It’s probably happened to you a few times. You find yourself walking along an empty, fluorescent-lit corridor that feels a little off or wandering around a mostly defunct mall near closing time, the kind with water-stained ceiling tiles and hollowed-out shopping spaces. These places aren’t inherently scary, yet something in your brain is yelling at you to GET OUT! These are liminal spaces, physical transition zones that can feel detached from reality. Whether it’s at an empty airport, office building, or convention center lobby, these desolate locations have the power to both draw you in and weird you out. And now, liminal spaces are getting the big-screen treatment with the release of the new A24 horror film Backrooms, a phenomenon born from a random 2019 internet post and built into a wild mythology by a teenage filmmaker. But why do these barren, transitional environments evoke such profound unease in us, and why are we so desperate to experience them in real life and at the movies? From message board post to box-office terror Plenty of filmmakers like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick have layered liminal horror into their movies, but the current obsession with these spaces didn’t start in Hollywood. The “Backrooms” began with a single, anonymous internet post. Under a prompt asking for “disquieting images that just feel off,” a 4Chan user reuploaded an image of a sickly yellow and empty office space that had floated around message boards for years. The caption described “the Backrooms” as an endless labyrinth of randomly segmented rooms, adorned with buzzing fluorescent lights and damp carpets. Internet sleuths eventually traced the original image back to a 2002 digital photo of a vacant furniture store in Wisconsin that was under renovation. Popular Internet meme known as “The Backrooms.” Credit: Bill Magritz/Wikimedia Commons What started as an online urban legend, or “creepypasta,” truly exploded when teenager Kane Parsons began dramatizing the concept with a series of hyper-realistic YouTube shorts. His “found footage” style videos sparked imaginations and amassed over 200 million views, transforming a niche internet aesthetic into a mainstream cultural moment. Parsons is now the youngest director to helm a major motion picture at age 19, complete with Oscar-nominated actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in the lead roles. So, what is Backrooms tapping into that makes us want to see more? ‘Where U @?’ or the neuroscience of ambiguity and transition While filmmakers have tapped into elements of this aesthetic for decades, psychologists and neuroscientists are weighing in on our fascination with liminal spaces. According to insights published in Psychology Today by environmental design researcher Meredith Banasiak, our brains are hardwired to notice and react to liminal spaces because our neurological framework for memory is structured around changes in space, time, and events. Meanwhile, liminal areas like hallways and stairwells are designed spatially to get you from where you’re coming from to where you’re going; they’re purely transitional, yet our brains heavily rely on changes in spatial boundaries to organize information. An empty office. Credit: Ged Carroll/Wikimedia Commons This is where studies on the “Doorway Effect” provide a deeper insight, as they show that we are significantly more likely to forget an item or lose our train of thought right after passing through a doorway. The threshold signals the brain to wipe its immediate context of where you were and update its software for the new environment you find yourself in. The experiences you have in your kitchen, for instance, are distinct from those you have in a bedroom, and it’s the in-between where things can start to feel weird. Within a liminal space like those seen in the Backrooms, the transitional threshold feels infinitely stretched. They appear featureless and devoid of “context cues” that tell you where you are. In an environment where each corridor looks identical, our brain struggles to separate experiences into distinct memories. In your mind, everything begins to morph and bleed together, mimicking how our remembrances can blend when under stress. Without distinct landmarks to inform decision-making, the brain’s ability to scenario-plan and predict what’s ahead short-circuits, tricking us into a state of hypervigilance. An empty parking garage. Credit: Miles Milhouse/Wikimedia Commons So, it begs the question: If being inside a liminal space can feel scary or wrong, why might you love the idea of being scared silly at a screening of Backrooms this weekend? It all comes down to understanding your environment. If you are surrounded by friends and fellow moviegoers inside a darkened cineplex, it adds a layer of safety because, even though the movie might be frightening, you know you’re going to come out on the other side. The post ‘Backrooms’: How a surprisingly unsettling 2019 post led to one of 2026’s most anticipated films appeared first on Upworthy.

