ScienceDaily: Society - December 24, 2024
Top society research news
Bias in AI amplifies our own biases, researchers show
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems tend to take on human biases and amplify them, causing people who use that AI to become more biased themselves, a new study finds.
Image: Sansoen Saengsakaorat/Shutterstock.com
Hospitals that have adopted the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) 'hospital-at-home' program, which serves as an alternative to admission to brick-and-mortar facilities, are concentrated in large, urban, not-for-profit, and academic hospitals, highlighting need for targeted incentives to expand program to smaller, rural, and non-teaching hospitals.
We know a lot about how much fossil-derived carbon is emitted to the atmosphere but less about how much is stored in human-made products. Ecological economists estimate that each year, humans add around 400 million tons of fossil carbon to long-lasting products such as plastics, buildings, and human infrastructure. Although these products could be considered a 'carbon sink,' proper waste management is essential to prevent them from becoming environmental hazards.
Advancing a trustworthy quantum era: A novel approach to quantum protocol verification
The future of data security depends on the reliable application of quantum technology, but its widespread adoption requires rigorous verification. Researchers have developed a novel approach to verify quantum protocols, ensuring their reliability in safety- and security-critical applications. This advancement addresses the need for trustworthy quantum systems, which is essential for the secure deployment of quantum technologies in high-reliability systems.
More American cities -- even those seen as affluent -- are home to people living without running water as people are being 'squeezed' by unaffordable housing and the cost-of-living crisis, new research finds.
Study finds slowing of age-related declines in older adults
A new study reveals significant improvements in the health of older adults when compared to previous generations.
Human-like artificial intelligence may face greater blame for moral violations
In a new study, participants tended to assign greater blame to artificial intelligences (AIs) involved in real-world moral transgressions when they perceived the AIs as having more human-like minds.
Researcher defines 'kindness' in healthcare
A researcher has defined 'kindness' and believes this could hold the key to better communication within healthcare teams and improve care for patients.
Lost score revives sound of music and voices from centuries past
A fragment of 'lost' music found in the pages of Scotland's first full-length printed book is providing clues to what music sounded like five centuries ago. Scholars have been investigating the origins of the musical score -- which contains only 55 notes -- to cast new light on music from pre-Reformation Scotland in the early sixteenth-century. Researchers say the tantalizing discovery is a rare example of music from Scottish religious institutions 500 years ago, and is the only piece which survives from the northeast of Scotland from this period.
Tracking other people's minds in communication
Language and social cognition are fundamental to human communication. But how do these capacities interact? In a review paper, researchers show how language and social cognition are integrated in real time. The authors propose a new 'mind-tracking' model of communication, in which social micro-processes play a fundamental role in language production and comprehension.
How loss of urban trees affects educational outcomes
Economists looked at test scores and school attendance for Chicago-area kids before and after a bug infestation wiped out the city's ash trees. Education outcomes for low-income students went down, highlighting how the impacts of ecosystem degradation are disproportionately felt by disadvantaged communities.
The social cost of carbon, a crucial tool for setting climate policy, omits key effects
The social cost of carbon -- an important figure global policymakers use to analyze the benefits of climate and energy policies -- is too low, finds a new study.
World Cup soccer is getting faster for men and women alike
If the experience of watching a FIFA World Cup soccer final is intense, spare a thought for the players, who are competing at an ever increasing intensity, according to a new study.
Almost three quarters of adolescents experience depression or anxiety
Almost three quarters of adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms, with most being chronic, according to a new study. And preventive strategies outside our clinics are urgently required to address this considerable public health problem facing the nation.
Being digitally hyperconnected causes 'techno-strain' for employees
A new study has shown that employees are experiencing mental and physical techno-strain due to being 'hyperconnected' to digital technology making it difficult for people to switch off from work.
Biased language in clinical handoffs may negatively impact patient care
A new study shows that when clinicians hear a patient described with negatively biased language, they develop less empathy towards the patient and, in some cases, become less accurate in recalling the patient's critical health details.
Young English speakers are most comfortable with digital health
Digital health tools, such as patient portals, treatment apps and online appointment schedulers, are increasingly common. But not everyone is equally at home using them.