This Is When We Actually Become Adults, According to Science

Summarized from: https://www.vogue.com/article/this-is-when-we-actually-become-adults

1. The long-held belief that the brain fully develops by age 25, marking the onset of adulthood, is a myth.
2. New research from the University of Cambridge indicates the brain’s adolescent phase extends until the early 30s, with “adult mode” neural wiring typically stabilizing around age 32.
3. The study identifies five broad phases of brain wiring across the lifespan, with pivotal turning points at ages 9 (transition to adolescence), 32 (transition to adult), 66 (early aging), and 83 (late aging).
4. This stabilization around age 32 means the brain’s architecture doesn’t significantly change for decades, corresponding to a plateau in intelligence and personality, and a tendency to become “more stuck in your ways.”