How Our Biology Is Being Manipulated to Create Bad Habits – and What We Can Do About It

Danish biomedical researcher and the author of global bestseller Jellyfish Age Backwards, Nicklas Brendborg, joins us to explain the science of letting go of bad habits – and why it’s so hard.

Why is it so difficult to let go of bad habits?

Modern society is plagued by health epidemics: obesity, record levels of loneliness, increasing mental health problems and various forms of addiction. From the outside, all these issues might seem unrelated. But a single phenomenon actually ties them all together: superstimuli.

Superstimuli are exaggerated, unnatural versions of things we have evolved to want and need such as food, sex and social recognition. This hard wired evolutionary response is why we binge on fake ultra-processed food, lust after airbrushed people online, and struggle to stop scrolling on social media, even when it makes us feel bad. Our lack of control isn’t because we are weak. It’s because powerful companies spend billions creating superstimuli that manipulate our biology for profit, leaving us unhealthy and unhappy as a consequence.

But this isn’t all bad news. Once you understand the manipulation – and acquire the right tools to fight it – the power is back in your hands.

With razor-sharp observations and a rare ability to make complex science feel personal, Nicklas Brendborg will reveal the hidden science behind modern life – and how to stand your ground.

Presented in partnership with Original Talks.