In the very early the morning of January 2nd, the United States decided that Venezuela needed an “administration change.” And when I say “administration change,” I mean they sent 150 aircraft, a carrier, 3 Delta Force teams and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and basically said: “We’re running this country now.”

Now, you might be wondering: “Dr. Qubit, what does this have to do with cybersecurity? I came here to learn how to protect my iPhone photos, not to listen to geopolitics.”

Well, let me tell you something, my dear digitally naive friend. This has EVERYTHING to do with cybersecurity. Because when a country gets militarily invaded in 2026, it’s not just bombs that rain down. Hackers rain down too. And I’m not talking about hoodie-wearing kids in basements. I’m talking about digital armies from Russia, China, and Iran who are right now sharpening their keyboards like they’re samurai swords.

Today we have an EXPLOSIVE episode.

Because it turns out that over 100 CISOs, the top cybersecurity chiefs from companies like Google, Microsoft, Netflix, LinkedIn, and even the US government, just published an open letter with one powerful message: “Stop scaring people with fake advice!”

And boy, are they right. Today we’re going to destroy six security myths you’ve probably heard a thousand times, we’re going to laugh at ourselves a bit, and most importantly, I’m going to give you advice that actually WORKS in 2025.

So get comfortable, grab your coffee or your beer, and get ready because today we’re tearing down the security theater.

Today we’re talking about something that keeps all parents up at night: how do we protect our kids in the digital age without becoming the Tech Gestapo?

Look, I’m going to be straight with you. According to a 2024 study by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, American kids spend an average of 7.5 hours daily in front of screens. SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS! That’s more time than they spend at school. It’s more time than their parents spend working, not counting overtime.

And here’s the interesting part. The American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 2023 that a child’s brain doesn’t finish developing until age 25. But the slowest-developing part is the prefrontal cortex, which is like the brain’s orchestra conductor. It’s what says: “No, Timmy, it’s not a good idea to stick your finger in the outlet” or “No, don’t send that photo to your friend because he’ll share it with the whole school.”

And you know what happens when you expose a developing brain to constant dopamine stimuli like those from TikTok, YouTube, or video games? It’s like giving Red Bull to a hummingbird. The NIH longitudinal study, called the ABCD Study, which has been tracking 11,000 kids since 2018, has already found PHYSICAL changes in the brain. Yes, PHYSICAL changes. Like when your grandma told you your eyes would turn square from watching too much TV, but this is real.

Researchers found premature thinning of the cerebral cortex in children who spend more than 7 hours daily on screens. To help you understand: it’s as if the brain ages faster. Like when you buy avocados at Whole Foods and two days later they’re already brown.

It was January 1st, 2025. The world woke up with hangovers, regrets about midnight texts, and absolutely no idea that technology would surprise us more than the price of Bitcoin surprises anyone.

They promised us flying cars. They gave us chatbots that write better than our college essays. They promised us virtual reality. They gave us brands selling digital sneakers more expensive than real ones. And they promised us artificial intelligence. Boy, did we get it! So much that now even computers have existential crises.

I’m Dr. Sergio Sanchez, your trusted Dr. Qubit, and today we’re doing something even ChatGPT can’t do yet: remember 2025 without hallucinating fake data. Welcome to “Behind the Screen,” the only podcast where technology is explained with burgers, football, and references to The Office.

DR. QUBIT: What’s up, digital listeners! Before we start, let me say this: if you survived 2025 without AI stealing your job, without falling for a crypto scam, and without your smart fridge judging you for eating leftover pizza for breakfast three days straight, congratulations! You’re here, you’re alive, and your personal information is probably only in 47 hacked databases instead of 50.

2025 was the year science fiction stopped being fiction and became “science, wait… really?”. It was the year AI went from being a curiosity to being that coworker who does everything faster than you but can’t make coffee.

Today we’re taking a tour through the tech moments that defined this year. And then, with all the audacity of a fortune teller at a county fair, we’re going to predict what’s coming in 2026.

TODAY we'll learn:

• How to tell if the "Santa" writing to you is real or a Russian scammer.

• Why you should NEVER give your card to "verify Christmas deliveries."

• And how to protect your Christmas bonus from digital Grinches.

Today we’re talking about online shopping, scams, fake websites, and how to not end up crying at your bank. All with real examples, true data, and zero jargon that makes you feel like you’re in a quantum physics class. Spoiler: I won’t mention Schrödinger’s equation even once.0

Get ready for 40 minutes of tech therapy, humor, and advice that even your grandma could follow. And if your grandma already knows this stuff, congratulations, you have a hacker grandma.

My toaster, which used to be a noble and honest appliance that only burned bread, now has WiFi. WiFi! A toaster! Why does a toaster need internet? Is it going to check its email? "Dear Toaster: Your bread has been successfully processed. Sincerely, Wonder Bread."

And the worst part, the absolute worst part, is that these devices listen. ALL. THE. TIME. My Alexa knows more about my life than my therapist. And she charges less, but at least my therapist doesn't sell my information to Amazon so they can offer me discounted antidepressants.

Welcome, dear digital paranoids, to another session of technological therapy...

Today we're going to talk about something both fascinating and terrifying. Why do people believe things that are OBVIOUSLY false? And more importantly, how is Artificial Intelligence turning those beliefs into digital weapons?

I'm Dr. Sergio Sánchez, a.k.a. Dr. Qubit, and I promise that after this episode, you'll look at your social media feeds differently. Buckle up, because what I'm about to tell you might make you question even the memes your aunt shares in the family chat.

Today we're going to talk about something that sounds like it came from a cheap Hollywood movie: Artificial Intelligence. But don't worry, I won't use weird words like "deep neural quantum machine learning"... okay, I just used them, but I promise that was the last time.

Picture this: you're at home, ordering Uber Eats. The algorithm notices you always order pepperoni pizza on Fridays. Then it notices you always cancel your gym membership on Saturdays. So what do you think happens? Your Alexa starts laughing by itself at 2 AM. Why? Because the AI already knows you have less willpower than me at a Krispy Kreme.

Today we're going to find out if smart machines are our ticket to the future... or our ticket to unemployment. Welcome to "Behind the Digital Curtain"

Today we’re talking about something scarier than finding out your browser history was leaked: the very real, scientific, and not-at-all-exaggerated possibility that superintelligent AI could wipe us off the map faster than a politician deleting tweets.

And before you say “oh, this guy watches too many Terminator movies” … let me tell you that two of the most badass scientists in AI, Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, just published a book that basically says: “If anyone builds superintelligent AI with current techniques, game over for everyone.”

Dramatization? Nope. Science fiction? Neither. Should you worry about it while drinking your coffee? Hell yes, and a lot.

We have not reached the apocalypse... still. Of course: today we are going to talk about the most uncomfortable and, therefore, tastiest argument on the technological menu: the existential risk of artificial intelligence.

Today we're talking about the 13 faces of digital fraud. Yes, thirteen, like the original colonies, except these thirteen founding fathers only want to empty your bank account, not create democracy.

Welcome to "Behind the digital curtain."

Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. Online scams are like coffee at Starbucks: they come in countless flavors, some sound delicious, but if you're not careful, you end up spending way too much money and regretting your life choices.

According to the FBI, yeah, those guys from the movies, in 2023, Americans reported losses exceeding 12.5 billion dollars from cyber fraud. 12.5 BILLION! That's more than the GDP of some small countries, or about what Jeff Bezos finds in between his couch cushions.