Dean Burnett (that brains guy)

Neuroscientist, author, science bod, vague wit, moderately prominent Twitter person. Tend to chime in with all things brain and mental health related.

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npub1ph7909vr7cpe4s6h27ad6euf2hruhx7fenxn44egwqck2gsa7r3qf2qewq

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

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Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub1ph7909vr7cpe4s6h27ad6euf2hruhx7fenxn44egwqck2gsa7r3qf2qewq

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Last Notes

2024-09-13 14:42:20

It's Friday the 13th! The unluckiest day of the year!
Except, it isn't. Because that couldn't possibly be a thing.
And yet, countless people insist otherwise. Why?
Here's an article I wrote about exactly that, almost a decade ago
https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/feb/13/friday-13th-unlucky-why-science-psychology?CMP=share_btn_url
#FridayThe13th

2024-09-06 16:54:30

Last minute thing, but, I'm performing an incredibly rare stand-up set at The Drones Club, at Chapter Arts Centre, in Cardiff tonight
One of the most long-running and best open-mic gigs in Cardiff. Or anywhere, I'd argue. So if you're free, nearby and fancy it, do come along.

2024-09-05 20:23:08

Just TWO WEEKS until publication of my new children's book "Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up The Wall And What To Do About It"
All about how phones *really* affect us (according to the science), and the impact they have on the parent child dynamic.
https://amzn.eu/d/hybhcgL
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/113/086/338/556/600/461/original/77787db717d70973.png

2024-09-04 14:04:49

Why does this thing exist? (Podcast)
Episode 113: "The jazz of reading"
https://shows.acast.com/why-does-this-thing-exist-podcast/episodes/episode-113-the-jazz-of-reading
In this episode, Dean and Simon get all cheesy as they watch a man waste food and then they have a look at some cubic dogs.
#Cheese #Cooking #Dogs #Podcast

2024-09-02 21:52:35

What's worse?
A) The discovery that your cat seems to be recording his own podcast
B) The realisation that he doesn't consider you worthy of being a guest on it.
#Pickle #Podcast #Exclusive #Meritocracy
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/113/069/702/773/393/578/original/33b5eed36adfbb1a.jpg

2024-09-01 16:01:53

Just got reminded of the time a smug climate sceptic emailed me a bunch of 'gotcha' questions in response to something I wrote, and had the terrible bad luck to catch me when I was bored at work and in a sarcastic mood.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/113/062/657/571/603/727/original/bd222eb325159255.jpg

2024-08-31 14:46:43

You see this often, but it makes sense
Our brains don't measure time in a purely quantitative way. It's more qualitative
Meaning: We tend defer to events, 'landmarks', i.e. "It's been a while since [significant event]", rather than "It's been 56.3 days since new year"
/1
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/113/056/701/772/183/223/original/fabdbc57041bdf57.png

2024-08-31 11:05:33

Bemused by the number of people I've seen jazzed about the return of 'true working class heroes' Oasis after having handed over 3 months rent and 6 permanent teeth for the opportunity to see them preform through a telescope from a different postcode.

2024-08-29 23:22:21

I'm increasingly wary of such advice/guidelines/rules regarding phones for kids, as it all depends on two assumptions
- All parents know better about phones etc.
- All parents can be trusted to prioritise their child's wellbeing
But... neither of these are true
/1
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/113/047/401/182/375/152/original/c44cd3c6f3b51007.png

2024-08-26 13:30:26

Ah yes, I remember that Star Trek plotline where Kirk solved the infamous test by buying all the Holodecks in Starfleet, and making sure everyone's Period dramas and historical reenactments were filled with screaming Nazis and Ferengi Crypto merchants.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/113/028/090/428/635/045/original/bb14ee309d64b21d.jpg

2024-08-19 21:10:24

Another day, another dose of wildly overblown/flat-out wrong media panic about how smartphones are "ruining brains" via someone who REALLY should know better
surl.li/xrbiek
Smartphones 'fry' your brain, increased screen time ruins lives, claims eminent neuroscientist
Settle in, this is woeful
/1

2024-08-18 21:54:31

What idiot called it "the plot holes in the script of Disney's The Lion King" and not "Lacuna matata"?

