What Now? With Trevor NoahEmOntheBrain: How to Rewire Your Reality
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- March 20, 2026
- Duration
- 1h 57m
- Channel
- What Now? With Trevor Noah
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Trevor and Eugene sit down with neuroscientist and content creator Emily McDonald (aka EmOnTheBrain) to explore how our brains shape the way we think, feel, and behave. From the real limits (and possibilities) of neuroplasticity to the surprisingly persistent pull of old habits, McDonald breaks down what’s actually happening inside our nervous systems. Along the way, the trio dive into Emily’s own neurological journey, how elite athletes train their brains for peak performance, and even the spiritual energy of Sedona — all in an effort to understand how we change, and why our brains don’t always make it easy. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00:00 — Trevor's Wild Idea to Merge Old Age Homes and Kindergartens 00:00:02 — How Emily Used Neuroscience to Quit Nicotine 00:02:07 — She Hated Pre-Med and Accidentally Found Her Life's Work 00:05:19 — You Can Rewire Your Brain to Find Something Disgusting 00:07:25 — Why You Keep Doing Things You Don't Actually Want to Do 00:09:26 — The Real Reason Dopamine Drives You to the Fridge at Midnight 00:11:27 — Why Ads Only Work If You've Already Tried the Thing 00:15:03 — Why Going Cold Turkey Almost Never Works 00:17:15 — The Science Behind "Woo-Woo" — And Why It's Been Right All Along 00:19:05 — She Has Two Degrees in Neuroscience 00:21:27 — What Certain Sound Frequencies Are Actually Doing to Your Brain 00:26:02 — Are We Humans Having a Spiritual Experience, or the Other Way Around? 00:29:13 — When Science Caught Up to What Religion Knew All Along 00:39:50 — Why You Shouldn't Trust Every Study You See on TikTok 00:44:35 — How Emily Rewired Her Brain to Focus for 7 Hours Without ADHD Medication 00:55:58 — The Kitten Experiment That Explains Why You Can't See Opportunities 01:00:29 — Trevor on ADHD: Why His Brain Is Built for Chaos 01:15:55 — A Neuroscientist's Case for Just Deciding 01:41:22 — Psychedelics and Why They Scare Governments More Than Alcohol Does 01:54:18 — The One Thing Emily Would Tell Everyone to Start Doing Tomorrow Sonnet 4.6
SPEAKERS
Trevor Noah
hostComedian and media personality; host of the podcast “What Now? with Trevor Noah.”
Eugene
hostCo-host on “What Now? with Trevor Noah,” contributing questions and commentary alongside Trevor Noah.
Emily McDonald
guestNeuroscience PhD (with a focus on addiction/medical pharmacology) discussing habit formation, craving, and psychedelics.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of What Now? With Trevor Noah, featuring Trevor Noah and Eugene, EmOntheBrain: How to Rewire Your Reality explores neuroscience meets spirituality: habits, perception, and self-concept rewiring your life Emily McDonald explains habit formation as dopamine-driven learning that shifts from reward to cue-based craving, which is why triggers (ads, notifications, seeing food) can compel behavior even when you don’t consciously want it.
RELATED EPISODES
