Mick Hartley

For an amusing diversion from the London streets – from which, god knows, we all need diverting – there's the latest Susan Greenfield saga. She – Baroness Greenfield, former Director of the Royal Institution – has a thing about the way modern technologies, like the internet or Twitter or Facebook, rot the brain. For this she has taken some criticism, since she has zero evidence to back her claims. 

Now…well, read Martin Robbins for the full details. She, Greenfield, casually suggested that the increase in autistic spectrum disorders was a sign of this internet brain-rot in action. Neuropsychologist Dorothy Bishop responded with a crisp open letter pointing out that this was pure nonsense. Carl Zimmer takes up the story:

Yesterday, The Guardian followed up with an interview with Greenfield, in which she defended herself against such attacks. Along the way, one of the things she said finally rewired my brain into a seizure: 

"I point to the increase in autism and I point to internet use. That's all.

"Which drove me to Twitter, to sum up the ridiculousness of such a statement in 140 characters or less.

I point to the increase in esophageal cancer and I point to The Brady Bunch. That's all. 

And a slew of other greenfieldisms followed. A new meme was born.

Has the Baroness been on TV yet to pontificate about these London riots? (Well, everyone else has.) As another sign of the damaged youth of the Twitter generation? 

I point to Tottenham and I point to Twitter. That's all.