ScienceDaily: Society - November 07, 2023
Top society research news
How to eat our way out of the climate crisis
Researchers conducted a study to determine if replacing dietary fats from palm oil, soy and other agricultural crops with fats created synthetically in chemical or biological processes could help reduce climate change-causing greenhouse gases. The researchers' analysis finds a reduction in carbon emissions and other benefits, such the opening of agricultural lands to reforestation which benefits biodiversity and creates a carbon sink.
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Good news, bad news on dental pain care seen in new study
Americans who have a tooth pulled or another painful dental procedure in the United States today are far less likely to get opioid painkillers than they were just a few years ago, a new study shows. But the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have thrown a wrench into the effort to reduce opioid use in dental care.
AI trained to identify least green homes
First of its kind AI-model can help policy-makers efficiently identify and prioritize houses for retrofitting and other decarbonizing measures.
Underground car parks heat up groundwater
The heat given off by car engines warms up underground car parks in such a way that the heat passes through the ground into the groundwater. In Berlin alone, enough energy is transferred to the groundwater to supply 14,660 households with heat. According to the researchers, this warming could have long-term effects on groundwater quality. In their study, they also propose a solution. Using geothermal energy and heat pumps, the heat could be extracted from the ground and utilized.
AI should be better understood and managed -- new research warns
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithms can and are being used to radicalize, polarize, and spread racism and political instability, says an academic. An expert argues that AI and algorithms are not just tools deployed by national security agencies to prevent malicious activity online, but can be contributors to polarization, radicalism and political violence -- posing a threat to national security.
Contrary to common belief, artificial intelligence will not put you out of work
New research is providing insights for business leaders on how work experience affects employees interacting with AI.
Two million European households could abandon the electrical grid by 2050
Researchers report that 53% of European freestanding homes could have supplied all their own energy needs in 2020 using only local rooftop solar radiation, and this technical feasibility could increase to 75% in 2050. The study shows that there is no economic advantage for individual households to be fully self-sufficient under current or future conditions, though in some cases the costs are on par with remaining on-grid. The researchers estimate that self-sufficiency will be economically feasible for 5% (two million) of Europe's 41 million freestanding single-family homes in 2050, if households are willing to pay up to 50% more than the cost of remaining fully grid dependent.
Circular take-back programs: popular and environmentally responsible
Consumers exhibit a higher willingness to pay for products that are part of a circular take-back program.
Having a bad boss makes you a worse employee
Researchers found that employees who prioritize career advancement are strongly affected by abusive leadership while employees who prioritized job security remained just as likely to take charge after experiencing abusive supervision. Employees who prioritize advancement tend to hunker down and reduce taking-charge behavior after experiencing abusive supervision.
Humans are disrupting natural 'salt cycle' on a global scale, new study shows
Power of the pictogram: Researcher finds that sorted graphics make consumers feel optimistic
Sometimes, how the information is presented is as important as the information itself. Graphics, icons, and pictograms are increasingly popular methods of presenting information to consumers in direct, memorable, and easily understandable ways.
Cognitive skills underlying the ability to plan, switch from task to task and resist tempting distractions usually matures by the time an individual turns 18 years old, a new study says.
Cultural adaptation to climate change
Examining how human culture evolves in response to a changing environment may help with creating more effective climate change adaptation efforts. Using farming data from across the U.S., a team of researchers conducted a new study of cultural adaptation to climate change. They found that in many places in the U.S. farmers are already adapting to climate change by selecting crops that grow better in new conditions. Focusing on the process of cultural adaptation can improve research and policy to help adapt to a warming world.
Amazon deforestation linked to long distance climate warming
Deforestation in the Amazon causes land surfaces up to 100 kilometers away to get warmer, suggests a new study.  The research suggests that tropical forests play a critical role in cooling the land surface -- and that effect can play out over considerable distances.Â
Offset markets: New approach could help save tropical forests by restoring faith in carbon credits
A new approach to valuing the carbon storage potential of natural habitats aims to help restore faith in offset schemes, by enabling investors to directly compare carbon credit pricing across a wide range of projects.
Gaming strategy helps plan for and prevent attacks on infrastructure
As technology continues to advance, the likelihood of malevolent attacks and subsequent failures on society's critical infrastructures increases. Blackouts, water shortages, transport collapses -- these potential threats to cities not only come with a hefty price tag but are likely to cause chaos and affect the health and safety of communities. UBC Okanagan Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Amin Ahmadi Digehsara, along with Assistant Professor Dr. Amir Ardestani-Jaafari, both with the Faculty of Management, recently published a study that will enhance the resilience of vital infrastructures against malevolent attacks.
Why all languages have words for 'this' and 'that'
Researchers have found that languages around the world have words for 'this' and 'that'. The 45-strong international team studied 29 languages from around the world including English, Spanish, Norwegian, Japanese, Mandarin, Tzeltal and Telugu. They wanted to see how more than 1,000 speakers use demonstratives -- words that show where something is in relation to a person talking such as 'this cat' or 'that dog'.