While he has a science background, he's definitely selling something. Drawing a straight line for evolutionary ancestors with a gene to modern humans and not showing that we have the same gene is a non-starter. Even if we have it, it could have changed in expression and function such that we are not capable of torpor.

We know from animal research that torpor/hibernation in non-human mammals creates a sleep deprived state. We know that there is no evidence of humans being able to enter a state of torpor. We know that humans have high sleep requirements for our brain function. It stands to reason that humans distant ancestors lost the ability to hibernate at some point and that it wouldn't work with our physiology.