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Are We Rewiring Our Minds? | Brian Greene & Jonathan Haidt

2025-10-03 Science & Technology
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Understand how humanity's evolutionary path toward ultrasociality informs our moral fabric, and analyze the critical threats posed by modern social media and AI to both democratic stability and childhood development.

Short Summary

  • Front-load the evolutionary jump that made humans ultrasocial via shared narratives and intentionality.
  • Identify the psychological roots of morality, showing how political divides stem from inherited differences in moral intuition usage.
  • Pinpoint the precise turning point (circa 2012–2013) when smartphone use correlated sharply with global declines in youth mental health.
  • Outline four immediate, actionable norms parents and institutions must enact to rescue childhood development from digital platforms.

This discussion bridges evolutionary biology, moral psychology, and technology's impact. It argues that recent design choices in digital platforms are actively undermining the cooperative foundations of society and sabotaging key developmental stages for youth, concluding with a hopeful roadmap based on collective parental action.

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Description

Bestselling author of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt joins Brian Greene to discuss religion, technology, and the impacts of social media on democracy and society. This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation. Participant: Jonathan Haidt Moderator: Brian Greene 0:00:00 - Introduction 0:01:25 - From Social to Ultra-Social 0:03:13 - Shared Intentionality & Human Cooperation 0:04:49 - Religion, Sacredness & Social Cohesion 0:07:32 - Religion as Metaphor vs Literalism 0:10:57 - Culture Wars & Orthodox vs Liberal Faith 0:14:06 - The Elephant & The Rider: Morality and Intuition 0:20:18 - Social Media’s Broken Promise 0:29:12 - The Smartphone as Digital Dopamine 0:34:02 - Gen Z & The Mental Health Crisis 0:41:27 - Eyewitness Testimony & Evidence Against Social Media 0:45:10 - AI Friends and the Next Threat 0:51:59 - Ancient Lessons for the Digital Age 0:57:37 - Conclusion 1:01:20 - Credits VISIT our Website: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com FOLLOW us on Social Media: Facebook: / worldsciencefestival Twitter: / worldscifest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldscifest/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@worldscifest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-science-festival #worldsciencefestival #briangreene #cosmology #astrophysics

Top Comments (10)

@Shamadipath 2025-10-04

Brian Greene's intellectual humility to listen to others diverse areas of knowledge and doctors is amazing and I am his follower because of this inner beauty of his. Brian I am your follower from south of Brazil.❤

39 1 replies
@themostrecklessman 2025-10-03

Two of my absolute favorites!

19
@themostrecklessman 2025-10-04

This is so delightful. Their conversation is interesting, and their rapport is such a joy to behold.

13
@rudihoffman2817 2025-10-10

Sorry, Jonathan, the most adorable dog in the world is sitting on my lap as I watch this!

11
@larrye.goinesjr.1535 2025-10-04

David Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. Durkheim formally established the academic discipline of sociology and is commonly cited as one of the principal architects of modern social science, along with both Karl Marx and Max Weber. Much of Durkheim's work focuses on how societies are unable to maintain their integrity and coherence in modernity, an era in which traditional social and religious ties are much less universal, and in which new social institutions have come into being. Durkheim's conception of the scientific study of society laid the groundwork for modern sociology, and he used such scientific tools as statistics, surveys, and historical observation in his analysis of suicides in Roman Catholic and Protestant groups.

10
@samuelvoas2861 2025-11-17

Brian Greene is such a good interviewer. This is journalism at its best.

5
@lindaromero7780 2025-10-05

I’m currently reading The Anxious Generation, and I highly recommend it. Excellent!

3
@mprichodko 2025-10-20

Fantastic interview and subject! This is so URGENT! Thank you for bringing it here. Together with a sense of hope: MOTHERS changing the world ❤️

3
@lidamullendore6166 2025-10-04

This was totally awesome! Thank you so much!!!

0
@Samanbeachhikkaduwa 2025-10-05

Great... Thanks so much for conversation, explaining, focusing and sharing this conference... 🌐🙋‍♂️📘📘📘📘📘

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