Dr Dean Burnett
@garwboy.bsky.social
"Top egghead neuroscientist" - The Daily Star
Author, science communicator/pundit, former psychiatry lecturer, occasional wit, frazzled parent, balding
Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/theneuroscienceofeverydaylife
Author, science communicator/pundit, former psychiatry lecturer, occasional wit, frazzled parent, balding
Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/theneuroscienceofeverydaylife
Pinned
Dr Dean Burnett
@garwboy.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Reminder that, if you're getting your kid a phone for Christmas (or know a kid who's getting one), an ideal companion gift is my latest book.
Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone and What To Do About It
amzn.eu/d/2zxc9BR
So why not be the cool adult this festive season?
Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone and What To Do About It
amzn.eu/d/2zxc9BR
So why not be the cool adult this festive season?
Reposted by Dr Dean Burnett
I wrote a thing! Because I contine to be very normal!
Lloyd Didcot, 32, took the unusual step to not carefully prepare a mental script for his coffee order last Friday and, subsequently, experienced the actual, literal torture of eternal damnation for about five minutes in his local Costa.
Autistic man neglects to plan conversation in advance, experiences literal Christian hell
An autistic man who routinely plans his conversations well in advance decided to ditch the habit of a lifetime “to see what it was like”, landing him in a Biblical underworld of Christian hell,…
thedailytism.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM
I wrote a thing! Because I contine to be very normal!
In November 1996, the classic Simpsons episode 'You Only Move Twice' aired, where Homer, a poorly educated white American male, cluelessly helps his evil tech billionaire employer destroy American democracy
It's lucky this wasn't one of those times the Simpsons predicted the future. That'd be awful
It's lucky this wasn't one of those times the Simpsons predicted the future. That'd be awful
a man with a beard is holding a flamethrower in his hands
ALT: a man with a beard is holding a flamethrower in his hands
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:03 AM
In November 1996, the classic Simpsons episode 'You Only Move Twice' aired, where Homer, a poorly educated white American male, cluelessly helps his evil tech billionaire employer destroy American democracy
It's lucky this wasn't one of those times the Simpsons predicted the future. That'd be awful
It's lucky this wasn't one of those times the Simpsons predicted the future. That'd be awful
November 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
How about if I told you I have been making a living solely from writing for almost a decade now? Meanwhile, you're sending unsolicited "give me work" emails to complete strangers.
I think I'll be OK, thanks mate
I think I'll be OK, thanks mate
November 8, 2025 at 11:06 PM
How about if I told you I have been making a living solely from writing for almost a decade now? Meanwhile, you're sending unsolicited "give me work" emails to complete strangers.
I think I'll be OK, thanks mate
I think I'll be OK, thanks mate
Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It
www.amazon.co.uk/Psy...
One of, if not THE most comprehensive books about mental health and neuroscience that I've ever written and published in 2021.
#Mentalhealth #brains #books
www.amazon.co.uk/Psy...
One of, if not THE most comprehensive books about mental health and neuroscience that I've ever written and published in 2021.
#Mentalhealth #brains #books
November 8, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Psycho-Logical: Why Mental Health Goes Wrong – and How to Make Sense of It
www.amazon.co.uk/Psy...
One of, if not THE most comprehensive books about mental health and neuroscience that I've ever written and published in 2021.
#Mentalhealth #brains #books
www.amazon.co.uk/Psy...
One of, if not THE most comprehensive books about mental health and neuroscience that I've ever written and published in 2021.
#Mentalhealth #brains #books
At my son's early morning football game. I'd sort of missed the constant yelling of the sideline Dads. It's like the dawn chorus for the inner city.
November 8, 2025 at 9:54 AM
At my son's early morning football game. I'd sort of missed the constant yelling of the sideline Dads. It's like the dawn chorus for the inner city.
