Dean Burnett (that brains guy)

‘Your brain isn’t fully formed until you’re 25’: A neuroscientist demolishes the greatest mind myth

https://www.sciencefocus.com/comment/brain-myth-25-development

Dr Dean Burnett tackles a stubborn, and increasingly harmful, brain myth. For Science Focus Magazine.

#Brains #Teens #Development #Autonomy

No, AI, I Do NOT Think Nuclear War is a Good Thing

https://thecosmicshamblesnetwork.substack.com/p/no-ai-i-do-not-think-nuclear-war

Do you know what it's like to have AI misunderstand your work to the extent it could wipe out civilisation? Dean Burnett does.

#AIslop #Misinformation #Nuclear #War

A thesis that nobody's read, narrated by someone who isn't there, for an audience that doesn't exist.

https://theneuroscienceofeverydaylife.substack.com/p/a-thesis-that-nobodys-read-narrated?r=24oxwv

Dean Burnett explores the bizarre experience of having his PhD thesis hijacked by an AI service that nobody asked for or needs.

#AIproblems #Thesis #Research #Podcast

Emotional Ignorance - Misadventures in the Science of Emotion

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/Emotional-Ignorance--Misadventures-in-the-Science-of-Emotion/29453840

Dean Burnett's fifth and most personal book delves into the real science of emotion, and exposes just how baffling, but vitally important, it is, for every aspect of modern life.

#Brains #Emotions #book

Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone and What to Do About It

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Why-Your-Parents-Are-Hung-Up-on-Your-Phone-and-What-to-Do-About-It-by-Dean-Burnett-author-Katie-Abey-illustrator/9780241679593

Dean Burnett's book for young readers is an increasingly essential read in the time of social media bans, manosphere concerns, AI slop, and more

#Books #Teens #Phones #tech

Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall and What To Do About It

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/Why-Your-Parents-Are-Driving-You-Up-the-Wall-and-What-To-Do-About-It--THE-BOOK-EVERY-TEENAGER-NEEDS-TO-READ/23823892

Dr Dean Burnett's increasingly important book for young people, about the parent-teen dynamic, makes the perfect gift for someone else's older child.

#Parents #teens #gifts #book #psychology

Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall and What To Do About It

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/Why-Your-Parents-Are-Driving-You-Up-the-Wall-and-What-To-Do-About-It--THE-BOOK-EVERY-TEENAGER-NEEDS-TO-READ/23823892

Dr Dean Burnett's increasingly essential book for young people, about the parent-teen dynamic, makes the perfect gift for someone else's older child.

#Parents #teens #gifts #book #psychology

No need to stop the 'brain rot': Modern kids aren't less intelligent

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26635392-800-no-need-to-stop-the-brain-rot-modern-kids-arent-less-intelligent/

Neuroscientist Dr Dean Burnett tackles a common, but unfair, claim about modern young people. For New Scientist magazine

#Brains #BrainRot #Youth #GenZ

Experts no longer believe in photographic memory. Here’s what convinced them

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/photographic-memory-wrong

A Science Focus longread article by me on the science of eidetic (photographic) memory, and how the brain deals with memory in general.

#Brains #Memory #Neuroscience

Thinking Big?

New Scientist magazine addressed the claims that hypnotherapy can increase women's breast size, by citing the work of one Dr Dean Burnett

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735542-800-jewellery-that-monitors-movement-no-we-cant-anticipate-any-problems/

#Hypnotherapy #Enlargement #Critique

Digital devices may help ward off cognitive decline in older people

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2476410-digital-devices-may-help-ward-off-cognitive-decline-in-older-people/

Dr Dean Burnett explores the curious notion that devices and screens may actually prevent 'brain rot' in the older generations.

For New Scientist magazine

#BrainRot #Screens #tech #ageing

I don't have the geosociopolitical knowledge to make a relavent wry comment, so I'll just say this

In a world dominated by vile but powerful old men who believe they are immune from consequences because everyone agrees with them, anything that conclusively disproves this is worth celebrating

2026 saw the publication of the 10 year anniversary edition of Dean Burnett's global smash debut book, The Idiot Brain

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/The-Idiot-Brain--Why-Your-Brain-Gets-Things-Wrong-and-Why-Thats-Alright/32355466

So, if you've already waited over a decade to get it, you should buy it now. You're already overdue!

#TheIdiotBrain #Brains #Books #Neuroscience

If you like Dr Dean Burnett's work and output, you can support him and it and simultaneously enrich yourself, by buying one of his many excellent books, which offer fun and accessible insights into the fascinating complexities of our grey matter and what it does

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/search/?format=&keyword=Dean+Burnett

#Books

If you like Dr Dean Burnett's work and output, you can support him and it and simultaneously enrich yourself, by buying one of his many excellent books, which offer fun and accessible insights into the fascinating complexities of our grey matter and what it does

https://www.waterstones.com/author/dean-burnett/2524439

#books

If you like Dr Dean Burnett's work and output, you can support him and it and simultaneously enrich yourself, by buying one of his many excellent books, which offer fun and accessible insights into the fascinating complexities of our grey matter and what it does

https://uk.bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Dean+Burnett

#Books

How to spot the subtle thinking pattern that can accelerate dementia

https://www.sciencefocus.com/wellbeing/negative-thinking-dementia

A Science Focus article by Dean Burnett, which explores the evidence linking negative thinking with the onset of dementia.

