Today’s Big Story

The Brain’s Eras

Study suggests human brain development has four pivotal ‘turning points’

Taylor Swift was right again … we are all hosting our own Eras Tour—just without the elaborate costume changes. A team of neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom identified five broad phases of brain structure over the course of an average human life. These eras occur as the human brain rewires to support the different ways of thinking while we grow, mature, and eventually decline. The five major turning points are detailed in a study published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

In the study, they compared the brains of 3,802 people between ages zero and 90, using datasets of MRI diffusion scans. These types of MRIs map neural connections by following how water molecules move through brain tissue. They detected five broad phases of brain structure in the average human life that are split up by four pivotal turning points between birth and death when our brains reconfigure.

The major turning points occur at ages: Nine (Childhood brain architecture), 32 (Adulthood brain architecture), 66 (Early aging) and 83 (Late aging). “We know the brain’s wiring is crucial to our development, but we lack a big picture of how it changes across our lives and why,” Alexa Mousley, a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge and co-author on the paper, said in a statement. “Looking back, many of us feel our lives have been characterised by different phases. It turns out that brains also go through these eras.”

The strongest overall shift in trajectory is seen in that second era (which most of us are currently experiencing). Life events such as parenthood may play a role in some of the changes seen, although the research did not explicitly test this. “We know that women who give birth, their brain changes afterwards,” Mousley told The Guardian. “It’s reasonable to assume that there could be a relationship between these milestones and what’s happening in the brain.”

Popular Science points out that understanding that our brain’s structure journey is generally one of a few major turning points instead of a steady progression can help neuroscientists better identify when and how the wiring is more vulnerable. So for now, sit back and enjoy the show until the lights go out.

Trump Tries to Close the Ukraine Deal

The president will only meet with Zelensky and Putin if they can get close to an agreement

Yesterday, President Donald Trump backed away from a Thanksgiving deadline for Ukraine to agree to a U.S.-backed peace plan and shrugged off a report that U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff coached the Russians on how to approach him on the topic. On Tuesday, he told reporters that he will only meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin when the parties get closer to an agreement on ending the war.

After the holiday, Witkoff will meet with Putin in Moscow. Trump told reporters on Air Force One on the way to Florida that the meeting will take place next week. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll—who held talks with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday—will hold another meeting with the Ukrainians. "I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

But according to a senior Ukrainian source who spoke to CNN, there are still significant gaps between what the Trump administration is asking of Ukraine, and what the embattled authorities in Kyiv are prepared to accept. Earlier U.S. proposals called for Ukraine to hand over land that will become a Russian-administered demilitarized zone and reduce the size of their military.

Marijuana Addiction

More people are getting hooked, but fewer of them are seeking help, experts say

Since legalization and commercialization, daily cannabis use has become a defining (and often invisible) part of many people’s lives. High-potency vapes and concentrates now dominate the market, and doctors say they can blur the line between relief and dependence over time so that users don’t notice the shift. But now, people who turned to cannabis for help are finding it harder to put down.

And according to the Associated Press, fewer of those who are addicted are seeking help for it. Pot use among young adults reached historic levels in recent years, according to a federally supported survey. Daily use even outpaced daily drinking, with nearly 18 million Americans reporting in 2022 that they use marijuana every day or nearly every day, up from less than 1 million three decades earlier.

While pot isn’t as harmful as harder drugs, frequent or heavy use has been linked to problems with learning, memory and attention as well as chronic nausea, vomiting and lung problems among those who smoke it. And today’s pot is not the same as that of the past. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most pot that people smoked in the ‘60s and ‘70s contained less than 5% THC, the ingredient that causes a high. Today, the THC potency in cannabis flower and concentrates sold in dispensaries can reach 40% or more.

The New New Year’s Eve Ball

It will have more lights, round crystals and can be visited year-round

Unless you look closely on New Year’s Eve—and who looks closely when the countdown is on and you’re preparing for that kiss—you’ll probably not notice that the sparkling ball that drops in Times Square is new.

Not surprisingly, the new ball is the largest one to date, featuring nearly double the amount of reflective crystals as its predecessor (which has been used since 2008). Spanning a massive 12.5 feet in diameter and weighing over 12,300 pounds, the symbolic spectacle will be the ninth to drop from the historic One Times Square building since the annual tradition began in 1907. Dubbed ‘The Constellation Ball’, the iconic sphere holds 5,280 Waterford crystal.

Another first, circular Waterford crystal discs now cover the surface, rather than the triangular shapes from years past. Three different sizes of discs combine to form the design, each one emblazoned with an intricate pattern. Time Out reports that for the renowned Irish crystal brand, this year's crystal discs symbolize infinite joy, infinite light and infinite beginnings, reflecting radiant optimism from every angle. Going forward, Waterford will change the design each and every year, reflecting themes to match the current moment.

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Give yourself credit.