[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Porsche Chick

The thing that keeps coming to mind for me is: What part of "don't walk into traffic" did the kid not get? This is a basic concept that 3 year olds are taught.

The part that involves the science of brain imaging:

Brain maturation doesn’t end in adolescence, though. Imaging studies show the brain is still maturing well into the mid-20s, especially in regions responsible for regulating emotions, controlling impulses, and balancing risk and reward. Psychologists draw a distinction between “cold” cognition (when we are thinking about something that doesn’t have much emotional content, such as how to solve an algebra problem) and “hot” cognition (when we are thinking about something that can make us feel exuberant or excited, angry or depressed, such as whether to go joyriding with friends or throw a punch at someone who insulted a girlfriend). The systems of the brain responsible for cold cognition are mature by age 16. But the systems that control hot cognition aren’t — they are still developing well into the 20s.