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How did T. rex get to be so awesome? A recent fossil discovery revealed its secret.

The Tyrannosaurus rex — the tiny-armed, 40-foot-tall, seven-ton, jaw-chomping, lizard-bird-monster-god-of-doom — is the undisputed king of the dinosaurs. But how exactly does one get to be the king of the dinosaurs? nn Well, thanks to a newly discovered relative of the famed “Jurassic Park” star, we now know the secret to T. rex’s dino-success. And it’s not all…

By

Thom Dunn

The Tyrannosaurus rex — the tiny-armed, 40-foot-tall, seven-ton, jaw-chomping, lizard-bird-monster-god-of-doom — is the undisputed king of the dinosaurs.

But how exactly does one get to be the king of the dinosaurs?

nn

Well, thanks to a newly discovered relative of the famed “Jurassic Park” star, we now know the secret to T. rex’s dino-success. And it’s not all about its massive physical stats, after all.

Spoiler alert: It’s lasers. GIF from “Dino-Riders.”

You read that right: THEY DISCOVERED A NEW DINOSAUR!

It’s called Timurlengia euotica, and yes, it’s technically not new new because it’s already been dead for a gazillion years, but that’s beside the point ’cause it’s a new freakin’ dinosaur! 

nn

If somehow that’s not exciting enough, it also fills in a glaring 20-million-year fossil gap in our overall dino-knowledge! Thanks, T. euot!

Yeahhhhh I guess “T. euot” doesn’t sound nearly as cool as “T. rex,” huh? Oh well, I tried. (Also that’s an artist’s rendering, in case that wasn’t clear.) Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

It all started in Uzbekistan back in 2004, when a team of paleontologists found the fossil of a weird-lookin’ braincase.

They were as intrigued by the grapefruit-sized bone lump as they were confused. Which is kind of how I feel whenever someone smart and science-y feels compelled to distinguish between the terms “braincase” and “skull.”

GIF from “Meet the Robinsons.”

The mysterious braincase was hidden away in storage — until 2014, when it caught the eye of Dr. Steve Brusatte, a T-rexpert from the University of Edinburgh.

“When I looked at it, it struck me really quickly that this looked like a tyrannosaur braincase,” he told National Geographic. “Not exactly T. rex, much smaller; the same bones in a T. Rex would be bigger than a basketball.”

nn

Specifically, it was missing some of the recesses and knobs that are standard on a T. rex braincase, and its ear canals were surprisingly long — evidence of incredible aural abilities.

nnnnnnnnnnnn

In fact, the braincase was remarkably reminiscent of Xiongguanlong, another recently discovered tyrannosaurid that predated the rex by about 60 million years. But whereas Xionggunlong was believed to be about the size of a human, Timurlengia euotica clocked in around 600 pounds and the size of a horse.

The tyrannosaurid family tree. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

As Brusatte told CBS News:

Timurlengia “has an advanced brain. It has an ear with a very long cochlea, perfectly attuned to hearing low frequency sound. We used to think that those were the features of only the biggest tyrannosaurs, that those were things that evolved in the biggest tyrannosaurs in concert with the evolution of large size.”

Note: This is not actually a GIF of a T. rex and T. euot nuzzling each other. GIF from “Walking With Dinosaurs.”

You see, T. rex wasn’t just a ginormous dino-dictator, ruling the Cretaceous with its teeny-tiny iron fists. It was also incredibly intelligent (for a dinosaur, anyway).

It had acute senses of sight, smell, and hearing, which gave it a leg up on the other predators roaming the land. And yes, it was also huge, which was obviously advantageous as well.

nn

But until this point, no one was really sure how it got there. How did it evolve to be a giant chompy monster that was also smarter than the average prehistoric lizard-bird?

nnnnnn

“It’s the head-first mode of evolution,” said Hans-Dieter Sues, chair of the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and one of the co-authors of the study that discovered the T. euotica. “The brains [are] for the operation, and then you develop the bulk.”

Hans-Dieter Sues presenting evidence of the T. euotica. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

Put another way: T. rex is evolutionary evidence for the power of brains before brawn. And T. euotica is the missing link that proves it.

That’s right, kids: If you study hard and believe in yourselves, you too can become a T. rex someday! That’s how science works, right? 

nn

GIF from … The Internet, I guess?

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  • Frugal people share exactly how much money they saved on their best thrifty lifestyle changes
    A woman looks at a shopping receipt. – Photo credit: Canva
    , , , ,

    Frugal people share exactly how much money they saved on their best thrifty lifestyle changes

    “I am saving roughly $1,500 each year.”

