From Savanna to Smartphones: Reflections on the Past Fifteen Seconds

Melanie Trecek-King reflects on how the explosion of digital information in just the "last fifteen seconds" of human history has overwhelmed brains evolved for a much simpler world, making us highly vulnerable to misinformation. She argues that surviving the modern information landscape requires recognizing our cognitive biases and actively developing critical thinking and media literacy skills to counter them. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2026/04/from-savanna-to-smartphones-reflections-on-the-past-fifteen-seconds/ About the Author: Melanie Trecek-King is an associate professor of biology at Massasoit Community College. Her website is www.ThinkingIsPower.com. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/