Dr. Jeremy London (@drjeremylondon) is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon based in Savannah, Georgia. He repairs damaged blood vessels, performs bypass surgery for clogged arteries, and operates on hearts that have been worn down by years of accumulated damage. “That didn’t happen overnight in most people,” he told TODAY. “It’s an accumulation of a chronic process.” That context informs everything on his personal avoid list, which he shared in a TikTok that has racked up over three million views. @drjeremylondon 4 foods that I absolutely avoid as a cardiac surgeon #doctor #surgeon #heartdoctor #heartattack #fypツ ♬ original sound – Dr. Jeremy London, MD Fast food “Well, the name says it all,” London says in the video. “Most of what’s available in fast food chains is edible food product. It’s not even real food.” A 2017 article in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine backed this up, noting that fast food typically delivers high calories with minimal nutrients and often contains synthetic ingredients and chemical additives. Soft drinks Both diet and regular. His summary: “Liquid death. Don’t drink them.” Regular sodas are loaded with sugar linked to obesity and metabolic disease. Diet versions aren’t necessarily better, with research linking artificial sweeteners to changes in gut bacteria and metabolic response. Dairy products This is where the comments got heated. London’s argument: “We are the only mammals that drink milk outside of infancy and we drink it from a different species.” It’s a point that gets raised often in nutrition debates, but it’s worth noting that the science on dairy is genuinely mixed. Many studies show dairy consumption is associated with bone health and doesn’t significantly increase cardiovascular risk. London’s take is his personal preference, not a settled scientific consensus. Alcohol This one has the most research behind it. “Alcohol is toxic to every cell in our bodies, even moderate or occasional use is, in fact, detrimental,” London says. In a separate TikTok explaining the mechanism, he laid out exactly why. When alcohol is absorbed and metabolized in the liver, it converts immediately to acetaldehyde, which damages proteins, DNA, and lipid cells while triggering inflammation. The body then converts it to acetate, which sounds like progress, but the body prioritizes acetate as an energy source, suppressing fat metabolism and increasing fat storage. “This is why moderate alcohol use results in increased abdominal fat, which we know is a risk factor for heart disease,” London explained. @drjeremylondon Why alcohol is so toxic to our bodies #doctor #surgeon #hearthealth #alcohol #fypツ ♬ original sound – Dr. Jeremy London, MD The comment section split predictably. The fast food and soda claims got little pushback. Alcohol got mixed reactions from people who weren’t ready to give it up. The dairy claim provoked the most debate, with one commenter pointing out that humans have been consuming milk products for thousands of years, and another firing back: “We’re the only species that went to space.” London’s broader point is about whole foods and conscious choices. “If I can eat whole foods 80% of the time, that’s a win for me. And I think that’s reasonable.” The four things he avoids are the things he sees as offering essentially no upside against documented health risks. He’s seen what those risks look like from the inside. That tends to focus the mind. You can follow Dr. Jeremy London (@drjeremylondon) on TikTok and YouTube for more health-related and lifestyle content.  The post A cardiac surgeon listed four things he never eats. One of them surprised everyone. appeared first on Upworthy.

Generation X occupies an interesting place in the generational timeline. They came after the Baby Boomers, who were raised predominantly in homes with stay-at-home mothers, and Millennials, who are known for having helicopter-style parents that are overly involved in their lives. Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980, were raised in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s, when it became more common for both parents to work, divorce rates were at an all-time high, and many kids took care of themselves before and after school. This unique set of circumstances made GenXers the “last parented generation” in recent history. How did Gen X kids survive? Some call Gen Xers “Gen Goonie” because the bike-riding, adventurous feral youngsters in the film embody the spirit of the time. In hindsight, growing up a Gen Xer was a lot of fun. However, younger folks might think that the free-wheeling, come home when the streetlights come on, latchkey-kid lifestyle may have been dangerous, especially since Gen X grew up in an era where crime was at an all-time high.  This prompted Crazy Vibes, a popular X handle, to ask how Gen Xers made it to adulthood alive. “I’ve been watching 80s movies, and I just need to know…WHERE WERE YOUR PARENTS?” they asked. “No cell phones. No helmets. No adult supervision. Just vibes, life lessons, and several near-death experiences. You all weren’t ‘raised.’ You were lightly monitored feral creatures with a bike and unresolved trauma. I’m genuinely shocked there are enough of you left to populate an entire generation.” Dear Gen X, I’ve been watching 80s movies and I just need to know…WHERE WERE YOUR PARENTS?? Every child was just wandering the earth unsupervised like a raccoon with house keys. Riding bikes across town at midnight, fighting ghosts, investigating murders, befriending cryptids,…— Crazy Vibes (@CrazyVibes_1) May 26, 2026 Some Gen Xers responded to the prompt with a little more information on the parenting philosophy, or lack thereof, that the generation was raised under. The funny thing is that nobody from that era has a problem with it; they loved the laissez-faire attitude of the era. Yup. Gen X childhood was basically:“Be home when the streetlights come on.”That was the entire tracking system.No phones. No helmets. No supervision.Just bikes, bad decisions, and surviving situations that would trigger a modern neighborhood Facebook group for six straight…— SAMX (@backrowthinker) May 26, 2026 Yes. It was a glorious time to be alive. An unmatched childhood… that no one can understand unless they lived it pic.twitter.com/Tw7GiWcovr— Tesla Barbarian (@TeslaBarbarian) May 26, 2026 Our parents had one rule: “Be home before the street lights come on.” After that, we were basically an unsupervised National Geographic special on BMX bikes — CarePath FINANCIAL (@CarePathFIN) May 26, 2026 Gen Xers got their kicks running (or biking or roller skating) in the great outdoors and on the streets. Being grounded meant that there was little to do besides watching Brady Bunch reruns.  