2024-08-09 16:00:21

'I cut phone screen time in half and life changed'
https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p2egln0zeo.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17231603604656&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fc6p2egln0zeo
I'm sorry BBC, but this is a VERY shoddy piece, which seems to exist solely to reinforce the 'screens = bad!' stance so many adults are convinced is valid, despite barely any evidence
/1

2024-07-27 20:14:27

Thanks purely to pre-orders from my own dear followers, my new book has very nearly achieved Amazon bestseller status several times now
If it managed this 2 months *before publication* that would be massively helpful. So, if anyone's considering it...
https://amzn.eu/d/0i94i17W
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/859/801/545/164/377/original/c43d7e05bce1b7b5.png
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2024-07-22 20:22:32

Counterpoint
No they aren't
Yes we do
Bleak that we've got to a point where "I don't care about evidence, my emotional dislike is obviously correct!" is grounds for a full article, but hey ho
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/831/531/172/159/122/original/d4b3dacd32e6a028.png

2024-07-14 23:00:43

Looking at all the available evidence, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Spanish are a bit good at sport.

2024-07-05 10:30:22

One overlooked issue with all these Tory losses is that the Daily Telegraph is going to end up being thicker than a phone book with so many new columnists
#Election2024

2024-07-05 08:44:51

Theory: Liz Truss is a time traveller, sent back to change the past to benefit her evil clan. It was working, but then she accidentally killed the Queen, and now her timeline doesn't exist. Would explain the malicious cluelessness, and zero understanding of how people work

2024-06-25 12:04:15

Can hear the neighbour's teenage boys in the garden while I work.
Not sure what they're up to, but one just said to the other "If you die, it's not my fault", so I'm guessing it could be classed as 'unwise'.

2024-06-24 15:15:07

"No it doesn't", says all known medical science, and pretty much everyone who has to deal with health issues, physical and mental, on a regular basis
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/671/777/816/938/169/original/cd1b9eda77468ef2.jpg

2024-06-22 13:55:18

I'm not sure people will like having to wait 3-5 years for answers to their queries, but hey ho
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/660/138/597/335/016/original/1ba78095b846b9dc.jpg

2024-06-22 00:13:19

I watched a YouTube video a while ago and now the people who made it keep sending me werewolves in the mail
I really shouldn't have clicked Lycan subscribe

2024-06-17 10:41:40

Remember, Jude Bellingham is under 25, so his brain isn't fully formed yet, meaning any goals he scores don't count.
#Joke #ISwearToGod #ItsJustAJoke

2024-05-29 14:04:31

Tories want to close down 'Mickey Mouse' degrees
Mickey Mouse being an iconic ground-breaking creation, and current figurehead of one of the most influential and wealthiest corporations in history
I know that's not really the point here, but this phrasing has always bugged me

2024-05-23 07:57:53

Horrible when those in charge make decisions that make your life much harder for purely selfish reasons without giving a crap about your situation, isn't it. Just awful.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/488/862/373/520/184/original/53ce1f8b37c4afb5.jpg

2024-05-22 18:26:51

Guys, I'm starting to think that the Prime Minister may be horrifically bad at politics.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/485/674/399/462/530/original/c671e3305d0b20a2.png

2024-05-18 22:36:32

Universities should only fund courses that definitely lead to well-paid careers?
Maybe they should also only fund the science experiments that will 100% succeed. And football academies should only accept kids guaranteed to play in the Premier League. Think of the savings!
FFS

2024-05-17 17:42:54

With some individuals weighing just 27kg, the 'Malaysian Sun' is the smallest member of the ursine family
So that's the bear minimum.