    Emily Shiffer

    Saving insane amounts of money is a badge of honor for frugal people. Through their lifestyle changes and swaps, the savings can really add up.

    According to a YouGov survey, 28% of Americans report that they definitely plan to save more money in 2026. To help them get a jump start, there’s plenty of financial wisdom to glean from people already living a frugal life.

    On Reddit, frugal people hyped each other up by sharing the exact amounts of money their best lifestyle changes have saved them.

    From food swaps to shopping habits, the amount of money they save is impressive. Here are some of their brag-worthy savings:

    Food

    “For me it was quitting drinking coffee at coffee shops and making coffee at home. I am saving roughly $1500 each year and I cannot say that I am really missing the barista stuff. Took maybe a week to get used to it. Wild how fast your brain changes when you see the actual numbers.” – St3fanHere

    “We quit DoorDash and Uber Eats. We’ve probably saved $10,000 in one year!” – Cultural-Package6900

    “Drinking smarter. I now have two drinks at the bar and two at home at $1-$2 a piece. That right there saves me $20 a week.” – WillWork4Cats

    “Not eating out. We either eat a hotdog at Sam’s or we take lunch with us. Even going from $8 each week down to $2 makes it $416 down to $104. And occasionally we would treat ourselves to a buffet which added $25 3 or 4 times each year.” – Cute-Consequence-184

    “My husband was spending money at convenience stores; Gatorade, breakfast, candy, sodas…he would tell me it was $3 here and there. I had him add up every purchase for an entire month, over multiple months. He was spending $500 a month on these little purchases. He makes good coffee at home now and eats at home. It takes less time to eat at home or grab something than stop at a store and buy it too. He was shocked because it seemed like less than $5 every time. But it adds up.” – heartshapedbox311

    “I buy 2L seltzer and make my own Spindrift for 25 cents per bottle and love it more than any other drink I’ve ever had. I use coupons and get free food and make recipes to leverage free food or the cheapest thing I can find in the grocery store. Dozens of delicious original recipes for as little as 50 cents per meal. My favorite is our local Safeway has deals for free turkeys some holidays and huge $4 cans of Hominy and I’ve developed a green Chile turkey posole recipe that includes a whole turkey (or Costco rotisserie chicken) a huge can of Hominy and 3 huge cans of Las Palmas green Chile enchilada sauce with some cheap vegetables that works out to 2 servings per dollar. Pizza is not good for you, but the deals at my local domino’s and little Caesars makes a $6 dinner for 2. Lots of ways to eat for $1-2 per meal, which can save you around $50/day, $1500/month, $20k/ year vs a lot of people’s food budget.” – deproduction

    Shopping

    “Buying used, especially when it comes to household appliances and furnishings. We got 3 appliances that would have been $6k new for $500 used. People remodel and just want stuff out of their house, so it’s cheap.” – MsCeeLeeLeo

    “Getting an e-reader & reading almost exclusively through Libby. Thanks to my library I save over $1000 a year on my ebook habit alone!” – Inside_Training_876

    “I went to the thrift store and bought a DVD player for $2.99 and a VHS player for $1.99, gave my kids (3 of them) each $10 to pick out their own videos, and we ended our streaming services, which were coming up for renewal after a promo, and I did not want to pay for Disney+, Max, Hulu, and Netflix anymore. Win all around. We own (instead of paying fees for ‘licensing the right to view’) a ton of movies on DVD/VHS, no ads, watch exactly what we want, and when we buy new videos, monthly expense is never over $20 (I had set that as a condition). Streaming services have become the biggest ripoff of all time, imo. It was fun while it lasted.” – OneLonelyBeastieI-B

    Self-care

    “Buying a gel nail set on Amazon for around $30 and doing my own nails has saved me around $120 a month for the past year!!!” – christslastpodcast

    “Color my own hair $500 a year saved.” – 4travelers

    “In 2009 I finally quit smoking after 43 years. Cigarettes just got too expensive. I made a spreadsheet to track the savings and closed it when I broke $20,000.” – Environmental_Log344

    “Using a safety razor to shave instead of traditional cartridge razors. If you’re in a profession or the military that requires daily shaving, this will save you a lot of money. I’ve been doing it for about 6 years now and one pack of safety razor blades cost like $10 and can easily last a year. Much better than the cost of cartridge razor blades over time.” – Sigfawn

    Household expenses and utilities

    “Car work. I’m doing my front brakes today. Was quoted $700 for parts and labor. Just picked up pads, rotors, and misc for $220.” – lurksAtDogs

    “Solar heating and I don’t even mean solar panels just the black water pipes in a box on the roof cut out electric bill by more than 60%.” – angako

