Last week I attended the Table Talk hosted by SA Andrew about what he terms “biohacking”. I will admit I came to the table talk thinking it was about bioengineering as I only saw the title of the event, but I was interested by the content all the same. The concept behind biohacking is finding quick and simple actions such shutting your eyes and looking upward, cold showers, and selectively choosing at what times to eat in order to help “optimize” your body and life. The premise revolves around the notion that the human body is nothing more than a complex machine, and as such, it can be optimized through small cheats or “hacks”. An example mentioned was simply forcing your mouth into a smile results in a release of serotonin in the brain–a spontaneous response that originates from human physiology. Biohacks apparently are different from person to person, and therefore, the central part of biohacking is better understanding your body and how it functions. I found the concept to be an intriguing blend of what is likely placebo and actual human physiology. So many of us live our daily lives without being truly in tune with ourselves–both with respect to mental health and physical well-being. From this, biohacking seems to be a particularly valuable method of better achieving mental attunement and awareness of your personal health.