❝Story01:00
Thoryn Stephens' full morning routine, from gratitude to skiing
Stephens walks through his structured morning: gratitude or prayer, 20 minutes of meditation, 20-25 minutes of direct sunlight, hydration with a couple liters of water, intermittent fasting broken with a high-protein meal, and (at home in Colorado) 30 minutes on a bio-resonant device called a biocharger before engineering calls or skiing.
- Gratitude/prayer followed by 20 minutes of meditation
- 20-25 minutes of direct sunlight depending on location and time of day
- A couple liters of water plus intermittent fasting broken with high protein
- 30 minutes on a 'biocharger' bio-resonant device, done concurrently with other tasks
- Supplements including BPC-157 peptides, adjusted around training cycles
“Morning routine is is pretty well structured. It depends if I'm home in Colorado or I'm traveling.”
#morning routine#biohacking#meditation#supplements
❝Story21:00
Meet the 'most connected human on the planet': six neural implants and a robotic arm
Brain One's chief brain futurist, Dr. Galen Buckwalter, a quadriplegic and former E-Harmony chief scientist, has six neural arrays implanted in his brain as part of a Caltech clinical trial with Blackrock Neuro's Utah Array. He can measure his own neural activity and use it to control a robotic arm, and has three literal ports screwed into his skull that connect to the internet.
- Six neural arrays: five on the neocortex, one on the prefrontal cortex
- Part of a Caltech clinical trial using Blackrock Neuro's Utah Array chip
- Can control a robotic arm using measured neural activity
- Has three skull ports that physically connect to the internet
- Former chief scientist at E-Harmony before the clinical trial
“He is the most connected human on the planet right now.”
“He has six of these neural arrays on his actual brain tissue measuring and then potentially exciting different areas of the brain.”
#brain-computer interface#neurotechnology#Caltech#disability tech
❝Story07:30
From genome-sequencing bench scientist to triathlete to Brain One founder
Stephens traces his path: molecular biology and drug development work at a startup acquired by Amgen during the early genome-sequencing era, into triathlon and Ironman training where he first used wearable data to optimize performance, then into digital analytics in LA (including early Facebook API data work), and finally back to science two years ago to found Brain One.
- Started as a bench scientist in biotech during the early genomics era
- Ironman training taught him to use data (heart rate, nutrition) to avoid 'bonking' mid-race
- Moved into digital analytics in LA, including early open Facebook API data work
- Grew uncomfortable seeing behavioral data used to drive addictive consumer behavior
- Returned to a science-based purpose about two years ago, founding Brain One
“Why are we doing this to have people buy more things they don't need? Why don't we use it for, you know, ultimately optimization of…”
#origin story#biotech#triathlon#career pivot
❝Story30:00
Why Brain One almost dropped the word 'protocol' (and Huberman named a book that anyway)
An advisor suggested Stephens' team drop the word 'protocol' as too intimidating in favor of 'routine.' The very next day, Andrew Huberman announced his new book, titled 'Protocols,' which Stephens takes as validation that the underlying concept resonates regardless of the label used.
- Advisor Ross Nash suggested 'routine' tests better than 'protocol' with general audiences
- The next day, Huberman announced a forthcoming book called 'Protocols'
- Stephens' takeaway: the label matters less than consistent execution
- Host notes he always asks guests about their 'morning routine,' never 'protocol'
“It doesn't matter what you call it as long as you do it, you know.”
#branding#language#Huberman#behavior change
❝Story23:00
The punk song where a quadriplegic scientist sings and controls a synthesizer with his brain
Stephens, also a musician, is releasing a punk track with Dr. Galen Buckwalter, incorporating Buckwalter's actual neural activity data from his Caltech clinical trial. Buckwalter sings on the track while simultaneously controlling a synthesizer using his brain implants, expected to hit Spotify within about a month of recording.
- Stephens co-writes and produces music alongside his science work
- Track features Dr. Galen Buckwalter's real neural activity data from his clinical trial
- Buckwalter sings while controlling a synthesizer with his brain implants in real time
- Framed as evidence the biology-machine intersection is happening now, not in the future
- Expected release on Spotify within roughly a month of the interview
“We actually wrote a punk song together... where Galen is singing to the track literally and then essentially controlling a synthesizer with his brain at…”
#music#brain-computer interface#creativity#Galen Buckwalter
❝Story45:30
Stephens on visibly reversing his own biological age at 46
Stephens describes a personal transformation over the past year: 30-40 pounds lighter, biomarkers trending younger, and visibly different skin and hair, which he attributes to consistently following his own protocols. He frames it less as chasing lifespan and more as chasing health span, referencing Peter Attia's framing.
- Lost roughly 30-40 pounds over about a year
- Says his tracked biomarkers are trending toward a younger biological age
- Attributes the change to consistent protocol adoption, not a single intervention
- Explicitly favors Peter Attia's 'health span' framing over raw lifespan
- Describes himself as the 'most ripped' he's ever been at 46
“I am reducing, I'm reversing my age.”
“I don't necessarily want to live forever, but I want to live the best life I can every single day possible.”
#longevity#biological age#health span#transformation
❝Story43:30
Taking the family dog for hydrogen cloud and bio-resonant treatment after surgery
Stephens shares an anecdote about bringing his mother for a hydrogen cloud treatment at a Four Seasons in Westlake Village, and separately taking the family dog, recovering from a splenectomy, into the same hydrogen cloud plus bio-resonant treatment, which he says helped her recovery. He's candid that the science behind some of these fringe modalities is still mixed.
- Took his mother for a hydrogen cloud treatment at a Four Seasons practitioner
- The family dog, recovering from a splenectomy, also received hydrogen cloud plus bio-resonant treatment
- Stephens is candid that evidence for some of these modalities is 'mixed' and 'woo-woo'
- Frames Brain One's role as helping validate or invalidate fringe treatments over time
- Ties into his broader stance of being an early adopter of new modalities
“Does it work? Well, the science and some of this stuff is a little bit mixed and a little bit woo-woo.”
#alternative medicine#family#biohacking#early adoption