ScienceDaily: Society - August 06, 2024
Top society research news
Ultrafine particles linked to over 1,000 deaths per year in Canada's two largest cities
A new study conducted in Canada's two largest cities has linked about 1,100 premature deaths per year to an unregulated air pollutant. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) primarily come from vehicle emissions and industrial activities. Canada's federal and provincial governments have not set concentration limits for UFPs, as they have for larger fine particles known as PM2.5.
Tradition meets transformation for Maasai women
A new study reveals that a changing Africa is creating avenues of empowerment for Maasai women.
Scientists and climate change: Extreme concern and high level of engagement
Scientists from across academic disciplines are extremely concerned about climate change. Many of them have already changed their own lifestyles or engaged in advocacy and protest, with even more being willing to do so in future. This is evident from a large-scale survey of scientists from all over the world.
Link between global warming and rising sea levels
A new study suggests that Earth's natural forces could substantially reduce Antarctica's impact on rising sea levels, but only if carbon emissions are swiftly reduced in the coming decades. By the same token, if emissions continue on the current trajectory, Antarctic ice loss could lead to more future sea level rise than previously thought.
Image: freie kreation/Shutterstock.com
Feeling judged by your doctor? You might be right
New research shows that many people believe they may be judged if they share mistaken beliefs with their care team -- and that doctors really do take strongly negative views of patients who disclose incorrect or unreasonable beliefs.
Native Hawaiians face higher rates of accelerated biological aging, study finds
A new study has found that Native Hawaiians experience higher accelerated biological aging in comparison to White and Japanese American residents.
Genetic signatures of domestication identified in pigs, chickens
Wild boars and red junglefowl gave rise to common pigs and chickens. These animals' genes evolved to express themselves differently, leading to signatures of domestication -- such as weaker bones and better viral resistance -- in pigs and chickens, according to a research team.
Eye-tracking study provides valuable insights into learning mathematics
Eye-tracking allows studying aspects that cannot be seen, for example, the thinking processes of a student solving a mathematical problem. Researchers have integrated eye-tracking into education and are using the technology to radically improve the teaching of mathematics.
Method prevents an AI model from being overconfident about wrong answers
Thermometer, a new calibration technique tailored for large language models, can prevent LLMs from being overconfident or underconfident about their predictions. The technique aims to help users know when a model should be trusted.
Meta-analysis pinpoints what vaccination intervention strategies different countries should adopt
Identifying interventions that could increase vaccine coverage could help save lives. A new paper offers a comprehensive meta-analysis examining what types of vaccination intervention strategies have the greatest effect, and whether different intervention strategies work better in different countries.
Cheese of the future: Consumers open to animal-free alternatives
Companies and institutes are currently working on biotechnological processes for the production of 'dairy products' without the use of cows: In so-called precision fermentation, egg and milk proteins are produced with the help of bacteria, yeasts or other fungi. This results in foods such as milk or cheese with a familiar flavor and texture. Supporters hope that this will lead to more sustainable food production, as nutrient-rich proteins can be produced using fewer resources. But will consumers accept such products?
Modern behavior explains prehistoric economies
What if the 'Market Economy' always existed? Archaeologists tried to answer this question by researching how much Bronze Age people used to spend to sustain their daily lives. Their results show that, starting at least 3,500 years ago, the spending habits of prehistoric Europeans were not substantially different from what they are today.
Tipping risks from overshooting 1.5 °C can be minimized if warming is swiftly reversed
Current climate policies imply a high risk for tipping of critical Earth system elements, even if temperatures return to below 1.5 C of global warming after a period of overshoot. A new study indicates that this risk can be minimized if the warming is swiftly reversed. That is why reducing emissions in the current decade is crucial for the stability of the Earth systems functions, researchers write. They analyzed the tipping risks for four interconnected core climate tipping elements: the Greenland Ice Sheet, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the Amazon Rainforest.
Towards smart cities: Predicting soil liquefaction risk using artificial intelligence
Soil liquefaction that results in infrastructure damage has long been a point of contention for urban planners and engineers. Accurately predicting the soil liquefaction risk of a region could help overcome this challenge. Accordingly, researchers applied artificial intelligence to generate soil liquefaction risk maps, superseding already published risk maps.
Downwind states face disproportionate burden of air pollution
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to block a federal rule curbing interstate air pollution further complicates efforts to reduce emissions and adds to an already disproportionate burden on 'downwind' states, according to researchers.
