Is 32 the new 25? Mentally, science says yes
PLUS: A warning about AI toys from JGL.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
Scientists at Cambridge University have announced new markers in aging, with many now making lemonade from lemons by saying, “32 is the new 25.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt recorded a warning about the AI toys that are on sale for children this year.
News that raccoons are showing early signs of domestication has resonated with many internet users.
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— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
“I’m still a child”: New study says the brain’s most stable period doesn’t arrive until age 32
A study suggesting that the human brain enters a stable phase around age 32 has people in their 20s feeling validated. University of Cambridge neuroscientists released their research results on Tuesday and suggested that lifelong brain development can be viewed as having five distinct phases.
Turning points in this development happen “around nine, 32, 66, and 83 years old.”
“Don’t let them do these things”: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a warning for parents about children’s AI toys ahead of Black Friday
Joseph Gordon-Levitt issued a cautionary message to parents this week about children’s AI toys, and his warning spread quickly across Instagram and Reddit.
Donning a holiday sweater, the actor shared a fairly dire warning. In the video, Gordon-Levitt spoke about the past and present of kids’ toys. He contrasted classic options against AI-driven devices and explained how advanced algorithms changed the landscape for families.
Scientists say raccoons are showing early domestication traits. The internet: “sign me up”
A new study has raccoon lovers wondering whether the internet’s favorite trash pandas are inching closer to domestication. Biologists at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock analyzed images of urban and rural raccoons and found that city-dwelling raccoons have noticeably shorter snouts, a classic marker of early domestication seen in species like dogs and foxes.
🕸️ Crawling the Web
🩺 Fans are excited for the return of Scrubs, but many worry about the state of the TV industry—and the lack of new ideas
🦃 Alex Jones shares AI Thanksgiving pic with Sydney Sweeney, then rants about “triggered” reactions
👫 Why this single millennial says married women are “self-centered”—and TikTok mostly agrees
🥩 “It smelled like ammonia”: Chef’s viral video reignites debate over U.S. beef processing
🐇 16 chaotic internet rabbit holes people swear they’ll never escape once they click
🏃♂️ Are kids playing “Diddy tag” in their school playgrounds?
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday:
➤ Woman’s neighbors bulldoze all of her trees, sparking a discussion about tree law