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The Big Story

The Big Story

What happened to our attention spans?

Sep 11, 2026 · 23m

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About this episode

Are you constantly checking your phone? Do you find it harder to concentrate for long periods of time? Or plan ahead? Us too. Executive function is the ability we have as humans to suppress basic instincts and desires for long term gain. It's why you can work every day when what you really want to do is stay home. The functions, though, seem to be on the decline more and more these days. Host Maria Kestane is speaking with Adrian Owen, a professor of cognitive neuroscience and imaging at the University of Western Ontario, about the loss of executive function and how it's up to us to claim it back. Read Adrian's article here Executive Function Is in Short Supply - Macleans.ca