Science Friction

We’ve all dreamt of lobbing our smartphone into the ocean and going off grid. So what happens when you follow through with it?For our final episode of Brain Rot, we speak to the people who decided they’d had enough. From a French village, to Gen Z ‘luddites’ in New York City and a group of parents in regional Victoria, there are clubs, campaigns and even laws dedicated to a smartphone-free life.But in 2025, how do you pull it off? And is it actually worth it?Guests:Stan AwtreySportswriter, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionVincent Paul-PetitMayor, Seine-Port, FranceLisa GivenProfessor of Information Sciences, RMIT UniversitySteph ChallisFounder, The Phone PledgeJameson ButlerCo-Founder, The Luddite ClubCredits:Presenter: Ange LavoipierreProducer: Fiona PepperSenior Producer: James BullenSound Engineer: Ross RichardsonThanks to Sam Goerling for the assistance with French translation.This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Is internet addiction a real concern? This discussion dives into personal stories revealing the thin line between casual use and dependency. Experts weigh in on the psychological effects and the treatment journeys at specialized rehabilitation centers. Members of support groups share their transformative experiences in overcoming their compulsive behaviors. The societal implications of excessive tech use are examined, alongside the parallels with traditional substance addictions, highlighting the need for community support.

We’re trusting tech with more tasks than ever — including the ones our brains once did.We’re Googling things we used to know, taking screenshots of things we’ll instantly forget, and hoarding all kinds of data we’ll never check again.On this episode of Brain Rot: is tech giving your brain a holiday, or putting it out of a job?You’ll also meet a guy who’s turned the tables, by using AI to help recover his lost memories.Brain Rot is a five part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre.Guests:Dr Julia SoaresAssistant Professor, Mississipi State UniversityMorris VillaroelAcademic, Spain; LifeloggerMaxCredits:Presenter: Ange LavoipierreProducer: Fiona PepperSenior Producer: James BullenSound Engineer: Angie GrantThis story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Whether it’s social media, the omnipresent smartphone or AI companions, in recent decades the way we relate to each other has been completely up-ended. In episode two of Brain Rot, we explore the potential implications that tech poses to human relationships. Worldwide estimates suggest there are around one billion users of AI companion — people using software or applications designed to simulate human-like interactions through text and voice. So if the uptake of these AI companions is as rapid as is being reported, what are the ramifications? And could AI companions be both a cause and cure for loneliness? Brain Rot is a new five part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre. Guests:KellyIn a relationship with an AI companion, ChristianBethanie Drake-MaplesDoctoral Candidate, Research Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centred Artificial IntelligenceNicholas EpleyProfessor of Behavioural Science, University of Chicago Booth School of BusinessNicholas CarrAuthor and journalistCredits:Presenter: Ange LavoipierreProducer: Fiona PepperSenior Producer: James BullenSound Engineer: Tim SymondsThis story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

Everyone seems to have a hunch that their phone is destroying their attention span, but is there any science to back it up?In episode one of Brain Rot, we’re doing our best to focus on the topic of attention for a full 25 minutes — and find out what's actually happening in your brain every time your phone buzzes or dings.Is brain rot a real thing? Or just another moral panic?And how do you know when your own screen use has gone too far?Brain Rot is a new five part series from the ABC’s Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre. Guests:Anna SeirianCEO, Internet PeopleDr Mark WilliamsProfessor, Macquarie UniversityCognitive neuroscientistMichoel MoshelClinical Neuropsychologist RegistrarPhd Candidate, Macquarie UniversityProfessor Marion ThainProfessor of Culture and Technology, University of EdinburghDirector, Edinburgh Futures InstituteCredits:Presenter: Ange LavoipierreProducer: Fiona PepperSenior Producer: James BullenSound Engineer: Brendan O'NeillThis story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.More information:Neuropsychological Deficits in Disordered Screen Use Behaviours: A Systematic Review and Meta‑Analysis - Neuropsychology Review, 2024.Do we have your attention? How people focus and live in the modern information environment - King's College London, 2022.Internet addiction-induced brain structure and function alterations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity studies - Brain Imaging and Behavior, 2023.