Tesla shareholders approving a $1 trillion payout for Elon Musk is the the most blatant and the most literal example of the sunk costs fallacy to date
November 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Tesla shareholders approving a $1 trillion payout for Elon Musk is the the most blatant and the most literal example of the sunk costs fallacy to date
To the guy driving the scrap metal truck earlier today who yelled to me that my dog has impressively large gonads:
Many argue that the multiverse contains a universe for every possible variation of reality, but I'm struggling to think of one where what you did isn't profoundly weird behaviour
Many argue that the multiverse contains a universe for every possible variation of reality, but I'm struggling to think of one where what you did isn't profoundly weird behaviour
November 7, 2025 at 10:01 PM
To the guy driving the scrap metal truck earlier today who yelled to me that my dog has impressively large gonads:
Many argue that the multiverse contains a universe for every possible variation of reality, but I'm struggling to think of one where what you did isn't profoundly weird behaviour
Many argue that the multiverse contains a universe for every possible variation of reality, but I'm struggling to think of one where what you did isn't profoundly weird behaviour
If you or someone you care about in the Cardiff area ends up in hospital and inexplicably starts babbling about brains in a barely comprehensible valleys accent... yeah, sorry about that
#GiveBlood #Health
#GiveBlood #Health
November 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
If you or someone you care about in the Cardiff area ends up in hospital and inexplicably starts babbling about brains in a barely comprehensible valleys accent... yeah, sorry about that
#GiveBlood #Health
#GiveBlood #Health
Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall and What To Do About It
amzn.eu/d/iBgVTcv
When a book's been an Amazon bestseller pretty much constantly for... [checks watch] six years and counting, that's usually a good sign that it's worth getting.
#Parents #Book #Teens
amzn.eu/d/iBgVTcv
When a book's been an Amazon bestseller pretty much constantly for... [checks watch] six years and counting, that's usually a good sign that it's worth getting.
#Parents #Book #Teens
November 7, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall and What To Do About It
amzn.eu/d/iBgVTcv
When a book's been an Amazon bestseller pretty much constantly for... [checks watch] six years and counting, that's usually a good sign that it's worth getting.
#Parents #Book #Teens
amzn.eu/d/iBgVTcv
When a book's been an Amazon bestseller pretty much constantly for... [checks watch] six years and counting, that's usually a good sign that it's worth getting.
#Parents #Book #Teens
Alcohol can actually improve your memory (sometimes)
metro.co.uk/2016/02/...
A Metro article inspired by The Idiot Brain (my debut book), which makes it definitely correct.
#Brains #Memory #Article
metro.co.uk/2016/02/...
A Metro article inspired by The Idiot Brain (my debut book), which makes it definitely correct.
#Brains #Memory #Article
Alcohol can actually improve your memory (sometimes)
... so get a round in, yeah?
metro.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Alcohol can actually improve your memory (sometimes)
metro.co.uk/2016/02/...
A Metro article inspired by The Idiot Brain (my debut book), which makes it definitely correct.
#Brains #Memory #Article
metro.co.uk/2016/02/...
A Metro article inspired by The Idiot Brain (my debut book), which makes it definitely correct.
#Brains #Memory #Article
You've got to hand it to owls, really. Every other bird species goes for a really long face, owls go "Nah, wide as possible!" and now everyone thinks they're the smartest.
Meanwhile corvids are all like "Old moonhead is 'the clever one'? What the hell, guys!"
Meanwhile corvids are all like "Old moonhead is 'the clever one'? What the hell, guys!"
November 7, 2025 at 9:42 AM
You've got to hand it to owls, really. Every other bird species goes for a really long face, owls go "Nah, wide as possible!" and now everyone thinks they're the smartest.
Meanwhile corvids are all like "Old moonhead is 'the clever one'? What the hell, guys!"
Meanwhile corvids are all like "Old moonhead is 'the clever one'? What the hell, guys!"
[People who are too lazy to read your CV without making you write it out repeatedly in easily digested chunks, or just getting LLMs to do it wrongly]:
"I bet we know more about brains and faces than every psychologist and neuroscientist ever!"
"I bet we know more about brains and faces than every psychologist and neuroscientist ever!"
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
Should facial analysis help determine whom companies hire?
A new paper suggests a photo can tell a recruiter much about an applicant’s personality
econ.st
November 7, 2025 at 12:13 AM
[People who are too lazy to read your CV without making you write it out repeatedly in easily digested chunks, or just getting LLMs to do it wrongly]:
"I bet we know more about brains and faces than every psychologist and neuroscientist ever!"