    “I dropped cable and had a guy install a tv antenna that pulls in channels from Chicago and Milwaukee. Saves me about $1800 per year.” – Glass_Procedure7497

    “I’m lucky to live in a city with eBike stations and everywhere. They have a veterans program that basically I pay almost nothing as long as I use them for short rides (time wise not distance). I even use them in snowstorms to save $10-$15 bucks a pop.) Probably saved $400-$600 this year easy alone on that.” – WillWork4Cats

    “Sweat equity on a home improvement. We had a bonus room situation. We saved probably $40k by doing the flooring, painting, trim, framing, and insulation ourselves.” – fredinNH

    “Partner and I put plastic insulation we got free from the city over a plastic skylight in out bathroom. We’ve got electric radiators, and our electric bill went down $100 after doing that, keeping the bathroom at the same temp.” – madwrites

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  • How to live more productively by understanding your distinct ‘time personality’
    A person planning with a calendar (left) and a person running late (right). – Photo credit: Canva
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    How to live more productively by understanding your distinct ‘time personality’

    Are you time anxious? Or time blind?

    Heather Wake

    It’s true that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. But it’s our own personal relationship to those 24 hours that greatly determines what that day looks like.

    Time is one of those things that is both a constant in our collective reality, and yet highly subjective to the individual. It’s why one person hears “We need to be there 6:30” and translates that to “We need to be out the door in fifteen minutes,” and another person translates it as “Oh, I have plenty of time to change my clothes, walk the dogs, listen to a podcast, and clean out that junk drawer!” And of course, these two individuals will be spouses. It is universal law. 

    It would seem that—much like how knowing whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between can help you navigate social settings—knowing your MO when it comes to time management can really help make your day flow a lot smoother. 

    That’s where the four “time personalities” come in. 

    In an article for Verywell Mind, experts Kristin Anderson, LCSW, and Dr. Ryan Sultan, explained that most of us fall somewhere on a spectrum between “very rigid” and “very flexible.” There are, of course, various factors that dictate why we might fall into a certain spot—including neurodiversity, age, and other aspects of our overall personality. But regardless, knowing the gifts and challenges of our go-to time management settings can greatly affect how we “function.”

    See which one below seems to resonate the most. 

    The 4 Time Personalities

    1. The Time Optimist

      The never-ending mantra, or perhaps the “famous last words,” of this personality is “I’ve got plenty of time!” regardless of what the clock says.

      Because of this, Sultan says time optimists “don’t really feel pressure under a time crunch.” They truly believe they can fit multiple tasks into a short amount of time and don’t easily account for potential delays, which leads to chronic tardiness. 

      “They’re ones who leave for a dinner reservation with just enough time to get there, as long as there’s no traffic and they hit every green light,” said Sultan. 

      Folks who consider themselves time optimists might benefit from exploring the “double it rule,” which has you automatically double the amount of time you think it’ll take to get somewhere or complete a task. 

      2. Time Anxious

      Unlike time optimists, “time anxious” personalities feel an enormous amount of pressure, assuming “everything that can go wrong, will go wrong (e.g., traffic, delays, getting lost on the way).” Therefore, they attempt to ease this tension by showing up to things incredibly early. 

      Dealing with time anxiety involves many of the same tools to handle everyday anxiety, such as grounding techniques (5-4-3-2-1 technique, deep breathing), cognitive restructuring (challenging perfectionism, setting realistic goals), and structured planning (using calendars/apps, setting “worry time”). These strategies help shift focus from the future to the present, reducing the fear of wasted time. And maybe, just maybe, the time anxious can experiment with being fashionably late to low-pressure situations. 

      3. Time Bender

      For time benders, the whole concept of time is merely subjective. Where time optimists overestimate what they can accomplish within a certain amount of time, time benders create entirely different time rules for themselves. “Being 10 minutes late basically counts as on time,” Anderson uses as an example. 

      These are the curious, creative souls who thrive under pressure and easily lose track of time when they reach a flow state, or bounce from inspiring task to inspiring task.

      To help curb time-bending tendencies, a good option could be the “Pomodoro Technique,” which has you working in focused, 25-minute bursts followed by short breaks to maintain high energy and concentration. 

      “Time blindness” might sound very close to “time optimism” and “time bending,” but the former is associated with an actual inability to perceive the passage of time. That’s why Anderson and Sultan explained that this category is frequently found in those with ADHD or executive function issues.  

      4. Time Blind

      “It’s not that these folks don’t care about being late or making other people wait,” said Anderson. “Without external reminders or cues, it’s easy for them to lose track of how long things take, which makes sticking to a schedule more challenging.”