2024-05-15 15:34:56

Said it before, but to reiterate:
"Ban social media for under 16s"
"internet-free phones for children"
These ideas may have worked 20 years ago, but that horse bolted so long ago, it's galloped around the planet and is now approaching the stable from the opposite direction
/1
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/445/363/555/318/664/original/629eb26680bea2e8.png

2024-04-24 09:26:15

Is it just me, or does coffee with some but *insufficient* milk taste stronger than straightforward black coffee?
Wondering if it's worth putting a research proposal together, is all

2024-04-10 23:11:53

- reply

But even if we did accept that the brain is 'done' at age 25, what we're actually saying is it's finished *maturing*. But that doesn't in any way mean that it's underpowered or non-functioning before then. Far from it.
/6

2024-04-10 23:11:46

- reply

In truth, your brain likely never stops 'developing'. We're learning things, updating our neural connections and networks, for as long as we live. If we didn't, we'd just be frozen in place. A non-developing brain is basically static. Which means, dead.
/5

2024-04-10 23:11:36

- reply

But the 'Your brain stops developing at 25' thing is one of those mainstream claims that's out there now, like 'we only use 10% of our brain'.
I'm guilty of it, I accepted it as established fact many times. Some people on here steered me right, so I'm not pointing fingers
/4

2024-04-10 23:11:28

- reply

Saying 'the brain stops developing at age 25' because you didn't study anyone older is like saying "Olympic sprinters are only capable of running for 100m".
I mean, they *clearly* can go for longer. That's just when the race ends. It's not the same thing.
/3

2024-04-10 23:11:19

- reply

Firstly, the whole 'your brain stops developing at age 25' thing is spurious anyway. The original studies that came up with this figure, they just didn't include any subjects over 25. So that's when the data... stopped.
But that doesn't really mean anything.
/2

2024-04-10 23:11:11

"If you're under 25 your brain isn't fully developed, so you can't be trusted to make informed decisions"
I'm seeing this a LOT lately, especially today with the Cass Review fallout. And it's utter guff, based on hearsay, misunderstandings of neuroscience, or wilful ignorance.
Why? I'll tell you why
/1

2024-04-04 18:36:35

My wife is invariably right, but she didn't need to be *this* right.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/213/922/823/503/824/original/d3414cc1c3ecd01a.jpg

2024-04-01 08:46:11

Going to be on BBC 5live in a few minutes to rant about how I hate April Fool's day. So, that'll be fun.
Not a joke, 100% serious. I hate #AprilFoolsDay

2024-03-12 15:17:34

If you'd like to know more about my approach to writing, there's this FREE webinar, next Tuesday (March 19th) at 7pm
With Suw Charman-Anderson
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/suw/1181490
You can still attend if you *don't* want to hear about that, although why you'd want to is another matter entirely
#Writing #Books

2024-03-01 16:04:40

Happy "School kids in countries where the flag is just a bunch of simple geometric shapes don't know they're born" day to one and all
#StDavidsDay #DewiSant
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/112/021/043/592/930/811/original/9cd996143004811c.png

2024-02-26 08:17:42

Brain: "It's Monday! Another week! Let's get this started right! COME ON!"
Body: "Here are the 27 different aches you accumulated overnight because you were careless enough to shift around in your sleep while being in your forties. Enjoy"
Brain: "Thanks, that's a big help"

2024-02-14 12:29:49

Roses are red
And can be other colours too
Colour is actually our brains trying to impose a sense of order on the bombardment of chaos that is our perception of a random, uncaring universe
As is love, if we're honest
And don't get me started on poetry
#HappyValentines

2024-02-04 13:32:42

I was on LBC earlier, discussing Esther Ghey's (Brianna Ghey's mother) petition for Social Media apps to be banned for Under-16s, and similar new restrictions
https://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68193103
Only had 5 mins, so here's a more thorough take
TL:DR - understand her thinking, but this really isn't workable
/1

2024-01-30 18:38:08

You my have heard that Elon Musk 'announced' today that his company has 'successfully' implanted a chip in a human's brain.
I expressed my scepticism about this via the socials, and now I'm appearing on TMZLive at 6:50pm BST (10: 50am PST), to give my take.
A live appearance on a popular US entertainment news show, to criticise a famously thin-skinned narcissist with an army of die-hard fanboys. I can't imagine this will backfire on me in any way.
https://www.tmz.com/watch/tmz-live/

2024-01-30 14:26:47

Elon Musk says Neuralink implanted wireless brain chip
https://bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68137046
Been asked to comment on this A LOT already. So, here's my thoughts on the matter
TL:DR 90% hype, 10% borrowed substance
/1

