Many people have noticed an uptick in feeling like something is just on the tip of their tongue, but their brain is unable to grasp it. Brain fog and an increased difficulty to concentrating long enough to problem solve are also anecdotally on the rise. If you've ever felt like this, you're not alone. According to a neurologist, Dr. Arif Khan, people around the globe are experiencing more difficulty thinking than they did in the past, and he knows why.

We're constantly thinking throughout our days, but more complex thought seems to be taking a toll in more recent years. Sometimes, asking your brain to think critically feels the same as asking it to turn you into a car—just impossible. But, thankfully, Khan knows why.

Deep in thought, trying to find the right answer.Photo credit: Canva

The neurologist starts his video by asking about the last time you had to think without using Google or AI to help with the answer. "Something subtle is happening to your brain, and most of us do not realize it until it has already changed how we think," he says. "You started a sentence, and auto-complete finished it. You had a question, and the answer appeared instantly. You needed to decide, and a tool did it for you instantly, and you probably did not even notice this. But here's a thing most people do not realize: that tiny pause, that moment where your brain used to think, is slowly disappearing."

This pause when your brain buffers to flip through the archive of information stored deep within it, is no longer being utilized. It may not occur to people that they're training their brains not to think. Khan explains that when people quickly move beyond the pause to pick up their phone to have the answer provided, the brain adapts. This adaptation is creating a reflex to bypass the thinking process, staying in line with the brain's goal of efficiency.

Khan says, "If a task gets handled for you, your brain does not resist. It relaxes. Sounds helpful, right? But here's what most people miss: the brain strengthens when it's used, and it weakens when it is not. That is not philosophy, that is neuroscience. When you struggle to remember something, memory circuits fire. When you solve something, your prefrontal cortex activates. When you sit with uncertainty, your brain builds resilience. But when answers arrive instantly, when decisions are made for you, your brain quietly steps back."

Khan goes on to say that the process isn't abrupt, so many do not feel like they're having trouble thinking—but there are signs. With the increased use of AI and search engines for quick answers, Khan shares that people may notice they become easily frustrated with not getting the answer quickly. He also explains that people start becoming increasingly uncomfortable with thinking things through, causing them to reach for information tools much faster than in previous years.

Pensive moments during study time.Photo credit: Canva

Search engines that bring information to the fingertips of millions in seconds has made the pastime of wondering obsolete. If someone becomes curious about something, they simply ask Alexa or Siri without even having to stop the task at hand. This action has become reflexive for most people, which decreases trust in one's ability and lowers confidence, according to Khan. He advises that people should instead practice becoming comfortable with the discomfort that comes with not knowing. Sitting in that pause and thinking things through before using an information tool can help rebuild the deep thinking part of the brain.

Khan encourages people to use AI as a collaborator, not a replacement for thinking, by allowing 10 seconds to think first. This simple pause can make the difference in maintaining the brain's capacity to confidently think without the input of a search engine.

Ribal Zebian, a student from the city of London in Ontario, Canada, already made headlines last year when he built an electric car out of wood and earned a $120,000 scholarship from it. Now, he's in the news again for something a little different. Concerned with homelessness in his hometown, Zebian got to work creating a different kind of affordable housing made from fiberglass material. In fact, he’s so confident in his idea that the 18-year-old plans on living in it for a year to test it out himself.

Currently an engineering student at Western University, Zebian was concerned by both the rising population of the unhoused in his community and the rising cost of housing overall. With that in mind, he conjured up a blueprint for a modular home that would help address both problems.

Zebian’s version of a modular home would be made of fiberglass panels and thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam. He chose those materials because he believes they can make a sturdy dwelling in a short amount of time—specifically in just a single day.

“With fiberglass you can make extravagant molds, and you can replicate those,” Zebian told CTV News. “It can be duplicated. And for our roofing system, we’re not using the traditional truss method. We’re using actually an insulated core PET foam that supports the structure and structural integrity of the roof.”

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Zebian also believes these homes don’t have to be purely utilitarian—they can also offer attractive design and customizable features to make them personal and appealing.

“Essentially, what I’m trying to do is bring a home to the public that could be built in one day, is affordable, and still carries some architecturally striking features,” he said to the London Free Press. “We don’t want to be bringing a house to Canadians that is just boxy and that not much thought was put into it.”

Beginning in May 2026, Zebian is putting his modular home prototype to the test by living inside of a unit for a full year with the hope of working out any and all kinks before approaching manufacturers.

“We want to see if we can make it through all four seasons- summer, winter, spring, and fall,” said Zebian. “But that’s not the only thing. When you live in something that long and use it, you can notice every single mistake and error, and you can optimize for the best experience.”

While Zebian knows that his modular homes aren't a long-term solution to either the homeless or housing crisis, he believes they could provide an inexpensive option to help people get the shelter they need until certain policies are reformed so the unhoused can find affordable permanent dwellings.

What to buy for the homeless at the grocery store. 🛒 Most people get it wrong. After being there myself, these are the survival items that actually matter 💯 The 2nd to last........

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