      Sultan added, “Their brains actually have a difficult time registering and processing temporal information, causing impairments in working memory, executive functioning, and temporal discounting.” 

      Though time blindness might be more deeply ingrained than the other three personalities, there are several proven tools that can help—from simple, tried-and-true methods like visual/audio timers (think hourglasses and analog clocks) to apps designed to help strengthen time estimation. And of course, these tools aren’t exclusively beneficial to those with bona fide time blindness. Optimists and benders can try them out as well. 

      Once you better understand how you uniquely navigate time, you’re better able to (a) incorporate strategies that help you work within your limitations and (b) give yourself a little grace. Perhaps that last part is most important.

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    1. ‘Conservative’ mom sparks debate after questioning the appropriateness of a Target girl’s dress
      via Target and Mike Mozart/Flickr – A controversial dress being sold at Target.
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      ‘Conservative’ mom sparks debate after questioning the appropriateness of a Target girl’s dress

      Should girls that young be showing so much skin?

      Tod Perry

      Upworthy Staff

      Everywhere you go, there seems to be a constant war between children’s clothing retailers who want to push the boundaries of modesty and parents who push back, saying they are sexualizing children. On top of that, when young girls believe they are supposed to wear clothes that are tight-fitting and revealing, it’s very damaging to their self-esteem and body image. So what is a parent to do?

      “I think it’s one thing that the girls’ clothes are very fitted and small, and it’s another that they’re in such direct contrast to what you find on the boys’ side, and those two things send a pretty strong message about what they’re supposed to look like, dressed to be slim and to be fit,” Sharon Choksi, a mom of two and founder of the clothing line, Girls Will Be, told CNN.

      Mom spots a revealing dress at Target

      The topic came up again recently when Meghan Mayer, a mother of 2 and a 7th-grade school teacher, posted a TikTok video about a dress she saw at Target, which received over 1.6 million views. Meghan was reacting to a smock-style, patterned dress with balloon sleeves that appeared modest at first glance. But after closer examination, it has holes in the waist on both sides, revealing the girl’s midriff and possibly more.

      @thecrazycreativeteacher

      Thoughts?

      ♬ original sound – Meghan Mayer

      “My oldest daughter and I are at Target, and there’s some cute spring stuff,” Mayer started the video. “I am a little bit more conservative when it comes to my kids’ clothing, so maybe I’m overreacting, but let me know what you think of these dresses.”

      She added that the dress may be okay for a 12-year-old but was inappropriate for a 6- or 7-year-old. Mayer asked her followers what they thought of the dress. “Like I said, I know I’m a little bit more conservative. I don’t usually even let my girls wear bikinis, but maybe I’m overreacting, I don’t know. Thoughts?”

      For reference, she then showed the dresses’ sizes to indicate they were for kids, then revealed the holes in the sides. “Look at these little slits on the sides of these dresses, right at the hips on all these dresses,” she said. The dress is obviously designed for a young girl to show skin, and it begs the question: Why would she want to, and who is supposed to be looking?

      Most people found the dress to be inappropriate

      Most people commenting on the video thought the dress was a bit much for such a young girl to wear, and that it was inappropriate for someone that age to expose themselves.

      Target store at night
      Target store at night. via Mike Mozart/Flickr

      “You’re not overreacting. You’re parenting properly,” Paper Bound Greetings wrote. “No, no. There is no reason for those holes to be there. They should have pockets! Not holes!” Anna wrote. “I think retailers are trying to mature our kids too fast. I agree with mom!” HollyMoore730 commented. “That dress is SO CUTE until you see the slit. Why did they have to ruin it like that?!?”krb15 added.

      “All the lady people have been asking for is dresses with pockets. This is the opposite of pockets. Whyyy?” akcrucial wrote.

      But some thought that the dress was acceptable, while others thought Mayer was overreacting.

      “Unpopular opinion, I think they’re cute,” Dr. Robinson wrote. “When I was a kid in the ‘70s, I wore halter tops and tube tops; they were not seen as big deals. I don’t think this is scandalous,” Kimberly Falkowsi added. “Overreacting. Both my girls have the blue and white, you can’t even tell much. It’s not that big of a hole. The dresses are so cute,” LolitaKHalessi commented.

      “Fun fact… you don’t have to buy it, Bethany wrote. “Idk I think it’s cute and that everyone just making it weird when it really isn’t,” Wisdomdeals added. “Nothing wrong with the dress. It’s sold out in my area. Luckily if you don’t like it or think it’s inappropriate, you don’t buy it for your child,” Maddison commented.

