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More than 80% of the world's population consumes the same psychostimulant every single day. Yet few of us know very much about our favorite daily drug . . .\xa0 caffeine.\n\nMy guest today will shed some light on humanity's love affair with this pick-me-up substance. His name is Murray Carpenter and he's the author\xa0of\xa0Caffeinated: How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts, and Hooks Us.\xa0We begin our discussion\xa0exploring what caffeine does to our mind and body, before delving into how caffeine consumption developed in different places all around the world and how the way we get our caffeine fix has evolved\xa0over the millennia. Murray and I then discuss the popularity of coffee in America and how our grandparents actually drank way more of it than we do today. Murray explains how caffeinated\xa0sodas became\xa0a stimulating competitor\xa0to coffee in the 19th century and how energy drinks became a huge business\xa0in the late 20th. Murray and I then discuss how you're probably ingesting more caffeine than you realize, and what the generally\xa0recommended maximum\xa0amount to consume per day is. We then get into whether caffeine\xa0can enhance\xa0athletic performance, and how much you need to take for it to make a difference. We then discuss the overlooked benefits of caffeine, as well as its downsides, and end our conversation with the question of whether\xa0caffeine\xa0is an addictive substance.\xa0\n\nThis episode will get you thinking about your morning joe differently.\n\nGet the show notes at aom.is/caffeinated.