Dean Burnett

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Dean Burnett

Goodreads Author


Born
Bridgend, The United Kingdom
Website

Twitter

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Member Since
November 2016

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Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist and psychiatry lecturer at the Centre for Medical Education at Cardiff University and is the author of the Guardian’s most-read science blog, Brain Flapping. He lives in Cardiff.

The following is from his website:

This is the website for Doctor Dean Burnett, neuroscientist, lecturer, author, blogger, media pundit, science communicator, comedian and numerous other things, depending on who’s asking and what they need.

Although employed as a tutor and lecturer by the Cardiff University Centre for Medical Education in his day job, Dean is best known for his satirical science column ‘Brain Flapping‘ at the Guardian, and his internationally acclaimed debut book ‘The Idiot Brain‘.

Dean Burnett was born and raised i
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Dean Burnett Found my missing glove.
Still looking for my missing hand.…more
Found my missing glove.
Still looking for my missing hand.(less)
Dean Burnett Firstly, the premise that this question is based on, that all human action is driven by basic survival needs, is extremely reductive and a drastic ove…moreFirstly, the premise that this question is based on, that all human action is driven by basic survival needs, is extremely reductive and a drastic oversimplification of how the human brain works. While such impulses and drives are indeed still in there at fundamental levels, the human brain has evolved to such complexity that we can be motivated by far more abstract, lofty goals. And these can be things that, objectively, work against our survival. Consider that anorexia exists; the brain is capable of deciding that looking thin is more important than eating, so survival instincts aren't as dominant as implied. And even if you want to retain a cynical view of human nature, the bulk of theories I've seen argue that human intelligence occurred due to our need to be friendly and sociable with increasingly large groups and communities, so our brains evolved to be sociable and community minded, so even at the most basic level we care about others and the society we belong. If you want to take it to extremes, because we instinctively want to belong to and please the group we identify with, sacrificing for the group *is* selfish, in a strange way. (less)
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More books by Dean Burnett…

The ever-increasing complexity of dog ownership

I have been thinking a lot lately about dog ownership. Specifically, how much more organised and regimented it is now, compared to when I was younger, in the 1990s. Lord knows how different it was before then. I’ve been thinking about this because, as you might have figured, I own a dog now. Since April, […]
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This book is showing up as written by me. It categorically is NOT one of my tomes. Any help about remedying this would be appreciated.

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Quotes by Dean Burnett  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“What have we learned so far about the human brain? It messes with memories, it jumps at shadows, it's terrified of harmless things, it screws with our diet, our sleeping, our movement, it convinces us we're brilliant when we're not, it makes up half the stuff we perceive, it gets us to do irrational things when emotional, it causes us to make friends incredibly quickly and turn on them in an instant.
A worrying list. What's even more worrying, it does all of this when it's working properly.”
Dean Burnett, The Idiot Brain: A Neuroscientist Explains What Your Head Is Really Up To

“The brain apparently thinks logic is a precious resource to be used only sparingly.”
Dean Burnett, Idiot Brain: What Your Head Is Really Up To

“I'm also part of the great conspiracy of global scientists to promote the myths of climate change, evolution, vaccination, and a spherical earth. After all, there's nobody on earth wealthier and more powerful than scientists, and they can't risk losing this exalted position by people finding out how the world really works.”
Dean Burnett, Idiot Brain: What Your Head Is Really Up To

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Science and Inquiry: This topic has been closed to new comments. November 2017 Nominations 21 121 Sep 23, 2017 04:46PM  
Goodreads Choice ...: Idiot Brain - March 2017 16 73 Oct 08, 2017 05:51PM  
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