      Target aisle
      An aisle at a Target. via Mike Mozart/Flickr

      Some commenters told Mayer that she should buy the dress and have her daughter wear a shirt beneath it so it doesn’t show skin. However, Mayer believes that it would support Target in making questionable kids’ clothing.

      “No, I’m not going to buy it and have them wear a tank top with it, because then that’s showing Target that it’s OK,” she told Today.com. “And over time, the cutout will get bigger and bigger.”

      This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

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    2. Kids asked their Gen X parents to ‘dance like it’s the 80s’ and they absolutely delivered
      @tabathalynnk/TikTok, Photo credit: Canva | Gen Xers were instantly transported back in time.
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      Kids asked their Gen X parents to ‘dance like it’s the 80s’ and they absolutely delivered

      These Gen Xers still have the moves.

      Emily Shiffer

      Once you reach a certain age, you resign yourself to the fact that young people will no longer think you’re cool. And that’s OK. But sometimes it’s nice to remind them how awesome you are (were?) when the opportunity presents itself.

      And that was exactly the feat achieved by Gen Xers during a wholesome TikTok trend that instantly transported you right back in the attitude-filled, neon colored post-disco Decade of Decadence, otherwise known as the 80s.

      Specifically, it’ took you back to an 80s dance club. In the trend, which peaked around a years ago, kids asked their parents to “dance like it’s the 80s,” as the 1984 track “Smalltown Boy” by the British pop band Bronski Beat played in the background. The song’s high energy tempo mixed with heartbreaking, anguish-ridden lyrics make it a fitting choice to bring us back to the time period.

      The TikTok “80s dance challenge”

      Parents happily obliged to their kids’ requests to show off their 80s dance moves. Their muscle memory kicked in the minute the tune began to play, and it was a whole vibe.

      Check out Tabatha Lynn’s video of her mom, Leanne Lynn, which quickly racked up over 12 million views.

      @tabathalynnk

      My moms 80s dance moves, I wanna be her when I grow up 😍 our kids better not ask us this in 30 years 😂 #80s #momsoftiktok #dancemoves

      ♬ Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat

      Leanne and Tabatha told TODAY that since going viral, the dance became a common “topic of conversation in the family text group.”

      There are two factors here that folks really seem to connect with. One: 80s dancing was simple. Just moving to the rhythm, maybe a head bob for some flair or a robot if you’re feeling adventurous. Of course, the 80s had ambitious moves like the worm and the moonwalk, but for the most part it was just about groovin’ to beat.

      @marynepi

      One thing about Ms. Suzanne, shes gonna slay. #fypage #dance #slay #80s #yasqueen #trending #trend

      ♬ Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat

      Two: there’s something inexplicably heartwarming about seeing the parents light up at the chance to go back to the days of their youth.

      “I can literally see the young women in these women spring out in fluidity. Love this trend,” one person commented.

      @lavaleritaaa

      Love her 😭 “Se me espeluco el moño” 😂 #80s #momdancechallenge

      ♬ Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat

      Another seconded, “I love seeing moms remember when they were just themselves.”

      Of course, dads are totally rocking this trend too. Check it out:

      @chrisbrown711

      I dont normally do trends but i got in on this one. How did I do? #fyp #blessed #80sdancechallenge #80smusic #80s

      ♬ Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat

      The 80s was a time of rapid expansion for music. Much of this we have the birth of MTV to thank for, which subsequently dropped music videos, CDs and a vast array of music sub genres straight into the heart of pop culture.

      Plus, the 80s brought us the synthesizer, which remains a strangely satisfying sound even in 2024. So while the era might have brought some things that most of us would prefer not to revisit—like acid washed denim and awful, awful hairstyles—some of its gems are truly timeless.

      The trend also shows how, even though the weekly outing to a dance hall might be a thing of the past, people inherently want to bust a move. Luckily, there’s no shortage of clubs that cater to someone’s music tastes, no matter the era.

      Speaking for 00s teens everywhere…just play the Cha Cha slide and we’ll come a-runnin.

      This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

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    3. Customer was leaving a cash tip until he saw what the angry server had already written on his $33 bill
      A restaurant customer looks at his bill – Canva
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      Customer was leaving a cash tip until he saw what the angry server had already written on his $33 bill

      “Learn to TIP. It’s not my job to serve you FOR FREE!”

      Adam Albright-Hanna

      Lionell Carr (@lionellsaidit2) stopped for breakfast while traveling over the holidays. His bill came to $33.06. He paid on the card, leaving the tip line blank because he planned to leave cash on the table. Before he could, the bill came back.

      Written on the receipt in bold red letters: “Learn to TIP. It’s not my job to serve you FOR FREE!”