#Brains #mentalhealth #Dementia #Psychology #Wellbeing

If you like Dr Dean Burnett's work and output, you can support him and it and simultaneously enrich yourself, by buying one of his many excellent books, which offer fun and accessible insights into the fascinating complexities of our grey matter and what it does

https://www.hive.co.uk/Search/Search?Author=Dean%20Burnett

#Books

My recent unprompted "Not involved in the Jeffrey Epstein affair" press conference has people asking a lot of questions already answered by the press conference

[Weird how this isn't even an adaptation of the original joke, it's literally just a change of medium]

Why Do We Have Cats?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DUBNqJfjI8M/

Dean Burnett provides a short reel about why we humans insist on sharing our homes with arrogant, belligerent, ruthless predators. Who are also cute.

#Cats #Instagram #Psycholgoy #Cute

The fascinating science of pleasure goes way beyond dopamine

https://psyche.co/ideas/the-fascinating-science-of-pleasure-goes-way-beyond-dopamine

Dean Burnett writes for Psyche Magazine about a particular bugbear of his; the mainstream misunderstanding of dopamine and its link to pleasure

#Dopamine #Addiction #Brains #Misinformation

Got a question for Dr Dean Burnet? Want to get his take on something? Or would like him to be involved with your event/project/show/business?

Then just drop him a line via his new website's contact page

https://www.deanburnett.com/contact

#Website #Contact #HustleCulture

Why I Don't Think Neuralink Will Ever Be Profitable

https://theneuroscienceofeverydaylife.substack.com/p/why-i-dont-think-neuralink-will-ever?r=24oxwv

Dean Burnett explores the most recent claims of Elon Musk's 'Neuralink', and spots the cracks in the stance that 'brain chips' are commercially viable product

#Neuralink #Brains #tech #Business

I've worked in/around the mental health world for many years. It's been my job to teach the nuances of it to qualified medics. I'm very much aware that there are literally thousands of ways in which symptoms of a mental health disorder can manifest.

To my knowledge, 'merchandise' isn't one of them.

Dear hotel bathroom designers

It may look stylish, but if the featureless steel block that is apparently a tap will only dispense hot water by stroking the rear quadrant thrice widdershins, you should include instructions for the average guest who doesn't have a Masters degree in Escherian geometry

You wrote a novel using AI? Cool. It's like that time I ran a marathon using a Ford Focus.

When I was in primary school, I had a Ninja Turtles lunchbox. On it, Michelangelo was carrying a pizza. Standard

However, one kid insisted it was a cake. No matter how much logic, evidence, and wider context I gave him, he refused to accept it wasn't a cake

I think that kid works for GB News now

The claim that AI software is inevitable so we may as well embrace it seems to be at odds with the fact that I keep getting ads frantically telling me how good it is and I really need to buy it, NOW, approximately every 45 seconds.

Currently working on my next book, 'Intellectual Property Law for Dummies'

The randomly generated wallpaper on my second monitor is making me feel really self-conscious about my writing.

#work #wfh #manatee

All those billionaires and CEOs who loudly declared they were leaving New York for Dubai when Mamdani was elected mayor may have missiles falling on their luxury resorts right now, but at least they escaped free bus access and a handful of subsidised supermarkets. A small price to pay, surely

I just now learned that Zach Polanski is both Jewish and gay from a LinkedIn post, and this is a shocking discovery for me.

Seriously, how long have I had a LinkedIn account???

I, personally, would like to thank Matt Goodwin, for continuing his sterling work of being catastrophically wrong about important election results in the most publicly embarrassing manner possible. Really brings people together in dark times.

Not a day goes by when I don't quote #RedDwarf.

"I have brought pleasure to the world because I have such a beautiful ass!"

"Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb"

"Smmmeeeeeeeeee-"

"You've lost my arm!" "I've lost your watch too"

And so on

But despite so many to choose from, the iconic line from the show that best sums up Rob Grant's legacy is obvious

"And the moral of the story is, "Appreciate what you've got", because basically, I'm fantastic."

#RIPRobGrant

In the highly unlikely event there is a civil war in the UK, I'm guessing Reform will be the first to regret it. I can't imagine their primary tactic of 'Waiting for the worst performing members of the opposition to defect' will be very effective in an actual military campaign.

Email from a complete stranger saying "In your book, you missed out several niche things that aren't relevant to what you were talking about, but that I am personally interested in. I look forward to you addressing this embarrassing oversight in future works"

Its been a while. Oddly nostalgic.

Why I don’t think ‘Neuralink’ will ever be profitable

https://theneuroscienceofeverydaylife.substack.com/p/why-i-dont-think-neuralink-will-ever

A quick post about the clash between media hype and neurological reality

#brains #Musk #neuroscience

AI art generation insists we're all equal, that the labours and skills of individuals belong to everybody, with no need compensation or acknowledgement

AI art is basically hardcore art communism

[If more people realised this, it might make things harder for the billionaire capitalists behind it]

I think we in the UK need to be totally honest and finally ask if 'putting incredibly pampered rich people produced by centuries of selective inbreeding, but with zero real world experience, in charge of vital matters of the state' wasn't actually that great of an idea to begin with.

Another day, another attempt at self-promotion. But at least it's 100% human made!

The Idiot Brain - 10 year anniversary edition - 01/01/2026

Pre-order now - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/The-Idiot-Brain--Why-Your-Brain-Gets-Things-Wrong--and-Why-Thats-Alright/32355466

#Books #Brains #Slop #AnniversaryEdition