The lead researcher on this study has a note on her project page asking people to stop using words like "brain damage," "brain rot," "harm," "destroy," and "collapse" to describe her findings. This tweet is doing exactly what she asked people not to do. Here's what they actually tested. 54 people wrote SAT essays over 4 months. One group used ChatGPT, one used Google, and one used nothing. Researchers tracked brain activity continuously with EEG caps. The ChatGPT group showed the weakest brain connectivity. By session three, most were just pasting ChatGPT's output. 83% couldn't quote a single sentence from the essay they'd just "written." Two teachers who graded the essays called them "soulless." That part is real. But session 4 changes the picture. They swapped the groups. ChatGPT users had to write solo. Brain-only users got ChatGPT for the first time. The brain-only group's neural activity actually went up when they used ChatGPT. Their brains treated it as a collaborator, not a crutch. Three sessions of thinking independently meant they had something to bring to the table. The paper is a 206-page preprint. Still not peer-reviewed. A formal academic response in December 2025 flagged issues with the sample size, EEG methods, and the reporting of results. This pattern isn't even new to AI. A 2011 Columbia study in Science found people who knew they could Google something were less likely to remember it. GPS users show steeper declines in spatial memory over time. Calculators, cameras, even writing itself. Every tool humans have built changes what our brains bother to store. The actual finding: passive, copy-paste use of ChatGPT during essay writing reduced brain engagement over 3 sessions in 54 college students. People who already knew how to think independently used ChatGPT without losing anything. The researcher's own term is "cognitive cost," not "cognitive destruction."

The Settlers, the doc I made for the BBC, is now available to stream in the US on BBC Select. It couldn’t be more timely with the announcement today that the Israeli govt has approved construction of 22 new settlements in the West Bank - which are illegal under international law.

Neither do Gaza's adults.

my boyfriend really is the best person I’ve ever met in my life. everyday i’m so amazed by his patience, kindness and thoughtfulness; it’s so special to watch everyone around him adore and love him just as much as I do.

not only do i love a man that i can call for everything, i love when a man wants to be called for everything. never annoyed, always ready to solve a problem

Never forget that the Prime Minister of India is a man who was once banned from entering the United States for causing the deaths of 1000 Indian Muslims during the 2002 Gujarat riots which famously earned him the “butcher of Gujarat” title

the details of diljit dosanjh's outfit are so magnificent and gorgeous — the way he leaves no chance to represent his culture has my whole heart <3 #MetGala

RT @blondedstyIes: no one in that room could ever understand how honoured they are to be in his presence

I miss 2021 bad bunny

all you need to know about spain is that, within 2 hours of the power going off for the whole country… the beaches were packed, bands were playing in every square, and people were in the streets laughing and dancing

How do you girls feel when you’re out and someone says “so what are you working on next” - bc I kinda hate it. I just came out to have a drink and a giggle and now I’m in an interview about a job I signed an NDA for in the first place.

all the miscommunication in modern family

not to be dramatic but if I don’t go back to Trinidad soon I might die

Irving wouldve handled everything without being a bitch

severance finale makes sense #dramaturgically if you accept its premise. leading any kind of existence devoid of meaningful connections is antithetical to human nature and downright impossible. get placed in the most sterile environment and you’ll still find ways to love!!