Smell reports reveal the need to expand urban air quality monitoring, say researchers
Researchers have uncovered surprising insights into the Vancouver region's 'smellscape' using data from the Smell Vancouver app. Analyzing 549 reports from one year of app data, they discovered that 'rotten' and 'chemical' odours dominated, making up about 65 per cent of submissions. These unpleasant smells were linked to self-reported health issues like headaches and anxiety, leading some residents to change their behaviours, like closing windows even in stifling-hot weather.
Body appreciation varies across cultures
People from different cultures show both similarities and differences in how body appreciation, sociocultural pressure, and internalization of thin ideals vary, according to a new study.
Barriers designed to prevent saltwater intrusion may worsen inland flooding
Building protection barriers without accounting for potential inland flooding risks from groundwater can eventually worsen the very issues they aim to solve.
Cash and conservation: A worldwide analysis of wildlife represented on money
Researchers investigate the representation of native fauna on 4,541 banknotes from 207 countries between 1980 and 2017, to identify geographic hotspots and taxonomic patterns, and determine whether threatened and endemic species were more readily represented.
Researchers explore the potential of clean energy markets as a hedging tool
Clean energy investments offer potential stability and growth, especially during volatile market conditions. A recent study explored the relationship between clean energy markets and global stock markets. Significant spillovers were observed from major indices like the SP500 to markets such as Japan's Nikkei225 and Global Clean Energy Index. These interactions suggest opportunities for optimizing investment portfolios and leveraging clean energy assets as hedging tools in volatile market environments.
New collaborative research generates lessons for more adaptive lake management
A professor gathered feedback from 26 Colorado River Basin managers and experts took on water user roles to discuss consuming, banking and trading Colorado River water.
Friendships in America may be in less peril than previously thought
American adults may typically have more friends than indicated by other recent surveys, with fewer Americans having no friends at all -- though many would like closer friendships, according to a new study.
Peer influence can promote healthier shopping habits, study reveals
A randomized trial conducted by health economists found that a bit of peer influence can nudge us to select healthier groceries.
Working from home is stifling innovation
Remote and hybrid working may be great for employees' work-life balance, but it may be stifling innovation, according to new research.
Using the term 'artificial intelligence' in product descriptions reduces purchase intentions
Companies may unintentionally hurt their sales by including the words 'artificial intelligence' when describing their offerings that use the technology, according to a recent study. Researchers conducted experimental surveys with more than 1,000 adults in the U.S. to evaluate the relationship between AI disclosure and consumer behavior. The findings consistently showed products described as using artificial intelligence were less popular.
'Holiday' or 'Vacation': Similar language leads to more cooperation
'Holiday' or 'vacation', 'to start' or 'to begin', 'my friend's cat' or 'the cat of my friend' -- in our language, there are different ways of expressing the same things and concepts. But can the choice of a particular variant determine whether we prefer to cooperate with certain people rather than with others? A research team investigated this and showed that people are more likely to co-operate with others if they make similar linguistic choices in a conversation. The experiment suggests that the decisive factor is probably the feeling of belonging to the same social group.
Research suggests controversial super spikes do make runners faster
Since athletes in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics smashed multiple records in track and field, running enthusiasts and exercise physiologists have speculated on what role new-generation high-tech running spikes -- sometimes called super spikes -- played.
Breaking MAD: Generative AI could break the internet, researchers find
Researchers have found that training successive generations of generative artificial intelligence models on synthetic data gives rise to self-consuming feedback loops.
How spreading misinformation is like a nuclear reaction
Researchers develop a new type of rumor propagation model, taking inspiration from nuclear reactions. Their model can provide fresh insights on how online disinformation spreads and how to combat it. The team identified similarities between rumor spreading and fission, the reaction that occurs inside nuclear reactors. In their model, rumors act like neutrons, the small particles that kick off nuclear fission. These rumors are seen by individuals, who send them careening into other people in a chain reaction.
Is that glass bottle of OJ better for the planet than a plastic container?
Which packaging type for a 12-ounce, single-serve container of orange juice would you choose as the most sustainable option: Aluminum/canned, made with recycled material; Carton, described as biodegradable/compostable; Glass, 100% recyclable; or Plastic, described as biodegradable/compostable? If you were like the U.S. consumers surveyed by food scientists you'd prefer glass and believe it was the most sustainable choice. And you all would be mistaken.
California a botanical and climate change hot spot
Climate-driven shifts in California's biodiversity call for innovation and continued environmental stewardfship, says a new study. California's 30x30 Initiative and efforts to harmonize biodiversity with renewable energy are promising steps, while wildfire strategies need to further adapt.