"I bet we know more about brains and faces than every psychologist and neuroscientist ever!"
Stressful night. Took the dog for a late walk, when an unattended Staffordshire bull terrier appeared and attacked him, before the owner retrieved it
Led to me having two completely novel thoughts
1. "Wow, turns out Beagles can hold their own in a scrap"
2. "...I wish the cat was here right now"
Led to me having two completely novel thoughts
1. "Wow, turns out Beagles can hold their own in a scrap"
2. "...I wish the cat was here right now"
November 7, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Stressful night. Took the dog for a late walk, when an unattended Staffordshire bull terrier appeared and attacked him, before the owner retrieved it
Led to me having two completely novel thoughts
1. "Wow, turns out Beagles can hold their own in a scrap"
2. "...I wish the cat was here right now"
Led to me having two completely novel thoughts
1. "Wow, turns out Beagles can hold their own in a scrap"
2. "...I wish the cat was here right now"
Is mental health 'awareness' backfiring?
theneuroscienceofeve...
Some analysis of the data which suggests that mental health awareness campaigns aren't having uniformly positive outcomes for those they're meant to be helping.
#MentalHealth #Awareness #Data
theneuroscienceofeve...
Some analysis of the data which suggests that mental health awareness campaigns aren't having uniformly positive outcomes for those they're meant to be helping.
#MentalHealth #Awareness #Data
Is mental health 'awareness' backfiring?
It's mental health awareness week, again. But the latest data shows that mental health stigma is increasing, not decreasing. What's going on there? And has mental health awareness gone 'too far'?
theneuroscienceofeverydaylife.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Is mental health 'awareness' backfiring?
theneuroscienceofeve...
Some analysis of the data which suggests that mental health awareness campaigns aren't having uniformly positive outcomes for those they're meant to be helping.
#MentalHealth #Awareness #Data
theneuroscienceofeve...
Some analysis of the data which suggests that mental health awareness campaigns aren't having uniformly positive outcomes for those they're meant to be helping.
#MentalHealth #Awareness #Data
Reposted by Dr Dean Burnett
Very sad that I will not be able to perform for nine lessons this year in Cardiff. @cosmicshambles.com do this for the love of sharing science, art, & stories & make no money personally. If you like things like that buy tickets to support local events and help maintain the joy of spreading stories.
Sad to say - we have had to cancel 9 Lessons in Cardiff - Cardiff just wasn’t very interested and we still had very low sales at the beginning of the week - we never make money on the shows , but we can’t afford to lose £1000s - sorry to those of you who were looking forward to it
We always try to get Nine Lessons shows beyond London - it is never profitable but we hope it makes it accessible for others - This year is CARDIFF - but no one seems to want to come - so we will pull it next week if we see that it is going to lose us too much money
www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...
www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...
November 6, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Very sad that I will not be able to perform for nine lessons this year in Cardiff. @cosmicshambles.com do this for the love of sharing science, art, & stories & make no money personally. If you like things like that buy tickets to support local events and help maintain the joy of spreading stories.
How Long Should You Keep Taking Antidepressants?
thecosmicshamblesnet...
A science-based retort to the constant refrain that you need to 'get off those pills' if you take antidepressants.
#Depression #MentalHealth #Medication #PillShaming
thecosmicshamblesnet...
A science-based retort to the constant refrain that you need to 'get off those pills' if you take antidepressants.
#Depression #MentalHealth #Medication #PillShaming
How Long Should You Keep Taking Antidepressants?
For as long as you NEED to says Dr Dean Burnett.
thecosmicshamblesnetwork.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:57 AM
How Long Should You Keep Taking Antidepressants?
thecosmicshamblesnet...
A science-based retort to the constant refrain that you need to 'get off those pills' if you take antidepressants.
#Depression #MentalHealth #Medication #PillShaming
thecosmicshamblesnet...
A science-based retort to the constant refrain that you need to 'get off those pills' if you take antidepressants.
