What does it really mean to be human in a world that’s increasingly lived through screens?

Julian sits down with neuroscientist and author, Baroness Susan Greenfield for a wide-ranging conversation about the brain, technology, and the future we’re quietly creating. From the way social media shapes attention, identity, and mental health to how our brains adapt to the environments we spend the most time in, Susan breaks down why today’s digital world may be changing us more deeply than we realize.

Rather than framing technology as simply good or bad, the conversation explores what we might be losing along the way. They talk about why boredom and daydreaming matter, how screens can crowd out creativity, and why being “busy” or “efficient” doesn’t necessarily make us happier or more fulfilled.

Julian and Susan look ahead to AI, consciousness, and what the next decade could bring. Susan shares her perspective on whether machines can ever truly be conscious, how our sense of truth is being challenged, and why the real risk isn’t technology itself, but how we choose to use it.

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What You’ll Learn

How screens are shaping attention emotion and identity
How real world interaction builds empathy and resilience
The hidden tradeoffs behind convenience and efficiency
Why constant validation can weaken a sense of self
How boredom supports creativity and deeper thinking
What brain plasticity means for younger generations
Why AI is not conscious and what that misunderstanding reveals
What a more human centered future could look like

⏱ Timestamps00:00 Intro

00:12 The Leading Cause of Brain Rot

02:59 The Ill Effects of Long-Term Screen Exposure

06:10 Mobile Devices Are Designed to be Addictive

10:58 How Can You Link Screen Time to a Depressed Society?

13:39 The Role of Industrial Evolution on Education

15:20 Parenting in the Social Media Era

19:26 What Does a Good Society Look Like?

23:30 Let's Encourage Individuality

25:10 The Fear of Missing Out

27:55 All Knowledge Comes From Experience

28:37 How Do You Make Information Gathering Less Boring

31:34 What Happens at the Onset of Cognitive Decline

33:28 What Does a Brain Scan Say?

34:55 What Will AI Do to People?

37:52 Human Consciousness Remains a Mystery

39:04 Can AI Develop Consciousness?

40:59 Finding What You Like Doing and Excelling at It

43:14 How Do We Define Our Identity?

45:11 How Are You Going to Change the World?

46:40 How to Leverage Your Voice to Make a Difference

48:37 Expose Children to More Face to Face Interactions

50:46 You Have to Learn How to Have a Conversation

52:28 A Realistic Advancement in Treating Alzheimer's

55:03 The More Anxious Generation

55:46 Education Can Empower the Society

56:53 The Future of Human Cognition

57:41 Humanity in the Midst of AI Advancement

01:00:37 Just Be Yourself and Have Fun

🎙 Hosted by Julian Issa

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🌐 Website: www.beyondtomorrowpodcast.com

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Episode Resources:

Susan Greenfield

Website: https://www.susangreenfield.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baronessgreenfield/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/baroness-susan-greenfield-a96a99172

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaronessGreenfield/

NEUROSCIENTIST WARNS: We’re Changing Humans, and NOBODY Notices!

The Beyond Tomorrow Podcast with Julian Issa

NEUROSCIENTIST WARNS: We’re Changing Humans, and NOBODY Notices!