She was invited in Bulgaria in 2014 invitation by the mobile network operator Mtel and the British Council as a special guest at the Mtel Media Masters 2014 Journalism Awards, where she gave a lecture on the impact of the internet on the human brain.

“I have never been to Bulgaria – said Lady Greenfield. – Next week I am travelling to Australia. I was curious to come here as well. It seems important to me to talk about the way technology affects the brain.”

How do they influence the brain?

Both in a positive way, because people handle more information, and in a not so positive way, because their memory becomes shorter. Their reactions become quicker, but as a general trend, children’s ability to hold their attention decreases. The internet kills imagination, lowers creativity, online games increase aggression.

How does mobile communication affect the brain? And is there a difference in the ways it affects women and men?

When I was a kid, people rarely had a phone at home. You had to go with a penny in your hand, line up at the booth. We got mail three times a day and outside of that there was no communication unless someone came by to see you. Now we’re all “on” all the time. Men communicate to exchange facts. Pay attention to the English men in the pubs sometime. They sit opposite each other with big mugs of beer and keep quiet. They’ll just say to each other. – You’re alright? – You’re alright! (Добре ли си? Добре си.) Can you imagine two women like that?

No!

For a woman, talking is the most important thing. We keep silent only when we are trying to punish someone. Men often think that if we don’t talk, then everything is fine. It’s not important to us that the information is valuable. We just enjoy sharing it because it’s our way of connecting. Men connect with each other by playing football or doing something together. The difference between the amount of words spoken by a woman and a man is huge. The brains of the two sexes are not only structurally but chemically different.

The hormones the glands produce are different. And hence follow different moods, states, levels of aggression, drive to compete. We even see differently. Men see literally in a limited, purposeful forward way. This is evolutionarily determined. When they hunted, they had to concentrate on the target. Whereas we used peripheral vision to keep track of several things at once. That’s why we often find the car keys before they do.

Why don’t you have a Facebook account?

I don’t see the point. My private life is my private life. On Facebook, everyone wants to be liked by everyone and be like everyone else. And at the same time be special and different. So people have a very fragile sense of identity. I think the social skills of the users there are atrophying.

Do you take selfies?

Of course I don’t. One of the saddest things is to see people on the train taking selfies with their phones instead of admiring the view out the window. In London, there are stands to prop your phone on to take a selfie. Nowadays people share everything they do. You post every thought you can think of. In the past we had a private life, a secret life. Now there is only public.

How will you define your boundaries then? The only thing that cannot be shared and is yours alone is your face. It is the thing that identifies you, the sign that you are an individual. That’s why I think selfies are so popular. They are a way to identify yourself. Something else that confuses me is the big tattoo craze. I think people get tattoos because they need at least one permanent thing in their lives. I’m not condemning it, just trying to explain it. It’s come up in England in the last two years. Is it fashionable in your country?

Yes. I’m curious what Oxford scholars’ parties look like. Do you wear glasses, discuss important topics and cite serious sources?

Haha. No, no! Once upon a time, while we were studying, every Saturday there were three or four parties at the same time. At lunchtime in the pub we’d discuss who was going to wear what for the evening, and then we’d meet back there in the evening and everyone would head to whichever party they decided. Now, of course, the parties are more relaxed. I find it a lot more boring. I love having music and dancing, to ABBA’s Dancing Queen for example. I really like Marvin Gaye’s music and his piece “I heard it through the grapevine”. I’m thinking of playing it at my funeral.

Aren’t you rushing the plans?

Haha. Because the moment they release it, I’m gonna jump up and dance! I don’t like formal events where everyone is important, looking stern, you’re surrounded by people you don’t know well, celebrities are present, other people are paying attention and you’re acting unnatural in front of them. Having fun is pretty boring, by the way.

What advantages does the title of Baroness give you?

There are still remnants of the class system in England. People are status sensitive. I’m a child of the working class, and in this country they still put a lot of importance on a person’s background. I was impressed by how attitudes have changed towards me. Not from my real friends, of course. Otherwise the title gives you peace of mind, confidence and a platform from which to speak. But if I had children, they wouldn’t be able to inherit it. They’d call them the honourable ones. In England, if a man becomes a lord, they call his wife a lady. If you’re a baroness, there’s no address for your husband. My ex-husband didn’t flatter himself much. Awkward!

And how do the House of Lords take a woman in a short skirt?

Hahaha. There are other women. We’re not half, but we’re certainly more than in the scientific sircles. And we’re not numerous at all for those with short skirts. You’d have to ask the Lords, but be aware that the average age in the House is 68.

You seem tempted by fashion.

Oh, merci! Very, yes. My favourite designers are Valentino, Moschino, Vivienne Westwood – her silhouettes and cuts really suit me. I also love mixing designer outfits with mainstream brands like Miss Selfridge. The dresses there are £80 each. My jacket is now 5 years old. People think it’s designer’s. It isn’t. My blouse, pearl collar and leggings are from Topshop. My whole outfit cost about £50. But my handbag is Miu Miu (underlines it)!

What do you think of vintage clothes?

When I was younger and poor, there were Oxfam shops. People would leave clothes in them that they didn’t want to wear anymore. There you could find things in the style of the 30s, and I really liked that fashion at that time – with the silks, the pearls. Now they offer more of the 60s and 70s. They were very cheap and elegant. Another vintage that I like is… Have you watched the show “The Boys on Madison Avenue”? It’s set in New York in the 50’s and 60’s. We throw parties in the style of that show. The women wear killer high heels, dark hair and bright red lipsticks, straight tight skirts. It’s sad that there aren’t many people in academia that I can talk fashion with.

Is it true that you never rest?

Maybe it sounds strange. I don’t watch TV, I like movies. My favourite pastime is playing squash. No matter how tired I am, after ten minutes of playing I feel so good… I don’t want to lie on the beach or do nothing. I like to talk, to read. I have a big terrace and invite friends to have a glass of wine there.

During your lecture you mentioned that it’s up to us what the next 50 years will be like. What would you like them to be?

My personal list includes three things – that everyone has a strong sense of identity. Because that is under attack right now. You have to have a strong sense and clarity of who you are, be proud of who you are. The more developed a personality you have, the more interesting you will be.

The second is to realize yourself. When you work hard for something, you have a wonderful feeling. When I was 15, I worked on Saturdays in the market because we were very poor. I remember the first day I brought money home. My mother said, “You can do whatever you want with this money. I can’t tell you what to do with it because it’s yours.” And I splurged it on riding lessons. But I felt total power. I don’t think middle-class kids have that experience. Their parents give them money. But working is much more satisfying than partying.

And the third is being useful to society. In some way, whatever you do, be helpful to the world. And another is to develop one’s creativity. You don’t have to paint pictures or write symphonies. It’s enough to rearrange your kitchen, as long as it activates your wonderful sense of originality. This is my list for the future. It all depends on us. We need to rethink all the power of the internet and the iPad.

They may be useful for learning, but they shouldn’t replace our ability to generate new ideas.