      Carr posted a photo of it to Threads last December, with a caption that summed up his reaction: “On my holiday travels, I stopped and had breakfast. this occurred afterwards. I was gonna leave a cash tip……” He added, “These servers are out of control, a lot of times they blocked their blessings for greed!”

      https://www.threads.com/@lionellsaidit2/post/DSVChAokqSD

      The post has since pulled in 4.5 million views, according to Newsweek, and the comment section became exactly what you’d expect: a full-scale argument about one of the most reliably combustible topics in American public life.

      On one side, people who felt the server crossed a line. “If you’re not getting paid by your EMPLOYER, that’s your fault. Tipping is OPTIONAL,” wrote @gaga.looie. @trice_the_bea added, “U.S.A. should start learning how to pay its workers. Tips should be a reward for kind service, not their paycheck.”

      On the other, people who felt the server’s frustration was completely understandable given the economic reality behind it. “greed? in U.S. servers get a base salary of $2.13/hour on average,” wrote @lucy.vard. “The majority of the money they make is tips. We can argue that the system is broken, and restaurant owners should pay their employees, and, while valid, it’s a different point. This is how system works, and we shouldn’t punish people for the system’s imperfection.”

      Both responses capture something true, which is probably why this post keeps spreading.

      The structural reality is that the American tipping system puts servers and customers in an uncomfortable position that neither of them created. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of U.S. adults say they are being asked to tip in more places than five years ago. More Americans oppose businesses suggesting tip amounts (40%) than support it (24%). And 77% of diners say the quality of service is their primary factor in deciding how much to tip, which means a server’s income is perpetually attached to variables outside their control.

      That pressure is real. So is the frustration of a customer who genuinely intended to leave cash and got a lecture in red ink before he had the chance.

      What makes this story harder to resolve than it looks is that the server’s note wasn’t wrong about the economics. It was just aimed at the wrong person. The broken part of the system isn’t the customer who leaves cash instead of a card tip. It’s the system that pays servers $2.13 an hour and asks both parties to sort out the rest between themselves.

      @azjohnsons put it plainly in the comments: “Tips are their salary. Not a blessing. They worked and should be paid. Sorry for the frustrated note but I get it.”

      This article originally appeared earlier this year.

      Keep Reading →
    4. Too young to be a Boomer, too old to be Gen X: Meet the microgeneration ‘Generation Jones’
      Generation Jones is the microgeneration of people born from 1954 to 1965. – Image via Wikimedia Commons
      , ,

      Too young to be a Boomer, too old to be Gen X: Meet the microgeneration ‘Generation Jones’

      Generation Jones is made up of people born from 1954 to 1965.

      Annie Reneau

      Upworthy Staff

      Generational labels have become cultural identifiers. These include Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha. And each of these generations is defined by its unique characteristics, personalities and experiences that set them apart from other generations.

      But in-between these generational categories are “microgenerations”, who straddle the generation before and after them. For example, “Xennial” is the microgeneration name for those who fall on the cusp of Gen X and Millennials.

      And there is also a microgeneration between Baby Boomers and Gen X called Generation Jones, which is made up of people born from 1954 to 1965. But what exactly differentiates Gen Jones from the Boomers and Gen Xers that flank it?

      What is Generation Jones?

      “Generation Jones” was coined by writer, television producer and social commentator Jonathan Pontell to describe the decade of Americans who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s. As Pontell wrote of Gen Jonesers in Politico:

      “We fill the space between Woodstock and Lollapalooza, between the Paris student riots and the anti-globalisation protests, and between Dylan going electric and Nirvana going unplugged. Jonesers have a unique identity separate from Boomers and GenXers. An avalanche of attitudinal and behavioural data corroborates this distinction.”

      Pontell describes Jonesers as “practical idealists” who were “forged in the fires of social upheaval while too young to play a part.” They are the younger siblings of the boomer civil rights and anti-war activists who grew up witnessing and being moved by the passion of those movements but were met with a fatigued culture by the time they themselves came of age. Sometimes, they’re described as the cool older siblings of Gen X. Unlike their older boomer counterparts, most Jonesers were not raised by WWII veteran fathers and were too young to be drafted into Vietnam, leaving them in between on military experience.

      How did Generation Jones get its name?

