The last good day on the internet

Main Topic: The Dress and Everything After, a podcast episode that explores the viral phenomenon of the blue and gold dress controversy in 2015 and how it reflects the changing nature of the internet and human perception.

Key Points:

1. The episode starts with a staffer at BuzzFeed writing about a viral controversy over a dress that some people saw as blue and black, while others saw as white and gold.
2. The dress became a turning point in internet culture, sparking a massive debate and fascination with human perception and how our brains make decisions about what we're seeing.
3. Science journalist Brian Resnick explains that the dress was a crappy photo, and our brains make assumptions about the quality of light that's falling on it, leading to different perceptions.
4. A study found that early risers (morning birds) tended to see white and gold, while night owls (people who stay up late) saw black and blue.
5. The episode also explores how the internet has changed since 2015, with Charlie Warzel from The Atlantic discussing how social media companies like Facebook and Twitter have shifted from connecting people to fragmenting communities.
6. Warzel argues that the internet has become more toxic, with people using online platforms to argue and debate in a way that's not civil or fun.
7. The episode concludes that the days of a central cultural event that brings people together are past us, and that the internet will only become more siloed in the future.