Also when I was growing up “being grounded” was REAL punishment because there was absolutely nothing fun to do at home.— Kathy Glista (@kathy_glista) May 26, 2026 Yes, it was dangerous. But Gen X knew how to take a licking and keep on ticking. In 1979 Game of Death Came out I was 9. The next day all my friends came outside with home made nunchucks and we proceeded to beat the crap out of eachother with them. Peak GEN X shit. pic.twitter.com/xoVkxKsIvw— David in L.A. (@RealLAnative) May 27, 2026 You know that when the internet stops working one day, Gen X is all you got left to help you survive…— MontgomeryB. (@_MontyBurnham_) May 26, 2026 In the pre-everyone-has-a-water-bottle era, the hose staved off fatal dehydration. hose water has remarkable restorative powers.— el gato malo (@boriquagato) May 27, 2026 Gen X grew up in dangerous times Some folks look at the ‘70s and ‘80s through rose-colored glasses, saying it was safer than today, so people let their kids roam free. However, that isn’t the case at all. These days, you may see every crime on the Internet or the news, but crime was much worse in the ‘80s and early ’90s. The country was simply safer then. You could count on your kid to make it home before the streets lights came on and we traveled in packs exploring and just having adventure after adventure. We didn't have as many violent hate filled people (foreign and domestic) as we do now.— RavenousLioness (@De43189Ready) May 26, 2026 Actually, the country was far more dangerous back then. The sad thing is now it’s actually much safer, but kids are kept inside.— Alex Eckelberry (@alexeck) May 26, 2026 That's not true at all child abductions were actually higher in the mid '80s than they are now. It's just that you never heard about it because there wasn't social media and network TV, there was only local channels and newspapers. pic.twitter.com/JdgXx8N7AJ—

A man lost his dog Mayo in his divorce. His ex got custody. For a while it was okay because she’d call him when she went out of town and he’d look after Mayo for a few days. But eventually he got tired of being used as convenient dog-sitting, and he said no. Mayo was about five years old the last time they saw each other. Ten years passed. Then his ex called again, this time not to ask a favor. Mayo had cancer. He was dying. She thought the man might want to see him. A happy dog gets some pets from its owner. Photo credit: Canva He did. The problem, according to the story shared on Threads by Uncle B (@bankole_oluremi), was that Mayo was now 15 years old, hadn’t seen this man in a decade, and wasn’t exactly friendly with strangers anymore. The ex was genuinely worried the dog might attack him. When the man found Mayo in the backyard, the dog gave a low growl. Right on schedule. Then the man did a whistle. The same signature whistle he’d used with Mayo throughout the years they’d lived together. The growling stopped. A man plays fetch with his dog. Photo credit: Canva Mayo recognized him. A 15-year-old dog who hadn’t heard that sound in ten years, sick with cancer, recognized the specific whistle of the person who used to be his person. He walked over and put his head in the man’s lap. They sat together in silence for a while. The science behind this isn’t really surprising, even if the story feels like it should be. Dogs don’t forget the people who matter to them. They just don’t. A University of Padua study found that dogs use facial recognition, smell, and hearing together to identify their owners. Their sense of smell is roughly 40 times stronger than a human’s, with up to 300 million olfactory receptors compared to our 6 million. The olfactory bulb in a dog’s brain connects directly to the hippocampus and amygdala, the same areas that handle long-term memory and emotion. Dogs also experience what researchers call episodic-like memory. They don’t just remember who you are. They remember how you made them feel. That emotional imprint doesn’t fade the way short-term memory does. When dogs see or smell someone they’re bonded to, their brains release oxytocin, the same bonding hormone that connects mothers and infants. To a dog, your presence isn’t just familiar. It’s deeply comforting in a way that apparently survives a decade of absence and a terminal illness. Mayo was already well past the typical Samoyed lifespan of 12 to 14 years when this happened. He was old and sick and had spent the last decade without the person who used to whistle for him. And still, the moment he heard it, he knew. The post has over 7,000 likes on Threads. The comments are full of people sharing their own versions of the same story. One person wrote about a rescue dog who would cry every time they drove past the pound she’d been adopted from, years after the fact. Another shared that David Attenborough has said he wants his dog brought to him when he’s dying so the dog doesn’t think he simply abandoned him by disappearing. Dogs remember. They just don’t have a way to tell you that until you walk back into the yard and do the whistle. The post The question every dog owner dreads: How long before your dog forgets you? One man found out. appeared first on Upworthy.