For Science Friction, it's Brain Rot — a new series about the science of being chronically online and what it’s doing to our brains.What's really going on with our attention spans? Is data-dumping your entire life into ChatGPT helpful? And what's it like to be in love ... with an AI?National technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre tackles the wildest ways people are using tech and the big questions about our own use. Episode 1 is out Wednesday 4 June.

For episode six of Cooked, we turn the lens on … science communication itself.We’re looking at how information travels from a scientific study to the world and what can go wrong along the way.This is the final episode in our Cooked series. We'll be back in May for another series of Science Friction on a different topic — digital devices and how they're driving us to delight ... and to despair.Statement from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in response to Science Friction.Guests:Isabelle OderbergFounder, Early Pregnancy Loss CoalitionProfessor Claire RobertsLead, Pregnancy Health and Beyond Laboratory, Flinders UniversityDr Georgia DempsterResearch Fellow, University of MelbourneDr Nazmul KarimSenior Lecturer, Monash UniversityCredits:Presenter: Dr Emma BeckettProducer: Carl SmithSenior Producer: James BullenSound Engineer: Tim JenkinsThis story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.More information:NAD Deficiency, Congenital Malformations, and Niacin Supplementation - New England Journal of Medicine, 2017.Scientific research in news media: a case study of misrepresentation, sensationalism and harmful recommendations - Journal of Science Communication, 2022.Vitamin profile of 563 gravidas during trimesters of pregnancy - Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2002.Effect of maternal dietary niacin intake on congenital anomalies: a systematic review and meta-analysis - European Journal of Nutrition, 2021.Pregnancy Double Discovery - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 2017.Statement regarding pregnancy discovery - Victor Change Cardiac Research Institute, 2017.Vitamin B3 supplementation in pregnancy - NSW Health, 2017.The 'vegemite cure' - the Sydney finding that could help women everywhere - ABC Sydney Drive, 2017.Could vegemite prevent miscarriage? - Women's Health Melbourne.Pregnant women shouldn’t start taking vitamin B3 just yet: reports it prevents miscarriage and birth defects are overblown - The Conversation, 2017.Can a simple vitamin prevent miscarriages and birth defects? - The Australian, 2017.The common vitamin that could be the key to preventing some cases of heart birth defects and miscarriages - Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 2023.

Dr. Alan McCubbin, an Accredited sports dietitian from Monash University, and Dr. Colleen Derkatch, a Professor of Rhetoric at Toronto Metropolitan University, dive into the explosive market for electrolyte supplements. They discuss who really needs these products, separating myth from fact regarding their role in hydration. The guests explore the confusing wellness marketing strategies that blend restoration with enhancement, revealing how misleading claims can shape public perception and influence consumer choices. It's a fascinating look at modern health trends in hydration.

Why did a group of anonymous strangers on the internet try to eat almost nothing but potatoes for a month? On Cooked this week, an unusual experiment and the possibilities and perils of a mono-diet.Guests:Andrew TaylorMelbourne, AustraliaSlime Mold Time MoldScientist collectiveDr Jess DanaherAssociate Dean, RMIT University; Nutrition Scientist and DietitianCredits:Reporter: Alistair KitchenPresenter: Dr Emma BeckettProducer: Carl SmithSenior Producer: James BullenSound Engineer: Angie GrantThis story was made on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.More information:Weight Loss and Fad Diets - Better Health ChannelThe Potato People - Kitchen CounterSMTM Potato Diet Community TrialSMTM Potato Diet Community Trial: 6 Month Followup

Dr. John Carlisle, an NHS anaesthetist known for his work in identifying research fraud, joins the discussion about the integrity of nutrition studies. They unravel the complexities of the Mediterranean diet's trial data, revealing discrepancies that cast doubt on its acclaimed health benefits. The conversation shifts to the retraction of the PREDIMED study, emphasizing trust issues within nutrition research. Furthermore, they highlight the need for transparency and the significance of understanding the core components of dietary evidence to combat misinformation.