ScienceDaily: Society - December 05, 2023
Top society research news
1.5°C pathways can still be achieved, combining fairness and global climate protection
Global warming can still be limited to 1.5°C by 2100 while ensuring that the poor are not hit hardest by climate policies and climate impacts. This is achieved by immediately introducing broad carbon pricing together with re-distributive policies using carbon pricing revenues and further measures to reduce energy consumption, accelerate technological transitions, and transform the land sector.
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Teaching physics from the din of flying discs
The sound a disc makes while soaring through the air is full of information about how fast the disc is flying and how quickly it spins. This inspired Kyle S. Dalton of Penn State University to combine disc golf and acoustics into an interactive acoustic signal processing lesson. He set three microphones in a line and connected them to equipment that converts each microphone's signal to a data point. Then he threw a disc with a small whistle mounted on top and recorded the flying disc's acoustical signal. The resulting dataset can be used to learn basic processing tools and practice data visualization.
In Korea, workers are being provided with virtual reality (VR)-based safety training content to mitigate the increase in occupational accidents. However, the current training evaluation methods suffer from a lack of immediate feedback from participants for personal learning performance evaluation. To address this, a team of researchers has now developed a new framework that uses real-time biometric data during VR training for improving personalized safety and preventing occupational hazards.
Human behavior guided by fast changes in dopamine levels
A new study shows that dopamine release in the human brain plays a crucial role in encoding both reward and punishment prediction errors. This means that dopamine is involved in the process of learning from both positive and negative experiences, allowing the brain to adjust and adapt its behavior based on the outcomes of these experiences.
Public gardens contribute to invasives problem
Some nonnative plants cultivated in public gardens or arboretums are escaping to become invasive in wild forests.
Aging societies more vulnerable to collapse
Societies and political structures, like the humans they serve, appear to become more fragile as they age, according to an analysis of hundreds of pre-modern societies. A new study, which holds implications for the modern world, provides the first quantitative support for the theory that the resilience of political states decreases over time.
Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned.
Consensus needed on when global warming reaches 1.5°C
A team of scientists has emphasized that -- surprisingly -- there is currently no formally agreed way of defining the current level of global warming relevant to the Paris Agreement.
Why reading nursery rhymes and singing to babies may help them to learn language
Phonetic information -- the smallest sound elements of speech -- may not be the basis of language learning in babies as previously thought. Babies don't begin to process phonetic information reliably until seven months old -- which researchers say is too late to form the foundation of language. Instead, babies learn from rhythmic information -- the changing emphasis of syllables in speech -- which unlike phonetic information, can be heard in the womb.
To help autonomous vehicles make moral decisions, researchers ditch the 'trolley problem'
The world needs more empathy -- here is how science can harness it
In a world grappling with deep-seated division and social upheaval, empathy has become more critical than ever. But science suggests when it comes to evoking empathy, our imagination is more powerful than we previously thought. A new study reveals how the different ways to experience empathy affect our willingness to help others.
Illuminating the benefits of marine protected areas for ecotourism, and vice versa
As California, the U.S. and the world work to make good on commitments to conserve 30% of oceans and lands by 2030, all strategies are on the table -- and under the microscope. When it comes to the ocean, one valuable tool is marine protected areas (MPAs), regions that are defined, designated and managed for long-term conservation. Among other benefits, MPAs protect habitats and promote species diversity. They also hold value for communities and industries.
Unsafe lead levels in school drinking water: new study IDs building risk factors
Civil and environmental engineers have determined the factors that may help identify the schools and daycare centers at greatest risk for elevated levels of lead in drinking water. The most telling characteristic for schools in Massachusetts is building age, with facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s -- nearly a third of the facilities tested -- at the greatest risk for having dangerously high water lead levels.
Phasing out fossil fuels could save millions of lives
Scientists provide new evidence to motivate rapid fossil fuel phaseout. The science team determined exposure to ambient air pollution and its health impacts using an updated atmospheric composition model, a newly developed relative risk model and recent satellite-based fine particle data. They estimated all-cause and disease-specific mortality and attributed them to emission categories. They show that phasing out fossil fuels is a remarkably effective health-improving and life-saving intervention. About 5 million excess deaths per year globally could potentially be avoided.
What makes sustainable consumption so difficult
When it comes to self-discipline, psychological research traditionally focuses on individual responsibility. Some researchers believe this is too short-sighted. Self-discipline doesn't work without effective regulation.
Money to burn: Wealthy, white neighborhoods losing their heat shields
White, wealthy neighborhoods in the LA area -- and likely around the world -- are about to start feeling the same heat that has plagued poorer, Hispanic neighborhoods for generations. A new study shows the protective effect of income has largely eroded over the past 40 years, as landscape plants can't keep up with the pace of climate warming.
Parental engagement positively associated with safer driving among young people, UGR study finds
The results show that while close supervision may be linked to increased anxiety when driving, it is also associated with a more cautious attitude behind the wheel.
Climate: Why disinformation is so persistent
Melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme heat waves: the consequences of climate change are more visible than ever, and the scientific community has confirmed that humans are responsible. Yet studies show that a third of the population still doubts or disputes these facts. The cause is disinformation spread by certain vested interests. To try and prevent this phenomenon, a team has developed and tested six psychological interventions on nearly 7,000 participants from twelve countries. The research highlights the extremely persuasive nature of disinformation and the need to strengthen our efforts to combat it.
Scientists create framework to guide development and assessment of urban climate action plans
With the world projected to be highly urbanized by 2050, cities are encouraged to take urgent climate actions to mitigate and adapt to the threats of climate change. As climate change intensifies and urbanization increases rapidly, local governments are expected now more than ever to lead climate action planning. However, studies show the limitations of the existing climate action plans (CAPs). So scientists have created an Urban Climate Action Planning (UCAP) framework to guide the development of suitable urban CAPs and support the assessment of the level of suitability of these plans.
A study unveils the link between musical preferences and our inner moral compass
A new study provides compelling evidence that music preferences can serve as a window into an individual's moral values. It has uncovered an important link between music and morality, paving the way for a deeper understanding of the psychological dimensions of our musical experiences.
Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations
A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite tightened pesticide regulations, far more needs to be done.
No evidence found that cannabis reduces long term opioid use, study shows
A 20-year study examined the long term relationship between cannabis and illicit opioid use. Overall results were inconsistent and showed no strong link. The study showed that clinicians and policymakers should be cautious about relying on cannabis to reduce opioid use, especially in the US and Canada.
Remote collaborations deliver fewer scientific breakthroughs
Remote teams are less likely to make breakthrough discoveries compared to those who work onsite, according to new research. The researchers' key finding was that, while remote collaboration has the potential to deliver new and creative scientific ideas through easier access to a global knowledge pool, it is harder for such teams to integrate effectively to deliver breakthroughs.
Psychological science can help counter spread of misinformation
Debunking, 'prebunking,' nudging and teaching digital literacy are several of the more effective ways to counter misinformation, according to a new report.
Our ability to pay attention to tasks—a key component of our everyday lives—is heavily influenced by factors like motivation, arousal and alertness. Maintaining focus can be especially challenging when the task is boring or repetitive.
Commitments needed to solve aviation's impact on our climate
Researchers could find no simple solution to limiting non-CO2 emissions from aircraft.
Kids who feel their parents are less reliable take fewer risks vital to learning and growth
The researchers studied decisions that more than 150 children ages 10 to 13 made while playing games that offered opportunities to risk a little and explore for potential gains.
Defending your voice against deepfakes
Computer scientists have developed AntiFake, a tool to protect voice recordings from unauthorized speech synthesis.