In this edition of The Random Show, I reunite with Kevin in L.A. to talk AI super assistants that run your life over text message, agentic shopping, beta-alanine for climbing endurance, walnuts and sperm quality, dream engineering and anesthesia dreams, boner pills, man makeup, The Dark Wizard, Tim’s upcoming book, a Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet, and much more.
Please enjoy!
P.S. Video is coming soon.
This episode is brought to you by:
- Timeline Mitopure, a highly pure form of Urolithin A that supports mitochondrial health and cellular renewal: Timeline.com/Tim
- Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim
- Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim
- Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/Tim
Additional podcast platforms
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Transcripts
- This episode (coming soon)
- All episodes
Show Notes
Connect with Kevin Rose:
Website | Digg | Diggnation Podcast | Instagram | X | Threads | Bluesky
Connect with Tim Ferriss:
Website | 5-Bullet Friday | Saisei Foundation | Instagram | X
Show Notes
Connect with Kevin Rose:
Website | Newsletter | Digg | Diggnation Podcast | The Kevin Rose Show | Instagram | X | Threads | Bluesky
Connect with Tim Ferriss:
Website | 5-Bullet Friday | Saisei Foundation | Instagram | X
Relevant Tim Ferriss Show Episodes
- Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep — How to Improve Sleep, How Sleep Ties Into Alzheimer’s Disease and Weight Gain, and How Medications (Ambien, Trazodone, etc.), Caffeine, THC/CBD, Psychedelics, Exercise, Smart Drugs, Fasting, and More Affect Sleep | The Tim Ferriss Show #650
- Henry Shukman — Zen, Tools for Awakening, Ayahuasca vs. Meditation, Intro to Koans, and Using Wounds as the Doorway | The Tim Ferriss Show #531
- James Clear, Atomic Habits — Simple Strategies for Building (and Breaking) Habits, Questions for Personal Mastery and Growth, Tactics for Writing and Launching a Mega-Bestseller, Finding Leverage, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #648
- Michael Pollan — This Is Your Mind on Plants | The Tim Ferriss Show #520
- The Random Show, Couch Edition! — Supplements, Hummingbirds, Cock Rings, Optimizing Mitochondria, Breathing and Balance Training, Cool Grip-Strength Tools, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #858
- The Random Show — Tim and Kevin Talk Retreats, Mortality, AI Predictions, Supplements, Rock Climbing at (Almost) 50, and Not Waiting for “Someday” | The Tim Ferriss Show #875
- UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten on Fundamentals of Real Self-Defense, Savage Fight Stories, How He’s Handled Bullies, Breathing Techniques for Increasing Stamina and Endurance, The Art of Personal Reinvention, and Cultivating the Practice of Prayer | The Tim Ferriss Show #621
Books & Recommended Reading
- The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9–5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear | Amazon
- Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut | Amazon
- Compound Writing: How I Turned My Process into a Plugin by Katie Parrott | Every
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas | Amazon
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman | Amazon
- Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold | Amazon
- Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James | Amazon
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer | Amazon
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon
- Kurt Vonnegut’s Envelope Story | Snopes
- Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer | Amazon
- Personal Renewal by John W. Gardner | PBS
- Please Use AI by Shawn Smucker | The Courage to Live It
- Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker | Amazon
- Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel | Amazon
- Hard Times: An Illustrated Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel
- A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan | Amazon
Films & TV
- The Dark Wizard | HBO
- Dirty Jobs | Discovery
- 60 Minutes | CBS
- The Tim Ferriss Experiment | YouTube
People
- Miguel de Cervantes
- James Clear
- Ed Cooke
- Diana, Princess of Wales
- Al Pacino
- Joshua Foer
- John W. Gardner
- Adam Haar Horowitz
- Andrew Huberman
- Michael Jackson
- E. L. James
- Steve Jobs
- Stephen LaBerge
- Michael Levin
- Sarah J. Maas
- Stephenie Meyer
- Elon Musk
- Rhonda Patrick
- Michael Pollan
- Dean Potter
- Mike Rowe
- Bas Rutten
- Henry Shukman
- Shawn Smucker
- Studs Terkel
- Jean-Claude Van Damme
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Matthew Walker
- Zooko Wilcox-O’Hearn
- Chris Williamson
- Rebecca Yarros
AI Agents & Tech
- Amazon Blocked Meta’s Muse. Then Shopify Wired It into Every Store. | The New Stack
- Apple Intelligence | Apple
- ChatGPT | OpenAI
- Claude | Anthropic
- Compound Engineering | Every
- Compound Writing | Every
- DaVinci Resolve | Blackmagic Design
- Dots | OpenAI
- Final Cut Pro | Apple
- Gemini | Google
- Grok Bot | xAI
- Instinct (Personal AI Agent)
- MindMax (Ed Cooke’s Learning App)
- Muse | Meta
- OpenTable
- Photoshop | Adobe
- Premiere | Adobe
- Resolve 21.1 Adds MCP and Finally Gets Presets | Digital Production
Supplements, Food, Drinks, & Performance
- Artisana Organics Raw Almond Butter | Amazon
- Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter with Cashews | Amazon
- Thorne Beta-Alanine-SR | Amazon
- BodyTech Elite Creatine Beadlet | The Vitamin Shoppe
