
Exercise Neuroscientist: AI is Killing Our Critical Thinking
From Growth Minds with Sean Kim by Sean Kim
February 27, 2026 · 1h 9m
About this episode
Dr. Wendy Suzuki discusses the impact of exercise on brain health and the implications of AI on critical thinking.
Dr. Wendy Suzuki is an American neuroscientist and a professor at the New York University Center for Neural Science. Her research centers on brain plasticity—the brain’s power to change. Renowned for revealing how memory-critical circuits create and preserve long-term memories, she now investigates how aerobic exercise boosts learning, memory, and higher cognition. She is the author of Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better.In our conversation we discuss: (01:27) Why the Brain Is So Complex (Neuroscience Explained) (01:56) The Most Advanced Part of the Human Brain (02:47) The Prefrontal Cortex: The Brain’s CEO (04:49) Social Media & Shrinking Attention Spans (06:14) Brain Plasticity: How Your Habits Rewire You (09:26) Why Focus Is Becoming Rare (10:16) AI & Critical Thinking: Are We Outsourcing Our Brains? (13:55) Struggle & Learning: How Neurons Grow (14:50) Why Mental Effort Strengthens the Brain (17:57) Cold Plunges, Resilience & the ACC (23:55) How to Improve Memory & Focus Naturally (27:18) Dopamine, Doomscrolling & Social Media Addiction (35:14) Stress, PTSD & How Stress Shrinks the Brain…
People in this episode
Guest: Dr Wendy Suzuki
Topics covered
- neuroscience
- brain plasticity
- exercise
- memory
- cognition
- AI
- critical thinking
- mental health
Keywords
- attention spans
- dopamine
- stress
- loneliness
- brain longevity
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Healthy Brain, Happy Life
Books & works: Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program
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