Why ‘Severance’ is ‘not that far off’ from reality, according to one scientist

Enlarge this image Adam Scott as Mark Scout in the series Severance, now streaming on Apple TV+. AppleTV+ hide caption toggle caption AppleTV+ Adam Scott as Mark Scout in the series Severance, now streaming on Apple TV+. AppleTV+ What if we had the ultimate work-life balance? This fundamental question underlies the hit Apple TV+ show Severance – now in its second season. In the show, some employees at a company called Lumon 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 show’s science consultant, Dr. Vijay Agarwal says the concept is “resoundingly” possible – and that the research closer than we think. But the bigger question, he says, is: Should we be pursing this kind of technology at all? Sponsor Message More questions about the intersections of pop culture and science? Email us at [email protected]. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave. Today’s episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. Kwesi Lee, Harrison Paul and Gilly Moon were the audio engineers.