Namita Nayyar:
Running Playlist or Podcasts? What do you listen to when you run?
Andrea Oddos:
When I’m running, I mostly prefer music. It brings a certain rhythm and energy that helps me stay in the movement without too much cognitive load. I tend to choose something quite dynamic, almost like a pacing tool rather than something I actively think about.
Podcasts are something I usually reserve for other moments in the day, like getting ready in the morning. They require more focused attention, and I like being able to fully listen, process, and later reflect on what was said, sometimes even discussing or integrating it into my thinking afterwards. For me, that level of engagement feels better suited to a context where I’m not also physically exerting myself.
Namita Nayyar:
Desert Island Brain Tool: If you could only have one technique (meditation, hypnosis, or exercise) for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
Andrea Oddos:
If I had to choose only one technique on a desert island, I would still choose exercise but not in a fitness sense. On an island like that, the real challenge would not just be physical health, it would be mental stability, grounding, and staying connected to reality. And movement is the most direct way I know to stay anchored in the present moment.
It helps regulate the nervous system, but it also gives structure to time, to space, and to experience. When everything becomes uncertain or overwhelming, movement can create a simple anchor: here, now, body, breath, action.
I think in that kind of context, the goal is not optimization, but preservation of clarity and presence. And movement is enough for that it keeps you engaged with life in a very immediate, embodied way.
So it wouldn’t be a “technique” in the strict sense, but more a way of staying connected to the present and not getting lost internally.
Namita Nayyar:
Guilty Pleasure: What is a food or habit that is not neuro-optimized but that you enjoy anyway?
Andrea Oddos:
I don’t really think of it in terms of “neuro-optimized” versus “non-optimized,” but I understand the idea behind the question. If I had to answer, I would say that I do enjoy moments where I am not trying to optimize anything at all. For example, having something simple like chocolate without overthinking it is something I genuinely appreciate.
I think there is also something interesting about allowing space for pleasure without control or analysis. Constant self-monitoring can actually create cognitive load, whereas letting go occasionally can feel mentally very restorative. So my “guilty pleasure” is probably just simplicity: eating something I enjoy, without turning it into a decision to optimize or justify.
Namita Nayyar:
Final Advice: If a young woman came to you torn between a career in science and a dream of entering pageantry, what would you tell her?
Andrea Oddos:
I would tell her that she does not necessarily have to choose between the two. The idea that science and pageantry belong to completely separate worlds is, in my view, more of a social construct than a real incompatibility. One is often associated with rigor, analysis, and knowledge, while the other is associated with expression, presence, and communication; but both ultimately involve understanding and connecting with human experience.
What matters most is not the field itself, but the intention behind it: what she wants to contribute, what feels meaningful to her, and how authentic she can remain within each environment. From my own experience, I have learned that different paths can actually enrich each other. Science can give depth and critical thinking, while public-facing platforms can give visibility, impact, and the ability to translate complex ideas into something accessible.
So my advice would be: don’t reduce yourself to a single identity too early. Build the foundation in what you are curious about, stay rigorous in what you choose, but allow yourself to explore different forms of expression. You may find that what seem like two opposite worlds can actually become two languages for the same purpose.
Andrea Oddos Social Media Presence
Instagram: @andreaoddos (https://www.instagram.com/andreaoddos/)
LinkedIn: Andréa Oddos | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andréa-oddos-601a3b170/)
Podcast “Nuances”: Nuances Podcast by Andréa – YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/@NuancesPodcastbyAndréa
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