Dr. Eagleman on Huberman Lab: Why cortex repurposes itself

Cortex rewires based on what feeds into it, Eagleman maintains; challenge fuels plasticity and novelty sustains it, even rerouting auditory cortex for vision.

Dr. David EaglemanguestAndrew Hubermanhost

Jan 26, 20262h 24mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 26, 2026
Duration: 2h 24m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. David Eagleman, PhD, is a neuroscientist, bestselling author and professor at Stanford University. We discuss how to leverage the science of neuroplasticity to learn new skills and information and how accurate and false memories form and are forgotten. We also discuss time perception and why it speeds up or slows down depending on our age and stress level. We cover dreaming and the meaning of visual and other dream content. And we discuss the neuroscience of cultural and political polarization and how to remedy it. This episode provides science-based knowledge and practical tools you can use to enhance learning and better understand your experience of life in the past, present and future. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/WxWNqhS *Thank you to our sponsors* AG1: ⁠https://drinkag1.com/huberman Mateina: ⁠https://drinkmateina.com/offer Rorra: ⁠https://rorra.com/huberman Lingo: ⁠https://hellolingo.com/huberman Function: ⁠https://functionhealth.com/huberman *Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com *Dr. David Eagleman* Website: https://eagleman.com Inner Cosmos podcast: https://eagleman.com/podcast Books: https://amzlink.to/az0J1dO902Ehz Newsletter: https://davideagleman.substack.com Stanford academic profile: https://deagle.people.stanford.edu X: https://x.com/davideagleman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davideagleman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/David.M.Eagleman TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdavideagleman BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/davideagleman.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davideagleman *Timestamps* 00:00:00 David Eagleman 00:02:35 Neuroplasticity & Learning; Cortex, Flexibility & Repurposing, Savantism 00:11:07 Sponsors: Mateina & Rorra 00:13:27 Specialization vs Diversification, Practice; Internet & Curiosity 00:22:05 Building a Well-Rounded Brain, Tool: Critical Thinking & Creativity 00:28:18 Neuroplasticity & Adults, Tools: Novelty & Challenge 00:32:41 Neuromodulators & Plasticity, Psychedelics; Directed Plasticity 00:38:50 Sponsor: AG1 00:39:41 Building a Better Future Self, Tool: Ulysses Contract to Avoid Bad Behaviors 00:50:13 Brain Chatter, Aphantasia & Practice 00:56:57 Specialization vs Diverse Experience, Childhood & Brain 01:00:50 Space & Time Perception, Tool: Space-Time Bridging Meditation 01:06:17 Are We Good at Estimating Time?; Fear, Time & Memory 01:11:23 Sponsor: Lingo 01:12:53 Fearful Situations & Time Perception; Joyful Events & Novelty, Tool: Do Things Differently 01:18:56 Staying in the Present, Mental Illness & Time Domains, Addiction 01:27:09 Social Media, Addiction, Curiosity 01:30:51 Vision & Auditory Deficits, Sensory Substitution, Neosensory Wristband 01:35:26 Sponsor: Function 01:37:13 Sensory Reliance, Echolocation, Potato Head Theory, Sensory Addition 01:41:36 Why We Dream, Vision & Neuroplasticity, REM Sleep, Blindness 01:49:55 Victims, Fear, Memory Drift & Recall, Eyewitness Testimony & Jury Education 01:56:10 Kids vs Adults, Memory Manipulation; Photos 01:59:27 Polarization, In vs Out Groups, Empathy; Fairness 02:06:31 Polarization, Reward vs Punishment; Propaganda, Language, Complexification 02:19:27 Current Projects; Acknowledgements 02:21:44 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Science #Learning #Memory Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Dr. David Eagleman
guest
Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. David Eagleman and Andrew Huberman, Dr. Eagleman on Huberman Lab: Why cortex repurposes itself explores eagleman explains how brains change, remember, and polarize society behaviors Dr. David Eagleman frames neuroplasticity as the brain’s constant rewiring in response to challenge, novelty, and the right neuromodulator “cocktail,” arguing that learning is the shift from effortful “software” to efficient “hardware.”

RELATED EPISODES