56 | New Scientist | 14 September 2019
Neuroscientist Dean Burnett’s latest book
unpicks the mysteries of the teenage brain. He
says the behaviour that parents find so difficult
may actually have saved the human raceAs a child, what did you want to
do when you grew up?
I wanted to be one of the crew of the starship
Enterprise, then a writer, then a scientist.Explain your work in one easy paragraph.
I write books about the brain. My latest is about
how teen and adult brains differ, explained in the
context of classic arguments between parents
and teens, which I think we can all relate to.Why did you choose this field?
I was a quiet and studious child, while most of the
Burnetts were – and are – outgoing, larger-than-
life characters. It made me wonder: what is it that
makes me so unlike them, even though we live
in the same place? I sought out some basic
brain books and it went from there.Did you have to overcome any particular
challenges to get to where you are today?
My background and origins were quite a hurdle.
I’m from a remote, working-class, former mining
community in south Wales. I’m also the first
person in my family to show any interest in
science. Nobody in academia was actively biased
against me, but for many people, that world was
familiar. I, by contrast, spent a lot of time figuring
it out. By the time I did, it was usually too late.Were you good at science at school?
Yes. I once got 100 per cent in a test and a teacher
accused me of copying. Since I had the highest
mark, I don’t know who I could have copied.If you could send a message back to
yourself as a kid, what would you say?
I wouldn’t do this even if I could. I’ve just spent
months researching how the teenage brain
works. Being given weirdly specific, unsolicited
instructions from some older bloke who claims
he’s you? Given how most teen brains are geared,
that’s likely to make them more willing to do the
thing you’re warning against.What scientific development do you
hope to see in your lifetime?
It would be good to see progress in regenerating
nerves. So many problems, like paralysis and
Alzheimer’s, could be mitigated or even cured.How has your field of study changed in
the time you have been working in it?
I’m intrigued to see the shift away from
“traditional” depression and antidepressant
models and a move towards alternatives, like
ketamine-based antidepressants.Do you have an unexpected hobby, and
if so, please will you tell us about it?
Most people are surprised, even alarmed,
to learn that I dabble in stand-up comedy.How useful will your skills be after
the apocalypse?
My skills are mostly centred around explaining
how the brain works. So I’ll either be able to
manipulate the survivors or I’ll scare them and
they’ll do away with me: warlord or main course,
in other words.If you could have a long conversation
with any scientist, living or dead,
who would it be?
Eric Kandel, who won the Nobel prize in 2000
for discovering the mechanisms of memory
storage in neurons. I’d really like to know how
he figured out how to do this in the 70s, using
much cruder technology than we have now
and California sea slugs as subjects.OK, one last thing: tell us something that
will blow our minds...
Teenagers are how they are because it was
evolutionarily useful. Long term, sticking to
the safe and familiar can lead to stagnation
and extinction. Having individuals strike out
on their own can refresh the gene pool and
uncover useful information. Hence, teens
reject authority, crave independence, take risks
and so on. Far from being a constant annoyance,
teenagers may be the reason humanity is as
smart and successful as it is. ❚Dean Burnett’s latest book is Why Your
Parents Are Driving You Up the Wall and
What to Do About It“I wanted to
know what
made me so
unlike my family,
so I started
reading books
about the brain”
AXIS IMAGES/ALAMYThe back pages The Q&A
What’s wrong with
your parents?
Come and see Dean talking
about this exciting topic at
New Scientist Live
newscientistlive.com