      A Generation Jones teenager poses in her room.
      A Generation Jones teenager poses in her room. Image via Wikmedia Commons

      Gen Jones gets its name from the competitive “keeping up with the Joneses” spirit that spawned during their populous birth years, but also from the term “jonesin’,” meaning an intense craving, that they coined—a drug reference but also a reflection of the yearning to make a difference that their “unrequited idealism” left them with. According to Pontell, their competitiveness and identity as a “generation aching to act” may make Jonesers particularly effective leaders:

      “What makes us Jonesers also makes us uniquely positioned to bring about a new era in international affairs. Our practical idealism was created by witnessing the often unrealistic idealism of the 1960s. And we weren’t engaged in that era’s ideological battles; we were children playing with toys while boomers argued over issues. Our non-ideological pragmatism allows us to resolve intra-boomer skirmishes and to bridge that volatile Boomer-GenXer divide. We can lead.”

      @grownupdish

      Are you Generation Jones? Definitive Guide to Generation Jones https://grownupdish.com/the-definitive-guide-to-generation-jones/ #greenscreen #generationjones #babyboomer #generationx #GenX #over50 #over60 #1970s #midlife #middleage #midlifewomen #grownupdish #over50tiktok #over60women #over60tiktok #over60club

      ♬ 70’s, 80’s Retro R&B Disco(1465106) – Vlog Music Crafts

      However, generations aren’t just calculated by birth year but by a person’s cultural reality. Some on the cusp may find themselves identifying more with one generation than the other, such as being culturally more Gen X than boomer. And, of course, not everyone fits into whatever generality they happened to be born into, so stereotyping someone based on their birth year isn’t a wise practice. Knowing about these microgenerational differences, however, can help us understand certain sociological realities better as well as help people feel like they have a “home” in the generational discourse.

      As many Gen Jonesers have commented, it’s nice to “find your people” when you haven’t felt like you’ve fit into the generation you fall into by age. Perhaps in our fast-paced, ever-shifting, interconnected world where culture shifts so swiftly, we need to break generations into 10 year increments instead of 20 to 30 to give everyone a generation that better suits their sensibilities.

      This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

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    5. Mom stepped away from the bath for 3 seconds. Then her toddler said 5 words that made her sprint right back.
      Young siblings taking a bath – Photo credit: Canva
      , ,

      Mom stepped away from the bath for 3 seconds. Then her toddler said 5 words that made her sprint right back.

      She was gone for three seconds, but in the world of toddlers, that is apparently enough time to hold a full religious ceremony.

      Adam Albright-Hanna

      Every parent has a moment where they think: this is the one. This is how it ends. For Beth Moore, a mom of young children who shares her parenting life on Instagram as @bethgracemoore, that moment came during an otherwise ordinary bath time.

      She was bathing two of her kids together when she realized, mid-bath, that she had forgotten the towels. The linen closet was maybe five feet away. She made the call. “Before you come after me, I know that you were never supposed to step away from young children in the bathtub,” she said in the video, which she posted on January 6, 2026. “But at this point in time, I was home alone, I needed to walk the five feet for literally three seconds.”

      Those three seconds were all her three-year-old needed.

      From the hallway, she heard her son’s voice, clear and confident: “I’m going to baptize her in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Moore dropped everything. “You can imagine my horror,” she said.

      She ran back to find… her son solemnly dunking his doll underwater, over and over, presiding over a perfectly reverent tub baptism. Her younger child, sitting nearby, was watching the whole ceremony play out with complete calm. “She is just sitting there and she’s just watching the whole thing happen,” Moore said.

      “So moral of the story is don’t forget the towels,” she concluded.

      The video has pulled in over 45,800 views on Instagram, and the comment section is full of parents who felt this in their bones. “Mine got on the bed and fell down doing a flip, it was so scary! She was fine, but it happened in seconds!” wrote @byandreahusic. “This is hilarious but also so sweet,” added @lauras.lifejoy. “Why couldn’t God have made children move slower, because my goodness, do they do those things so fast?” said @laura.hagerbaumer.

      Beth Moore Instagram, toddler baptize bathtub, funny parenting moments, bath time toddler viral, mom bath time scare, toddler funny kids viral video, parenting Instagram 2026, bath safety toddlers, close call parenting, funny toddler stories
      Woman gives toddler a bath / Image via Canva

      Worth noting: Moore’s fear, while it turned out to be beautifully misplaced, is rooted in something real. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under 6 should never be left unattended in the bathtub, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has noted that bathtub drownings can happen quickly and silently, even in just a couple of inches of water. The CPSC’s specific guidance states that if you must leave, you should take the child with you. As Moore herself acknowledged, she knew the rule. She made a judgment call, and this time it worked out in the most wholesome way possible.

      But the reason this video keeps getting shared isn’t really about bath safety, or even about the perfectly executed toddler baptism. It’s about that specific kind of parenting terror that arrives before your brain has had a chance to work out what’s actually happening. The lurch in the stomach. The sprint down the hall. The absolutely unexpected relief.

