ScienceDaily: Society - April 23, 2024
Top society research news
Eye-opener: Pupils enlarge when people focus on tasks
Normally, a person's pupils naturally widen (or dilate) in low-light environments to allow more light into the eye. However, in a new study, researchers reported that a person's pupils also dilate when they are concentrating on tasks. In particular, they found that the more a person's eyes dilated during the task, the better they did on tests measuring their working memory.
Life goals and their changes drive success
Though life goals change over time, a study of teen goals indicates that goals of education and high prestige can drive success.
Social programs save millions of lives, especially in times of crisis
Primary health care, conditional cash transfers and social pensions have prevented 1.4 million deaths of all ages in Brazil over the past two decades, according to a new study. If expanded, these programs could avert an additional 1.3 million deaths and 6.6 million hospitalizations by 2030.
The biggest barrier to a vibrant second-hand EV market? Price
As early adopters of electric vehicles (EVs) trade up for the latest models, the used EV market is beginning to mature in the United States. Yet many potential buyers, particularly low-income drivers, are skeptical of EV's conveniences and are put off by the price.
How reflecting on gratitude received from family can make you a better leader
New research shows that leaders who take the time to reflect on receiving gratitude from family members can enhance their leadership effectiveness in the office.
Climate change will increase value of residential rooftop solar panels across US, study shows
Climate change will increase the future value of residential rooftop solar panels across the United States by up to 19% by the end of the century, according to a new study.
One third of China's urban population at risk of city sinking, new satellite data shows
Land subsidence is overlooked as a hazard in cities, according to new research. Scientists used satellite data that accurately and consistently maps land movement across China.
Image: Shanghai, China city skyline, Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com
Data-driven music: Converting climate measurements into music
A geo-environmental scientist from Japan has composed a string quartet using sonified climate data. The 6-minute-long composition -- entitled 'String Quartet No. 1 'Polar Energy Budget'-- is based on over 30 years of satellite-collected climate data from the Arctic and Antarctic and aims to garner attention on how climate is driven by the input and output of energy at the poles.
More sustainability in global agricultural trade
The EU wants to ensure greater sustainability in agricultural trade with the Global South -- with the aim of minimizing the environmental and climate-damaging effects of importing crops such as soya, palm oil, coffee, and cocoa. However, this aspiration is often not fulfilled in practice. Researchers have developed a new approach to identifying options for the sustainable trade of agricultural products. This approach requires a refined analysis that shows how relevant the individual products are for the EU and the country of origin and what leverage effect they have. The researchers found that over 80% of the land deforested for EU production is used to grow soya, palm oil, cocoa, and coffee.
New data identifies trends in accidental opioid overdoses in children
The US saw a 22% decline in rates of prescription-opioid overdose related emergency department (ED) visits in children 17 and younger between 2008 and 2019, but an uptick in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study. The authors also note that rates of pediatric opioid overdoses remain high in many populations.
Even if CO2 emissions were to be drastically cut down starting today, the world economy is already committed to an income reduction of 19% until 2050 due to climate change, a new study finds. These damages are six times larger than the mitigation costs needed to limit global warming to two degrees. Based on empirical data from more than 1,600 regions worldwide over the past 40 years, scientists assessed future impacts of changing climatic conditions on economic growth and their persistence.
Substantial global cost of climate inaction
Pioneering study reveals that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could reduce the global economic costs of climate change by two thirds. If warming continues to 3 degrees Celsius, global GDP will decrease by up to 10 percent -- with the worst impacts in less developed countries.
Scientists have developed a framework for measuring plastic emissions akin to the global standard for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. The approach boosts identification of the biggest contributors to plastic pollution from local to national levels and could help improve strategies in reducing emissions worldwide if incorporated into a global agreement on plastic pollution. Using Toronto as a model, the researchers estimated that in one year alone, Toronto emitted nearly 4,000 tonnes of plastic pollution.
Gender stereotypes in schools impact on girls and boys with mental health difficulties, study finds
Gender stereotypes mean that girls can be celebrated for their emotional openness and maturity in school, while boys are seen as likely to mask their emotional distress through silence or disruptive behaviors, according to a recent study.
Study reveals how humanity could unite to address global challenges
New research has found that perceptions of globally shared life experiences and globally shared biology can strengthen psychological bonding with humanity at large, which can motivate prosocial action on a global scale and help to tackle global problems.
Fires pose growing worldwide threat to wildland-urban interface
Fires that devastate wildland-urban interface areas are becoming more common around the globe, a trend that is likely to continue for at least the next two decades, new research finds. Such fires are especially dangerous, both because they imperil large numbers of people and because they emit far more toxins than forest and grassland fires.
Florida Wildlife Corridor eases worst impacts of climate change
Florida is projected to lose 3.5 million acres of land to development by 2070. A new study highlights how Florida can buffer itself against both climate change and population pressures by conserving the remaining 8 million acres of 'opportunity areas' within the Florida Wildlife Corridor (FLWC), the only designated statewide corridor in the U.S. Interactions between the FLWC and climate change had not been previously examined until now. Findings show substantial climate resilience benefits from the corridor, yielding a much higher return on investment than originally thought. About 90 percent of Floridians live within 20 miles of the corridor.
Most countries struggle to meet climate pledges from 2009
Nineteen out of 34 countries surveyed failed to fully meet their 2020 climate commitments set 15 years ago in Copenhagen, according to a new study by UCL researchers.
Global North energy outsourcing demands more attention
Manufacturing nations in the Global North are stockpiling energy and emission problems by outsourcing energy-intensive industrial processes to countries in the Global South.
How trauma gets 'under the skin'
A study has shown that traumatic experiences during childhood may get 'under the skin' later in life, impairing the muscle function of people as they age.