- Collagen Peptides | Momentous
- Creatine Travel Packs | Momentous
- Monster Energy
- Muscle Milk
- N.O.-XPLODE | BSN
- Organic India Whole Psyllium Husk | Amazon
- A2 Protein Shakes | Pioneer Pastures
- Plum Flower Curing Pills | Amazon
- Nature Made Vitamin C | Amazon
- Yerba Prima Psyllium Whole Husks | Amazon
Medications
- Belsomra (Suvorexant)
- Cialis (Tadalafil) | MedlinePlus
- D-Cycloserine | DailyMed
- Gabapentin | MedlinePlus
- Propofol | National Cancer Institute
- Quviviq (Daridorexant)
- Stendra (Avanafil) | MedlinePlus
- Viagra (Sildenafil) | MedlinePlus
Sleep, Dreams, & Brain Stimulation
- Ampa Health (Portable TMS and the One-Day Protocol)
- Claria: Anxiety & Depression | Mindset Health
- Could Anesthesia-Induced Dreams Wipe Away Trauma? | Stanford Medicine
- Could Anesthesia Dreams Be a More Palatable Psychedelic Therapy? | Stanford Medicine
- Dust (Dream Engineering App)
- A Sleep Medication to Lower the Risk of Alzheimer’s | The Matt Walker Podcast #118
- Real-Time Dialogue Between Experimenters and Dreamers During REM Sleep | Current Biology
- Could Anesthesia-Induced Dreams Wipe Away Trauma? | Stanford Medicine
- Could Anesthesia Dreams Be a More Palatable Psychedelic Therapy? | Stanford Medicine
- Brain-Stimulating Contact Lenses Match Prozac in Depression Study | Neuroscience News
Research
- Beta-Alanine Supplementation and Sport Climbing Performance | Sas-Nowosielski et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021)
- Vitamin C–Enriched Gelatin Supplementation Before Intermittent Activity Augments Collagen Synthesis | Shaw et al., The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2017)
- Walnuts Improve Semen Quality in Men Consuming a Western-Style Diet: Randomized Control Dietary Intervention Trial | Robbins et al., Biology of Reproduction (2012)
- Nut Consumption and Fertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Cardoso et al., Advances in Nutrition (2024)
- Real-Time Dialogue Between Experimenters and Dreamers During REM Sleep | Konkoly et al., Current Biology (2021)
- Reduction in Trauma-Related Symptoms After Anesthetic-Induced Intra-operative Dreaming | Hack et al., American Journal of Psychiatry (2024)
- Feasibility of a Multicomponent Protocol to Promote Dreaming During Surgical Anesthesia | Sikka et al., Anesthesiology (2026)
- Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication During REM Sleep | LaBerge et al., Perceptual and Motor Skills (1981)
- Suvorexant Acutely Decreases Tau Phosphorylation and A? in the Human CNS | Lucey et al., Annals of Neurology (2023)
- Contact Lens Bioelectronic Platform for Non-invasive Depression Treatment with Machine-Learning-Based Evaluation | Park et al., Cell Reports Physical Science (2026)
Training, Skin, & Health
- Airofit Breathing Trainers
- Cicapair Soothing Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 | Dr. Jart+
- Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor
- Captains of Crush Hand Gripper | Amazon
- OneSkin (Topical Peptide Skin Care)
Companies & Organizations
- Amazon
- Ampa Health (Portable TMS and the One-Day Protocol)
- Authors Equity
- Biograph
- Blackmagic Design
- DUST (Dream Engineering)
- Every
- Prenuvo
- Shopify
- SpectraCell Laboratories
- StretchLab
Timestamps
- [00:00:00] Start.
- [00:00:52] AI super assistants: Instinct, Muse, Grok Bot, and ChatGPT dots.
- [00:09:04] How AI agents could reshape shopping and video editing.
- [00:20:02] Beta-alanine for climbing endurance.
- [00:26:42] Psyllium, contaminants, and creatine without stomach trouble.
- [00:30:53] Walnuts, sperm quality, and micronutrients.
- [00:40:34] A2 protein shakes and practical training nutrition.
- [00:46:39] Dream engineering, lucid dreaming, and brain stimulation.
- [00:53:25] Anesthesia dreams and trauma recovery.
- [00:59:38] DORA sleep medications and Alzheimer’s research.
- [01:01:43] Plum Flower Curing Pills and Airofit breathing training.
- [01:05:54] Brain-stimulating contact lenses and the mysteries of anesthesia.
- [01:10:25] Boner pills, back pain, and the lure of enhancement.
- [01:13:13] AI writing tools and the value of lived experience.
- [01:17:10] “Personal Renewal”: John Gardner and the story of Cervantes.
- [01:19:03] Man makeup, rosacea, and Kevin’s skincare routine.
- [01:22:35] The Dark Wizard and the extraordinary life of Dean Potter.
- [01:25:07] Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, Working, and the art of oral history.
- [01:27:52] Exploring romantasy: Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
- [01:30:59] What Fifty Shades of Grey teaches about clear positioning.
- [01:35:02] Tim’s next book: saying no in a world of noise.
- [01:37:42] Authors Equity, publishing timelines, and the case for print.
- [01:43:29] “Please Use AI,” Vonnegut’s envelope, and preserving human connection.
- [01:45:12] Will AI create more leisure—or just more work?
- [01:47:53] The $500 Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet.
Want to hear the last time Kevin and I got together for a Random Show? Listen to this tequila-fueled edition, in which Kevin and I discussed losing Om Malik, five days of silence and the koan “Mu,” rock climbing after 40, finger-strength training, A2 protein and Maui Nui venison, deltaG ketones, the MM120 anxiety study, Kevin’s AI-powered home, Wispr Flow and my recording rig, letting your winners run, Digg’s relaunch, and much more.


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