#Depression #MentalHealth #Medication #PillShaming
Money can't buy happiness, a neuroscientist explains why
www.sciencefocus.com...
The neuroscientist in question is, in this case, me.
#Money #Happiness #Neuroscience
www.sciencefocus.com...
The neuroscientist in question is, in this case, me.
#Money #Happiness #Neuroscience
Money can't buy happiness, a neuroscientist explains why - BBC Science Focus Magazine
We all need enough funds to cover our basic needs, but beyond that the connection between wealth and wellness is less clear.
www.sciencefocus.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Money can't buy happiness, a neuroscientist explains why
www.sciencefocus.com...
The neuroscientist in question is, in this case, me.
#Money #Happiness #Neuroscience
www.sciencefocus.com...
The neuroscientist in question is, in this case, me.
#Money #Happiness #Neuroscience
Can science explain emotions? – with Dean Burnett
www.rigb.org/explore...
Dean's talk on the science of emotions, for the Royal Institution.
#Emotions #Science #RI
www.rigb.org/explore...
Dean's talk on the science of emotions, for the Royal Institution.
#Emotions #Science #RI
Podcast: Can science explain emotions? – with Dean Burnett | Royal Institution
Dean Burnett combines his personal story with expert analysis to uncover how emotions make us who we are.
www.rigb.org
November 5, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Can science explain emotions? – with Dean Burnett
www.rigb.org/explore...
Dean's talk on the science of emotions, for the Royal Institution.
#Emotions #Science #RI
www.rigb.org/explore...
Dean's talk on the science of emotions, for the Royal Institution.
#Emotions #Science #RI
The age bias in politics is psychologically fascinating
Basically, "Candidate is too young to know how to run things" [Speculative] is often seen as worse than "Candidate is old enough to have demonstrated, often repeatedly, that they don't know how to run things" [Confirmed]
And that's weird
Basically, "Candidate is too young to know how to run things" [Speculative] is often seen as worse than "Candidate is old enough to have demonstrated, often repeatedly, that they don't know how to run things" [Confirmed]
And that's weird
November 5, 2025 at 12:19 AM
The age bias in politics is psychologically fascinating
Basically, "Candidate is too young to know how to run things" [Speculative] is often seen as worse than "Candidate is old enough to have demonstrated, often repeatedly, that they don't know how to run things" [Confirmed]
And that's weird
Basically, "Candidate is too young to know how to run things" [Speculative] is often seen as worse than "Candidate is old enough to have demonstrated, often repeatedly, that they don't know how to run things" [Confirmed]
And that's weird
It's as if "The poorly informed guesswork of a collective of highly-strung sociopaths" isn't the most robust foundation for an economy after all.
Breaking news: US stocks have dropped as jitters over highly elevated valuations for many artificial intelligence companies intensified and top Wall Street executives said markets were vulnerable to a pullback. on.ft.com/4hIMmhj
November 4, 2025 at 11:32 PM
It's as if "The poorly informed guesswork of a collective of highly-strung sociopaths" isn't the most robust foundation for an economy after all.
Reposted by Dr Dean Burnett
Oh, so you Noah guy?
November 4, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Oh, so you Noah guy?
Neuroscientist On How SOCIAL MEDIA Effects The BRAIN | Dr Dean Burnett
Man Overboard Podcast
Man Overboard Podcast
Neuroscientist On How SOCIAL MEDIA Effects The BRAIN | Dr Dean Burnett
Talking to Dr Dean Burnett about the impact and effects that social media has on our brains. Listen to the full episode on all streaming platforms 👇
Full episodes & MO Socials - https://linktr.ee/ManOverboardPodcast
www.youtube.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Neuroscientist On How SOCIAL MEDIA Effects The BRAIN | Dr Dean Burnett
Man Overboard Podcast
Man Overboard Podcast
Not saying it's raining heavily out, but my bearded neighbour just called round to ask if he could borrow a few tons of water-resistant oak planks and a female giraffe.
November 4, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Not saying it's raining heavily out, but my bearded neighbour just called round to ask if he could borrow a few tons of water-resistant oak planks and a female giraffe.