For whatever unknown reason, those on the political Left here in America keeps bludgeoning anyone who’ll listen that the human brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25.
Case in point, Fox5DC.com reported back in 2023 that Democrats in the Maryland House of Delegates actually attempted to make it state law that no one under 25-years-old could even be charged with felony murder. Why? Supposedly because the brain isn’t fully developed until 25… so, you know. Thankfully, this bill was withdrawn before it hit the Maryland Senate.
But if the Dems want to (again) play the part of arbiters of all things science, OK, let’s play. What if the Democrats and junk science are right? Let’s pretend that the human brain isn’t 100 percent until 25.
Not that I’m a neuroscientist, but what if by the age of 18, the average human brain is 99.99 percent developed? Hey, Kevin… that’s a good (and VERY fair) question. Let’s delve into what some real big-brain-on-Brad scientists have to say.
As reported by Anastasia Gorelova of NeuroscienceNerws.com;
Summary: A new study sheds light on when adolescents start thinking like adults. Researchers found that executive function, critical for task-switching and focus, typically matures around 18 years old.
Drawing from over 10,000 participants and multiple datasets, this large-scale study offers a developmental chart for teen cognitive growth. These findings are invaluable for education, psychiatry, and the judicial system.
Key Facts:
The study, based on over 10,000 participants, determined that executive function generally matures by 18 years old.
Data showed a rapid growth in executive function during late childhood to mid-adolescence (10-15 years old), with stability achieved by late adolescence (18-20).
Just so you know, Gorelova has her Master’s Degree in Human and Animal Physiology as well as her PhD in Molecular Pharmacology. She also had nearly five full years as a Graduate Research Assistant at Univ. of Pittsburgh’s Vascular Medicine Institute.
As noted by the good folks over at Britain’s ScienceFocus.com;
You may heard that if you’re under 25, your brain isn’t fully developed yet. It’s an adage supposing that individuals under 25 can’t think things through or make rational decisions, and so are less responsible than older folk. This logic has now formed the basis of official government advice, sentencing, and more.
The only problem with this fact is… it’s not a fact. Never has been. No matter how many TikTokers insist otherwise.
Then we come across this from BricolageBehavior.com;
We’ve all heard the idea in pop psychology that teen brains are immature and not fully formed which is given as a reason for all kinds of risky teen behaviors. It’s been mentioned on the cover of Time Magazine, can be found in hundreds of articles on the internet, and is often repeated on numerous news broadcasts.
However, the idea that teens have underdeveloped brains is not scientifically valid. As this article in Scientific American explains, there are a variety of studies that have attempted to make this claim, most of them picked up and run with by the media, but the research cited is of weak design and even weaker analysis.
Lastly, from NHNSCR.org (National Human Neural Stem Cell Resource);
Does the Frontal Lobe Develop Until 25?
The myth that the brain is fully developed by the age of 25 is widespread. While it is true that significant development of the brain occurs in early childhood and adolescence, the brain continues to develop and change throughout adulthood.
Let’s not forget that not that many generations ago, a 13, 14 or 15-year old boy often became the “man of the house” and that girls of the same age were often married. Things have been that way for millennia. Nothing I’m stating isn’t historically factual.
Child soldiers in Africa isn’t a new phenomenon that just popped up back in the 1980s. Neither is the notion of child brides is something that was introduced by the Taliban to Afghanistan in 1996.
Please remember, Marilyn Monroe herself was quoted of her first marriage back during WWII, “I was 15 turning 16.” Also, the youngest Medal of Honor recipient was Pvt. Willaim Johnston during the War Between the States. He was 13 when awarded, 11 when he first joined the Union Army.
For those who think the 1860s is when dinosaurs roamed the planet, a bit closer to present-day would-be Alfred Zech, a member of Germany’s quasi-militarized Deutsches Jungvolk (German Young People). Zech was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery against the invading Soviet Red Army. He was 12 at the time.
I didn’t write all of human history, I just tell the truth about it regardless to feelings.