Articles

Richard Cytowic On Simple Brains And Smartphones – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #962 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Richard Cytowic is a neurologist, neuropsychologist, and a creative force who brought the enigmatic phenomenon of synesthesia back into scientific discourse after decades of dismissal, earning him international acclaim and cementing his place as a pioneer in neuroscience. Currently a Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington University, Richard has authored multiple groundbreaking books, including The Man Who Tasted Shapes, which won The Montaigne Medal, and has been the subject of three BBC documentaries. His work has influenced fields ranging from psychology to the arts, with speaking engagements at prestigious institutions like NASA, the Smithsonian, and the Library of Congress. In our conversation, Richard explored the themes of his latest book, Your Stone Age Brain In The Screen Age – Coping With Digital Distraction And Sensory Overload, an examination of why our prehistoric brains are ill-equipped for the constant bombardment of modern technology. Richard’s unique lens – a fusion of neurological insight and storytelling – reveals how our brains, still operating on Stone Age instincts, are no match for the addictive design of our devices. He explains the science behind behaviors many of us dismiss, such as our inability to put down our phones or stop scrolling, linking these behaviors to the brain’s limited bandwidth and the mechanics of positive intermittent reinforcement (think slot machines in your pocket). As someone who helped reintroduce synesthesia to mainstream science, Richard also connects these findings to larger societal implications, questioning how technology influences not only our attention but also our ability to interact meaningfully with others. Richard’s deep dives into the science of human attention, working memory, and our psychological relationship with technology offer practical wisdom and fascinating insights. If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to put your phone down – or how we can reclaim our focus and connection in the digital age – this is for you. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose): #962 – Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond,check it out.

Mitch Joel

Share
Published by
Mitch Joel

Recent Posts

Screenagers – Raised By YouTube, Fed By TikTok, Ignored By Us

Nearly half of American teens are online almost constantly. Read that again. This isn’t just…

11 hours ago

SPOS #962 – Richard Cytowic On Simple Brains And Smartphones

Welcome to episode #962 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. Richard Cytowic…

3 days ago

Six Links That Make You Think #755

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that…

4 days ago

Flagged, Banned, And Confused – Welcome To The Wild World Of Content Moderation

Content moderation is a tricky and brutal business. Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs,…

1 week ago

Sandra Matz On Algorithms, Psychology And Human Behavior – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #961 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and…

1 week ago

SPOS #961 – Sandra Matz On Algorithms, Psychology And Human Behavior

Welcome to episode #961 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. Sandra Matz…

1 week ago

This website uses cookies.