2024-01-06 22:56:41

Emotional Ignorance: Misadventures in the science of emotion
New paperback OUT NOW
Leaner. Keener. Greener. But with 100% turtle retention.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emotional-Ignorance-Misadventures-Science-Emotion/dp/1783351748/ref=asc_df_1783351748/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=658791256995&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10868533810607234022&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007416&hvtargid=pla-2203952047098&psc=1&mcid=943e9e8673a93c7896c578a54bfbc0d7&th=1&psc=1
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/Emotional-Ignorance--Misadventures-in-the-Science-of-Emotion/29453840
#Book #Paperback #Emotion #Science #Psychology #Brains
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/711/235/983/030/535/original/4fd636442a95e5e3.png

2024-01-06 01:29:08

Pickle wishes it to be known that he is disgusted with your very existence.
Standard.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/706/171/360/194/977/original/0c60ef9f778be963.png

2024-01-06 00:07:44

My mate Liam recently sent me this, to get my take on it.
Basically, assuming the results quoted are valid (never a 100% guarantee neuroscience), the 'interpretation' posted is a WILD leap of logic and speculation, and a drastic misunderstanding of how anything works.
#Brains #Neuroscience
/1
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/705/853/065/568/248/original/a24d9b3de0b03282.png

2024-01-03 00:01:35

Top tip
The song 'Shallow' from A Star Is Born is given a whole different spin if you close your eyes during the first bit and assume Rocket Raccoon is singing it

2024-01-01 00:47:40

Christ, Beetlejuice is looking rough
#Hootenanny
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/677/699/486/402/056/original/63fb8d05c52a19e4.jpg

2023-12-16 14:06:12

"Keanu stars in it"
"Keanu who?"
This conversation has literally never happened, so let's all drop his surname and claw back precious seconds of our lives

2023-11-13 14:35:36

It's nice the Government have confirmed that it's fine for you to create a massive disaster at work, quit rather of deal with any of it, keep all your benefits, and later stroll back into an important role, no questions asked
Presumably the same chill approach will rolled out in Job Centres very soon.

2023-11-04 12:57:10

Why stop there?
Severely physically or mentally impaired? Lifestyle choice
Living in an abusive environment? Lifestyle choice
Literally drowning right now? You should have chosen a lifestyle with better access to air
Don't have to fund support for anything if everything is a choice, after all.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/352/153/092/238/828/original/196da962acdaefde.png

2023-10-23 09:47:42

Who is it that is constantly canning worms in the first place and why do they get a free pass for their role in the consequences?

2023-10-18 22:38:15

"We need another mammal predator"
"Like a wolf, or those big cats?"
"No. Bigger, stronger, fiercer! This is the most formidable mammal predator yet!"
"OK. And we make it look really dangerous to match?"
"No! Cuddly as fu*k! Adorable, if anything"
"...why?"
"..." (belch)
[God inventing bears]

2023-10-13 21:56:47

Many people say their cat is a dick. But is your cat such a dick that it MADE THE NEWS?
https://www.newsweek.com/case-poses-photo-house-window-problem-twitter-1834379
#Pickle #News #Cats #Arse #HomeInvasion

2023-09-22 22:21:01

Ah, Britain. A country where privately educated millionaires regularly rail against 'the elite' to maintain control they do nothing with, over a country that's both formidable enough to go it alone against the global superpowers, and also constantly on the verge of being brought to its knees by a few half-starved traumatised brown people in a dinghy
It's a confusing place, basically

2023-09-20 19:29:57

My expert advice?
Do NOT volunteer for this.
Unless you want to surrender your grey matter to a hideously insecure man baby narcissist who will try to flood your synapses with conspiracy theories and ads for cryptocurrency. In which case, you do you, I guess
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/098/654/074/405/936/original/ac8f2a43d90f3c31.jpg

2023-09-17 17:46:17

Mate, nobody in Britain is *that* defferential to the King...
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/111/081/263/040/476/464/original/49e4aabe296c60fa.jpg

2023-09-17 01:31:32

It's becoming increasingly clear that "open secret" is just a more succinct way of saying "something really bad, but those who could do something about it don't feel it's bad enough to warrant any inconvenience on their part"