At this point, the science of pets is well-known. Petting a dog or cuddling a cat increases oxytocin in your brain, the hormone associated with love, belonging, and connection. Just a few minutes of petting a dog can calm and soothe you, lower blood pressure, and decrease stress. But why should dogs and cats get all the love? There are lots of gentle, loving animals out there that love cuddles and offer plenty of mental and physical health benefits when you cozy up to them. One animal, in particular, is getting its moment on social media right now. Why cuddling cows is a mental health secret weapon No disrespect to dogs and cats, but the humble cow has a lot to offer as a cuddle buddy. Cats are highly independent and temperamental. While the gentle vibrations of their purrs can be incredibly soothing, they can just as easily decide that cuddling time is over and end the session abruptly. That’s if they even agree to it in the first place. Dogs, on the other hand, are often incredibly loving and affectionate but also energetic and playful. Outside of senior dogs, they sometimes have trouble staying still and resisting the urge to lick your face. Both are also, with a few exceptions, relatively small compared to the average human. Cows are slow-moving, calm, gentle, and comparatively gigantic. Psychology Today says their “slow, deliberate movements…can have a soothing effect on people.” Their size, and the fact that cow cuddling often takes place outdoors on a farm, creates an incredible feeling of safety in many people. That’s why cow cuddling has become a popular therapeutic choice for people suffering from serious emotional trauma. And when you consider the fact that dairy cows can have a resting heart rate as low as 48 beats per minute, which is dramatically slower than cats, dogs, and humans, it’s no surprise calmness practically radiates out of them. Their ability to reduce anxiety has even be scientifically studied. Cow cuddling trend goes viral Google Trends shows virtually no interest in “cow cuddling” until an explosion in the last couple of years. Now, everywhere you look on social media—Instagram, TikTok, even LinkedIn—real people are traveling to animal sanctuaries to try it for themselves. If there’s a downside to snuggling cows, it’s that it usually can’t be done from the comfort of your own home. You’ll have to travel and arrange a time, but getting out into the fields with these bovines is part of the appeal for many. Wellness and fitness expert Courtney Confare shared about her cow cuddling trip on LinkedIn, writing, “When you’re physically close to one – touching them, sitting with them – your nervous system picks up on that slower rhythm and begins to mirror it. Heart rate drops. Cortisol drops. The body shifts out of fight-or-flight without you doing anything consciously.” Kaylee Andrew, an Instagram influencer with over 300 thousand followers, said her day spent at the cow sanctuary was “the best” day of her life. View this post on Instagram Cow cuddling has international roots People have been raising cows for milk and beef for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that humans realized brushing, hugging, and petting cows could be just as helpful as farming them. Cow cuddling originally hails from the Netherlands, where it’s known as “koe knuffelen.” Most reports agree the practice originated in the early 2000s. Fittingly enough, cow cuddling began to grow internationally sometime during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hugging your friends and family was off limits for many people and many were in dire need of a mental health boost. Owners of farm animal sanctuaries say that cow cuddling is good for the cows, too, when done ethically. The best farms do not force the cows to cuddle or interact with people, but many cows are more than eager to. Visitors often walk away with a greater appreciation of the sensitivity and intelligence of these animals. The post The Dutch practice of ‘cow cuddling’ may lower stress and boost mindfulness appeared first on Upworthy.