Welcome to the Commune podcast. My name is Jeff Krasno. Today in the show, my brother from another mother, Jake Laub, and I discuss the science of skin color.

So over gargantuan swaths of time, people's genetics evolve in relation to their respective environments.

And this can be studied in various aspects.

For example, high altitude and cold weather adaptations,

malaria resistance, and lactase persistence. Now, one of the most obvious and visible

adaptations is skin pigmentation of variations in skin color across human populations are a direct result of adapting

to varying intensities of ultraviolet radiation. So in our discussion, Jake and I discuss

how indoor living and migration, both voluntary and forced, have created evolutionary

mismatches. We explore the biological underpinnings of skin color and why it is adaptive to have

darker skin in lower latitudes around the equator, and lighter skins at higher altitudes.

We discuss why there is a greater concentration of UVB radiation near the equator and how

UVB interacts with skin cells to produce vitamin D while also increasing the risk of melanoma.

We probe the cultural dimensions of skin color,

including how and why pale skin went out of favor.

We also discussed the pros and cons of sunscreen

and the various different types of sunscreen.

As always, this was a fun conversation filled with interesting and actionable information.

But before we dive in, I'm thrilled to announce my new commune course, Good Stress.

If you're interested in learning about the protocols and benefits

of practices like fasting, cold and heat therapy, light therapy, resistance training, and

meditation, well, check out my new course. In this course, I distill all of the conversations

I've had here on the podcast into the 10 protocols that helped me lose

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