2023-08-15 15:04:21

My latest for BBC Science Focus Magazine
What is it that makes jokes and other things funny? Why are certain things humorous, and others aren't? Why are puns bot tedious and entertaining at the same time?
It's all to do with how our brains process these things, as I explain here.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/comment/joke-brain-find-funny
Can't remember who on here requested an article about this, but... here you go
#Funny #Humour #Comedy #Brains #Laughter #Science

2023-08-13 17:31:22

This seems like a place to ask this
What's a good platform for hosting long-ish text posts, to make them as accessible and shareable as possible? Like, I could do it on a Facebook page, but is that a good idea anymore? (If it ever was)
It's a light-hearted pop-culture thing, but seems to have generated a lot of interest already.
It's been about a decade since I was last in the blogosphere regularly, I've no idea what's 'in' any more.
Answers on a postcard.

2023-08-02 23:55:36

I thought I saw Dwayne Johnson in town earlier, but it turned out to be an Irish lookalike
It was a Sham Rock
No, YOU get out!

2023-07-31 10:10:16

Just realised something
It takes a special sort of anti-genius to rebrand your global social media network with a symbol that every internet user has learned to associate with "I don't want to see this, make it go away"
#Twitter #Musk #Idiot
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/110/807/677/242/158/445/original/82490dbea96d32e4.jpg
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/110/807/677/278/779/187/original/ac47e463da765ba6.jpg
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https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/110/807/677/359/286/418/original/f05a7f2457d0cf69.jpg

2023-07-22 10:31:33

So many people lining up to see the new Margot Robbie movie. Which is fair enough. After all, summertime is...
[Lowers shades]
Barbie queue season
[Flees]

2023-07-17 18:36:35

I'm one of the interviewees (as is my fridge) in 'The Funny Thing About Grief', a moving and insightful documentary about the grieving process
Tonight on
@radiowales
https://bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001nspd?fbclid=IwAR0SHSqfUL20R09sA-90WSX7TiLo_6PEojWnsepDSRDl7tJwx-e-FTqPjR8
Big shout out to
@ItsDanThomas
for making it happen, in literally every sense

2023-07-13 15:19:54

It's baffling how you can still say "I'm depressed" to mean either 'general low mood' or 'clinical condition'.
It's like having one term that can mean "I have a paper cut" or "A bear ripped my arm off"

2023-07-12 10:12:22

"Are you sure you want to leave the new guy to handle this?"
"It's the simplest possible job! There's no way he could mess it up"
#YouHadOneJob
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/110/700/100/921/932/123/original/a50df5a6c3c54901.jpg

2023-07-10 15:42:53

- reply

You know a post is doing well when you start getting replies from people earnestly explaining your own point to you, as if you didn't grasp it

2023-07-10 11:50:33

"We never saw any of this ADHD or autism stuff when I was young!"
You never saw any photos of the surface of Mars back then either, but I'm pretty sure it was still there the whole time

2023-07-04 10:53:02

With so many new social media sites popping up, it won't be long before some techbro introduces the idea of everyone having their own standalone page they can customise however they want which people can link to if they choose, and is lauded as a genius for inventing the website

2023-06-26 13:53:06

Why you’re hardwired to trust confident voices. Even when they’re wrong
https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/hardwired-trust-confident-voices/
Me, for @sciencefocus
Our reflexive tendency to trust confidence helps explain Johnson, Trump, Putin, Musk, and so much more that is otherwise baffling about the modern world

2023-05-15 21:46:05

Meeting fellow dog-walkers is a sureally friendly affair when you think about it
"Hello!"
"Hello!"
"I see you also have a distorted wolf on a string"
"I do indeed"
"Carrying a bag of their sh*t around, eh?"
"You know it!"

2023-05-05 14:36:00

I appreciate the optimism, guys, but I'm fairly confident it's going to be Charles.
https://files.ohai.social/media_attachments/files/110/316/102/518/555/513/original/b8572cb7c747dffb.jpg

2023-04-19 19:02:15

Was recently asked which scientific 'myth' I'd like to see banished forever
Obviously, given my field and output, I had to choose 'we only use 10% of our brains'
It's not just a silly thing that leads to shoddy movie plots. It's worse than that
For one thing, the origins of the 'we only use 10% of our brain' notion are unclear. But analysis suggests it came about *at least* a century ago. Believe it or not, our understanding of the brain has improved by orders of magnitude since then
/1