Rachel Carlson

These fundamental questions are at the root of the hit Apple TV Plus show, Severance, now in its second season. And I love TV and I love neuroscience, so I had to hear from Dr. Vijay Agarwal. He's a neurosurgeon and Severance's science consultant. In the show, some employees at a company called Lumen Industries undergo a surgical procedure that alters their brain.

These fundamental questions are at the root of the hit Apple TV Plus show, Severance, now in its second season. And I love TV and I love neuroscience, so I had to hear from Dr. Vijay Agarwal. He's a neurosurgeon and Severance's science consultant. In the show, some employees at a company called Lumen Industries undergo a surgical procedure that alters their brain.

These fundamental questions are at the root of the hit Apple TV Plus show, Severance, now in its second season. And I love TV and I love neuroscience, so I had to hear from Dr. Vijay Agarwal. He's a neurosurgeon and Severance's science consultant. In the show, some employees at a company called Lumen Industries undergo a surgical procedure that alters their brain.

Their memories are divided between work experiences, where they're known as their innies, and their personal lives where they're known as their outies. The protagonist, Mark Scout, and many of the other characters in the show choose to get the procedure after personal trauma. It's a way of escaping their everyday lives.

Their memories are divided between work experiences, where they're known as their innies, and their personal lives where they're known as their outies. The protagonist, Mark Scout, and many of the other characters in the show choose to get the procedure after personal trauma. It's a way of escaping their everyday lives.

Their memories are divided between work experiences, where they're known as their innies, and their personal lives where they're known as their outies. The protagonist, Mark Scout, and many of the other characters in the show choose to get the procedure after personal trauma. It's a way of escaping their everyday lives.

Vijay says the show's creator, Dan Erickson, and the executive producers, including Ben Stiller, were set on making the show as realistic as possible when it came down to the science.

Vijay says the show's creator, Dan Erickson, and the executive producers, including Ben Stiller, were set on making the show as realistic as possible when it came down to the science.

Vijay says the show's creator, Dan Erickson, and the executive producers, including Ben Stiller, were set on making the show as realistic as possible when it came down to the science.

So today on the show, the neuroscience of severance, the connection between trauma and memory, the ethics of neurotechnology, and why one neuroscientist says the show, it's not too far off from reality. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

So today on the show, the neuroscience of severance, the connection between trauma and memory, the ethics of neurotechnology, and why one neuroscientist says the show, it's not too far off from reality. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

So today on the show, the neuroscience of severance, the connection between trauma and memory, the ethics of neurotechnology, and why one neuroscientist says the show, it's not too far off from reality. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

All right. So Vijay, we're talking about the neuroscience of the Apple TV show Severance. And some companies are developing neurotechnology now that would go into our brains in real life. How far off is reality from what's happening in the show?

All right. So Vijay, we're talking about the neuroscience of the Apple TV show Severance. And some companies are developing neurotechnology now that would go into our brains in real life. How far off is reality from what's happening in the show?

All right. So Vijay, we're talking about the neuroscience of the Apple TV show Severance. And some companies are developing neurotechnology now that would go into our brains in real life. How far off is reality from what's happening in the show?

Wow. Okay, so then you were kind of talking about this before, but what areas of the brain – are we targeting or what areas of the brain would we target?

Wow. Okay, so then you were kind of talking about this before, but what areas of the brain – are we targeting or what areas of the brain would we target?

Wow. Okay, so then you were kind of talking about this before, but what areas of the brain – are we targeting or what areas of the brain would we target?

Right. What are some of the ethical considerations of things like neurotechnology?

Right. What are some of the ethical considerations of things like neurotechnology?