist Dr. Sameer Patel reveals it’s actually a window into our overall wellness and longevity.

Dr. Patel, one of London’s leading dentists, shares groundbreaking insights about how our oral health is intimately connected to everything from heart disease to dementia. From his years of experience at the forefront of preventive dentistry, he explains how the mouth acts as an early warning system for serious health conditions, and how simple daily habits can dramatically impact our healthspan.

In his fascinating conversation with Méline, Dr.Patel reveals the truth about common dental misconceptions, from when to really brush your teeth to why removing teeth for braces may be doing more harm than good. He shares practical wisdom about the oral microbiome, the surprising impact of warm versus cold water, and how modern stressors are literally grinding down our teeth. Beyond just dental advice, Dr. Patel illuminates the crucial connection between oral health and whole-body wellness, offering a revolutionary perspective on how taking care of our mouths today could help us live healthier well into our 90s and beyond.

This isn’t science fiction – it’s the vision of Dr Lee Hood, the pioneering scientist who helped map the first human genome and is now leading the charge toward a healthcare revolution.

Dr Hood, co-founder of 17 biotech companies including Amgen and the Institute for Systems Biology, shares his groundbreaking vision for the future of medicine. From his early days helping launch the Human Genome Project to his current work on scientific wellness, Dr Hood reveals how combining genomics, technology, and artificial intelligence could democratise healthcare worldwide.

In this fascinating conversation, Dr Hood explains how our genes are merely the “source code” that determines our potential health trajectories – but it’s our behaviours and choices that determine which path we take. He shares practical insights on optimising brain health, physical fitness, and the microbiome, while painting a compelling picture of a future where personalised, preventive healthcare becomes the norm rather than the exception.