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The hit Apple TV+ series 'Severance' has captivated audiences with its chilling premise—separating work and personal lives by creating entirely different versions of yourself. Imagine leaving the office each day with no memory of what you did at work, and even more disturbing, arriving at work and not remembering anything about your personal life. It’s a dystopian concept that’s both unsettling and oddly intriguing. But what if this sci-fi idea was closer to reality than we think?
The show’s science consultant revealed the procedure depicted in 'Severance' isn’t entirely fictional—it’s based on real science. With neurotechnology advancing rapidly, we could soon face the possibility of truly severing our work and personal lives. But would it really be a good idea?
Click on to explore the truth behind the procedure, its potential benefits, and the questions it raises about our future.
'Severance' presents a dystopian world where workers undergo a procedure that separates their memories into two distinct lives: one for work and another for their personal lives.
The mysterious procedure, aptly named "severance," splits a person’s memories—and with them, their identity—creating two distinct personalities within the same body.
One personality, the personal "outie," exists outside of work...
...while the professional "innie" takes over when inside the company.
The innie has no conscious memory of the outie’s life, who in turn only exists outside of work with no memory of what his innie did during his nine-to-five.
As society becomes more aware of burnout, the concept of separating work from personal life—whether through technology or escapism—has gained traction, making the show resonate with modern audiences.
While the exact procedure from 'Severance' is still fictional, many of the technologies explored in the show are grounded in real scientific principles and may be closer to reality than we think.
The show’s science consultant, Dr. Vijay Agarwal, reveals that the procedure depicted isn’t entirely out of reach.
He emphasizes that the science on the show is rooted in real logic. "I do think we are just starting to unlock even a little of the brain’s potential, and we’ll likely see major advances in our ability to modify the brain and its function in the near future," he says.
Dr. Agarwal likens the brain to a complex computer. By altering its electrical input, we can potentially modify its functions, much like turning programs on or off.
Advances in neurosurgery, like implanting electrodes to stimulate specific areas of the brain, are already being used to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
Agarwal notes that recent years have seen significant advances in neuroscience and related technology, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip and Synchron.
While these technologies don’t divide the brain in two, they implant chips designed to "modify, enhance, or replace function" in the brain.
"These technologies are part of a group called brain-computer interface devices," Agarwal explains.
They enable direct communication between the brain and external devices, with decades of research now leading to successful implantations.
Founded by neuroscientist Thomas Oxley and biomedical engineer Nick Opie in Australia in 2012, Synchron implanted its first brain-computer interface in a human in Melbourne in August 2019.
In 2024, the company announced it would begin incorporating artificial intelligence into its brain-computer interface.
This integration, says Oxley, will significantly help patients who have lost the ability to speak or use their hands, allowing them to communicate at conversational speed.
But they’re going even further by introducing emotions into the equation. "You know how, when you respond to someone, you generally feel something before the words come out," Oxley explains. "We’ve created a layer where the user selects an emotional category for their response."
Neurosurgeons are already exploring ways to target specific regions of the brain with electrical currents. By implanting electrodes, they stimulate and modify brain function, a technique being investigated as a treatment for substance abuse, mental health disorders, and even obesity.
These implants stimulate areas like the medial temporal lobe, which is responsible for linking emotions with memory and learning.
Since results have been positive in these cases, and modifying how the brain processes memories can lead to behavioral or personality changes, could this work in the 'Severance' scenario—having one brain for work and another for our personal lives?
Reportedly, since the 1940s, there have been "split-brain" surgeries where scientists performed surgery to separate the right and left hemispheres of the brain to see if the patient’s consciousness could be "split" or "doubled."
The research found that these patients could often process information differently in each hemisphere, creating "double conscious processes" or two minds existing within one head.
With the show’s rising popularity, many have joked about wanting to be severed. But would it really be a good idea to completely separate our work and personal lives?
Psychologist Dr. Jade Thomas believes the procedure could offer benefits, such as improving social lives and mental health by eliminating toxic work stress.
"Many of us struggle with work-life balance because we’re constantly checking emails or messages, which impacts how present we are in our personal lives," she explains.
But she’s skeptical about whether severance would truly be a good idea. "It’s not necessarily about perfectly dividing your time 50/50 between work and personal life, but about feeling satisfied in both areas," Dr. Thomas explains.
The show itself is critical of the procedure, suggesting that completely disengaging from work could be dangerous. It strongly implies that employees on the severed floor are being coerced into working on something sinister.
Additionally, a 2021 study found that workers who felt their jobs were "pointless" experienced higher rates of depression and anxiety—making it unlikely that being severed, with no memory of your workday, would lead to happiness.
Sources: (Dazed Digital) (Wired) (Forbes Australia) (NPR)
See also: The controversial blend of the human brain and technology
Forgetting about work: could the technology in 'Severance' soon become a reality?
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LIFESTYLE Neuroscience
The hit Apple TV+ series 'Severance' has captivated audiences with its chilling premise—separating work and personal lives by creating entirely different versions of yourself. Imagine leaving the office each day with no memory of what you did at work, and even more disturbing, arriving at work and not remembering anything about your personal life. It’s a dystopian concept that’s both unsettling and oddly intriguing. But what if this sci-fi idea was closer to reality than we think?
The show’s science consultant revealed the procedure depicted in 'Severance' isn’t entirely fictional—it’s based on real science. With neurotechnology advancing rapidly, we could soon face the possibility of truly severing our work and personal lives. But would it really be a good idea?
Click on to explore the truth behind the procedure, its potential benefits, and the questions it raises about our future.