ScienceDaily: Society - April 29, 2025
Top society research news
How to break through climate apathy
A new study finds that presenting the same continuous climate data, such as incremental changes in temperature, in binary form -- such as whether a lake did or did not freeze in the winter -- significantly increases people's ability to see the impact of climate change.
Global survey highlights the challenges of VR-haptic technology in dental education
A recent global survey of 156 institutions reveals strong interest in VR-haptic technology for dental training, yet significant barriers impede widespread adoption.
Awkward. Humans are still better than AI at reading the room
Humans are better than current AI models at interpreting social interactions and understanding social dynamics in moving scenes. Researchers believe this is because AI neural networks were inspired by the infrastructure of the part of the brain that processes static images, which is different from the area of the brain that processes dynamic social scenes.
Finding 'win-win-wins' for climate, economics and justice
In examining how different countries have rolled out climate change mitigation strategies, research has found reasons to be optimistic about preserving our environment while promoting prosperity and well-being.
Making AI-generated code more accurate in any language
Researchers developed a more efficient way to control the outputs of a large language model, guiding it to generate text that adheres to a certain structure, like a programming language, and remains error free.
Monkey database reveals shift towards open science
A database about monkey behavior reveals how science is evolving towards a more open, collaborative approach.
Could seismic signals from earthquakes mask the signals of an underground explosion?
Could the seismic signal of an underground nuclear test explosion be 'hidden' by the signal generated by a natural earthquake?
What happens in the brain when your mind blanks
Mind blanking is a common experience with a wide variety of definitions ranging from feeling 'drowsy' to 'a complete absence of conscious awareness.' Neuroscientists and philosophers compile what we know about mind blanking, including insights from their own work observing people's brain activity.
Skeletal evidence of Roman gladiator bitten by lion in combat
Bite marks found on a skeleton discovered in a Roman cemetery in York have revealed the first archaeological evidence of gladiatorial combat between a human and a lion.
Paying fishers to release endangered catches can aid conservation, but only if done right
A new study has revealed that an incentive program increased live releases of endangered species caught as bycatch. However, unexpectedly, the overall positive impact was reduced by some vessels increasing catches of these species. The study is a randomized controlled trial to conclusively assess the effectiveness of an incentive-based marine conservation program.
By 15 months, infants begin to learn new words for objects, even those they've never seen
A new study by developmental scientists offers the first evidence that infants as young as 15 months can identify an object they have learned about from listening to language -- even if the object remains hidden.
London's low emission zones save lives and money
Study finds a 18.5% reduction in sick leave following LEZ implementation in Greater London compared to areas in England without low emission zones.
Family dynamics shape body image differently across cultures
Body appreciation differs between Middle-Eastern and Western societies, a new international study can reveal, highlighting how cultural and family influences shape body image and eating behaviors in young women. The study surveyed over 850 women aged 18-25 in Australia and Lebanon, examining the roles that mothers and sisters play in shaping body dissatisfaction, body appreciation, and eating patterns.
World on course to trigger multiple climate 'tipping points' unless action accelerates
Multiple climate 'tipping points' are likely to be triggered if global policies stay on their current course, new research shows.
Current AI risks more alarming than apocalyptic future scenarios
Most people generally are more concerned about the immediate risks of artificial intelligence than they are about a theoretical future in which AI threatens humanity. A new study reveals that respondents draw clear distinctions between abstract scenarios and specific tangible problems and particularly take the latter very seriously.
Scientific path to recouping the costs of climate change
A new study lays out a scientific framework for holding individual fossil fuel companies liable for the costs of climate change by tracing specific damages back to their emissions. The researchers use the tool to provide the first causal estimate of economic losses due to extreme heat driven by emissions. They report that carbon dioxide and methane output from just 111 companies cost the world economy $28 trillion from 1991 to 2020, with the five top-emitting firms linked to $9 trillion of those losses.
Using ChatGPT, students might pass a course, but with a cost
With the assumption that students are going to use artificial intelligence and large language models such as ChatGPT to do their homework, researchers set out to learn how well the free version of ChatGPT would compare with human students in a semester-long undergraduate control systems course.
Adolescents who sleep longer perform better at cognitive tasks
Adolescents who sleep for longer -- and from an earlier bedtime -- than their peers tend to have improved brain function and perform better at cognitive tests, researchers have shown. But the study of adolescents in the US also showed that even those with better sleeping habits were not reaching the amount of sleep recommended for their age group.
Listeners use gestures to predict upcoming words
In face-to-face conversations, speakers use hand movements to signal meaning. But do listeners actually use these gestures to predict what someone might say next? In a study using virtual avatars, scientists show that listeners used the avatar's gestures to predict upcoming speech. Both behavioral and EEG data indicated that hand gestures facilitate language processing, illustrating the multimodal nature of human communication.
Temporary anxiety impacts learning
Researchers found that a brief episode of anxiety may have a bigger influence on a person's ability to learn what is safe and what is not. A new study used a virtual reality game that involved picking flowers with bees in some of the blossoms that would 'sting' the participant, simulated by a mild electrical stimulation on the hand. Researchers discovered that temporary feelings of anxiety had the biggest impact on whether participants could learn to distinguish between the safe and dangerous areas, where the bees were and were not, not a person's general tendency to feel anxious.