      “There is nothing that can prepare you for the heart attacks that you will experience while raising toddlers,” Moore said at the top of the video.

      Forty-five thousand parents nodded.

      You can follow @bethgracemoore on Instagram for more parenting content.

      @doctor.bing

      Lesser known risk factors of drowning that everyone needs to know #brain #neurology #brainhealth #neurologist #drowning #water #safety #pool

      ♬ original sound – Dr. Bing, MD MPH
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    6. Hospice nurse reveals the ‘one sign’ that someone is going to die within 4 weeks
      A nurse explains how 'visioning' 3-4 weeks before death works. – Photo credit: via Canva Photos

      Hospice nurse reveals the ‘one sign’ that someone is going to die within 4 weeks

      Death is something, like it or not, we all must face. It’s the final mystery, and it’s totally normal to feel scared of the impending process. Experts say a few things can help, including using our fear to live a purposeful life and even making jokes, or using ‘gallows humor’. One bit of good news…

      Tod Perry

      Death is something, like it or not, we all must face. It’s the final mystery, and it’s totally normal to feel scared of the impending process. Experts say a few things can help, including using our fear to live a purposeful life and even making jokes, or using ‘gallows humor’. One bit of good news is that we tend to get a little bit less afraid of death as we age. But in general, it helps to not shy away from death completely. Learning and talking about it is actually a good thing.

      A new video by a hospice nurse shows an excellent reason for people to feel comfortable facing the unknown. Julie McFadden posts videos helping to demystify the dying process and bring comfort to people with a loved one in hospice care, or who may be dying themselves. Her profile reads, “Helping understand death to live better and die better.” McFadden is also the author of the bestselling book, “Nothing to Fear.”

      Hospice Nurse Julie has earned over half a million subscribers and has witnessed over a hundred deaths. In a recent video, she reveals that people are often comforted by friends and relatives who have passed away in their final days.

      She says that when people begin experiencing these visions, it’s a sign that they will be passing away within a few weeks.

      “Here’s one sign that someone is close to death that most people don’t believe happens,” Julie begins the video.


      [Video]

      “Usually a few weeks to a month before someone dies, if they’re on hospice, they will start seeing dead loved ones, dead relatives, dead pets. This happens so often that we actually put it in our educational packets that we give to patients and their families when they come on hospice so they aren’t surprised or scared when it happens,” she continues.

      The experience is called visioning

      “We don’t know why it happens, but we see it in definitely more than half of our patients,” she continues.

      People often believe that the visions are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. However, Julie says that isn’t true. “Because when it does happen, most people are alert and oriented and are at least a month from death, so they don’t have low oxygen,” she said.

      The good news is that the visioning experience is almost always comforting for those who are nearing the end.


      [Image]

      It often involves relatives who ‘come from the other side’ to let them know everything will be okay and encourage them to let go and pass away. People also experience being taken on journeys with loved ones or having sensory experiences from the past, such as smelling their grandmother’s perfume or father’s cigar.

      These visitors can also appear several at a time. Patients might report the room feeling ‘crowded’ like they are being joined by many people at once. It’s possible they may be visited by ‘spirits’ or people they don’t know, though that’s less common.

      Christopher Kerr, a CEO of Hospice & Palliative Care, an organization that provides palliative care in Buffalo, New York, says that the relatives that often appear in these visions are people who protected and comforted the dying parent when they were alive. So, they may see a parent who nurtured them but not one they feared.

      Kerr has extensively studied the mysterious phenomena that happen when people die but has no real explanation for why the visioning experience happens. “I have witnessed cases where what I was seeing was so profound, and the meaning for the patient was so clear and precise, that I almost felt like an intruder,” he told BBC Brazil. “And trying to decipher the etiology, the cause, seemed futile. I concluded that it was simply important to have reverence, that the fact that I could not explain the origin and process did not invalidate the experience for the patient.”

      In a more in-depth video, Hospice Nurse Julie shares a real video of a dying woman experience visioning. It’s extremely powerful:



      Again, experts agree that once your loved one begins experiencing these visions, it’s likely that they will pass on in the next 3-4 weeks. Remember that they are not a symptom to be treated or a concern to be addressed, as long as they aren’t causing distress. They are simply a comforting sign of things to come.

      It’s comforting to know that for many, the final days of life may not be filled with pain and fear but instead with a sense of peace and joy. While we may never fully understand the reasons behind these mysterious visions, if they bring calm during such a daunting time, we can simply be grateful for their presence. They’re kind of like life, in general. In the end, we may not really know what it was all about, but we can be happy that it happened.

      This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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