There's little doubt that Mei Xiang is a thoroughly modern mother, what with the fertility treatments and 24/7 video baby monitor and all. But if you need one more piece of evidence that the giant panda of the National Zoo in Washington is perfectly on trend, consider the process for naming her new cub: The anonymous masses of the Internet will decide.
On the National Zoo's website, people cast ballots for one of five names for the young panda, who is growing fuzzier every day. Voting closed Friday Nov. 22 — according to the zoo, around 100,000 people have weighed in — and the cub's name will be announced on Dec. 1., when she is 100 days old.
But it's not just panda names. Expectant human parents, too, no longer only consult with close friends and family members about potential names anymore — in fact, they may deliberately cut those folks out of the conversation to avoid undue influence and judgment. Instead, they ask the people of the Internet. And the people of the Internet know everything. About everything.