Two Percent with Michael Easter

Up to half of Americans say their sleep is bad, and the rules for fixing it keep piling up. Michael speaks with David Samson, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Toronto and author of The Sleepless Ape, about why modern people sleep longer and better than hunter-gatherers yet worry about it far more, why our body clocks are the real mismatch, top sleep myths, and which sleep advice is worth following. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open(01:19) What is sleep?(08:30) Is there an epidemic of bad sleep?(15:50) Why study hunter-gatherer sleep(18:40) How the Hadza tribe sleeps(25:45) Bad sleep, happy sleepers(28:44) Evolutionary mismatch of sleep(32:40) Sleep is fine, the clock isn't(38:49) Does sleep anxiety matter?(43:02) Rapid fire: melatonin to curtains(47:08) What he does to sleep better

Get David's book, The Sleepless Ape: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691259734/the-sleepless-ape

Sponsors:Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.MacroFactor: Download the MacroFactor app and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.

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Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips
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Most of us avoid anything we might fail at. Michael speaks with Dr. Marcus Elliott about Misogi, his yearly challenge with about a 50 percent chance of failure, and why we overestimate the cost of failing, the benefits of Misogi, and what the data on elite athletes still can't measure. In addition to creating the modern Misogi, Marcus founded P3, the world's top sports science lab. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open(00:41) The Comfort Crisis introduction(02:20) What a Misogi is(05:37) The 50/50 rule(17:08) No training required(21:14) One perfect stroke(23:23) Why Misogi should be kooky(34:33) A modern rite of passage(37:51) The Misogi with his son(45:00) What the data can't see(56:42) Hundreds of reader Misogis(60:01) Not an Instagram moment(64:18) Don't let your life shrink

Sponsors:Base44: Get 30% off the Builder plan for your first year at base44.com/TWOPCT.Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.MacroFactor: Download the MacroFactor app and use it free for two weeks with code TWOPCT.

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Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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Brian Driscoll became acting director of the FBI through what he believes was a clerical error in 2025. He was then asked to hand over the names of thousands of FBI employees who worked the January 6 investigations, which would have placed their careers and safety in jeopardy. He resisted and became a legend in the bureau. Brian told Michael what pushing back cost him, and why he calls "it is what it is" the most accepted form of surrender. They discussed:

(00:00) Cold open(00:51) Becoming accidental FBI director(04:37) The illegal vetting call he failed(09:43) The request for the names of thousands of agents(18:04) From 9/11 to investigating the mob in NYC(32:22) Inside the elite Hostage Rescue Team(39:48) Lessons from elite teams: Be brilliant at the basics(49:05) How he protected the FBI(55:35) Fired with no reason given(59:44) How he led the FBI through crisis(66:48) Why standing up was worth being fired(71:41) The motorcycle journey afterward(76:56) Starting over

Sponsors:Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.MacroFactor: Try MacroFactor free for 14 days in the Apple or Android app store with code TWOPCT.Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow.

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Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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Michael speaks with Harvard evolutionary biologist Dan Lieberman, author of Fed Up. They talked about how humans didn't evolve to think about what to eat, the history of food and humans, what Dan learned trying popular diets for the book, biggest diet myths, and where Dan lands on exercise and weight loss. They covered:

(00:00) Cold open(01:15) Humans never evolved to choose food(09:59) What the paleo diet gets wrong(14:32) Why we overeat(24:22) The hardest diet Dan tried(26:47) The case against the carnivore diet(33:40) How diets become like a religion(38:18) The protein craze: facts and myths(43:19) A sustainable approach to eating(50:03) Why nutrition headlines constantly change(54:44) Eat like a fox: A rule for nutrition(58:40) Does exercise help us lose weight?

Get Dan's book, Fed Up: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737466/fed-up-by-daniel-e-lieberman/

Sponsors:MacroFactor: Download the MacroFactor app and use it free for two weeks with code TWOPCT.Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.

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Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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A lot of us think of quitting as a path to failure. Michael speaks with Lindsay Crouse, the former New York Times writer, editor and producer, lifelong distance runner and author of The Case for Quitting, about when perseverance backfires, how to tell meaningful suffering from the pointless kind, and the signs it's time to walk away. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open(00:54) Good sisu and bad sisu(06:30) The Olympic Trials goal she missed(13:12) When perseverance backfires(20:54) Where quitting pays off(24:22) Should you quit your job?(27:24) Type A minds and never enough(32:05) Where we quit too much(35:08) Who pays when you quit?(37:09) Bill Withers' golden toilet seat(42:23) Do we all need a rumspringa?(46:55) Why Lindsay left the Times(49:25) Signs it's time to quit

Get Lindsay's book, The Case for Quitting: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-case-for-quitting-the-surprising-benefits-of-opting-out-lindsay-crouse/5d08b49f272f6816Find Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycrouse/

Sponsors:Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6

Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips

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