ScienceDaily: Society - September 24, 2024
Top society research news
Climate science: How a believer becomes a skeptic
Researchers explored the powerful effect of repetition on people's beliefs.
Pandemic-era babies do not have higher autism risk, finds study
Children born during the pandemic, including those exposed to COVID in utero, were no more likely to screen positive for autism than unexposed or pre-pandemic children.
Image: maxbelchenko/Shutterstock.com
New insights into intellectual disability genetics emerge
Researchers have published a pivotal study that sheds light on a novel genetic variant associated with intellectual capacities and educational outcomes. This discovery offers new insights into intellectual disability diagnostics and potential therapeutic avenues.
Leading scientists redefine 'sustainability' to save the ocean and feed a hungry and warming planet
Top ocean experts have published a report that redefines the concept of 'sustainable fishing' and proposes 11 'golden rules' that radically challenge the flawed approach that currently prevails in fisheries management.
New tool to help decision-makers navigate possible futures of the Colorado River
The Colorado River is a vital source of water in the Western United States, providing drinking water for homes and irrigation for farms in seven states, but the basin is under increasing pressure from climate change and drought. A new computational tool may help the region adapt to a complex and uncertain future.
Wastewater monitoring can detect foodborne illness
First used in the 1940s to monitor for polio, wastewater surveillance proved such a powerful disease monitoring tool that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Wastewater Surveillance System to support SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in September of 2020. Now, a team of scientists have shown that domestic sewage monitoring is useful for a foodborne pathogen as well.
Adding nuance to link between brain structure and ideology
Using MRI scans of almost 1,000 Dutch people, researchers show that there is indeed a connection between brain structure and ideology. However, the connection is smaller than expected. Nevertheless, the researchers find it remarkable that differences in the brain are linked to something as abstract as ideology.
Demand-side actions could help construction sector deliver on net-zero targets
Researchers used a detailed mathematical model to demonstrate that the construction sector in the UK and Europe could almost eliminate its carbon emissions by 2060. This could be achieved through using state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies to renovate existing properties and construct new ones.
European Green Deal: A double-edged sword for global emissions
The European Green Deal will bring the emission of greenhouse gases in the European Union down, but at the same time causes a more than a twofold increase in emissions outside its borders.
Large language models (LLMs) have developed rapidly in recent years and are becoming an integral part of our everyday lives through applications like ChatGPT. An article explains the opportunities and risks that arise from the use of LLMs for our ability to collectively deliberate, make decisions, and solve problems.
Networks of Beliefs theory integrates internal and external dynamics
The beliefs we hold develop from a complex dance between our internal and external lives. A recent study uses well-known formalisms in statistical physics to model multiple aspects of belief-network dynamics. This multidimensional approach to modeling belief dynamics could offer new tools for tackling various real-world problems such as polarization or the spread of disinformation.
Play it forward: Lasting effects of pretend play in early childhood
As the school year revs up, a renowned child developmental psychologist highlights the robust benefits of pretend play on cognitive, social, and emotional development in children and cautions how 'learning through play' has changed with the demands of contemporary society. Given natural selection's shaping of childhood for the acquisition and refinement of species-adapted social-cognitive skills -- much through pretend play -- he says it's unfortunate that modern culture is ignoring the evolved wisdom of how best to educate young children.
Scientists say we have enough evidence to agree global action on microplastics
An international group of researchers says two decades of research have generated sufficient knowledge about the sources and effects of microplastics to allow world leaders to agree measures to address them. The argument comes 20 years after the first ever study to coin the term microplastics to describe the microscopic fragments of plastics in our ocean.
Study reveals gaps in access to long-term contraceptive supplies
Researchers find that despite the enactment of 12-month contraceptive supply policies in 19 U.S. states, most patients do not receive a long-term prescription.
Nonfatal opioid overdoses in youth spiked during pandemic
Drug overdose mortality has risen faster among adolescents than the general population in recent years, largely due to fentanyl, a potent opioid pain medication. A new study sheds light on trends in nonfatal opioid overdoses in youth -- an area that was not as well characterized, but key to formulating prevention strategies to save lives.
African food future looks bright with blueprint for food security
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa can secure future food supplies by unlocking the potential of their people and farming systems.
Operating room design linked to length of surgery
A new study has directly linked operating room design to the length of surgeries, with implications both for patient health and hospitals' bottom lines.
Calorie labels on alcohol might help some drinkers maintain a healthier weight
Just over half of heavier drinkers in England say they would make changes to their drinking if calorie labels for alcohol were introduced, according to a new study.
If you build it, will they come? Wildlife corridors need smarter design
A study reveals that current methods of designing and evaluating wildlife corridors may not be adequate to ensure wildlife protection, and suggests that Best Management Practices should include analyzing corridors with a smarter and more thorough framework. Researchers tested different wildlife corridor designs against black bear movement data in Florida and found that each achieved very different results, and none captured all black bear movements.
Study outlines cost-effective paths to eliminating greenhouse gas production
A study lays out a wide range of options available to cost-effectively eliminate greenhouse gas production from the energy system in the United States by 2050. The findings give policymakers and industry leaders valuable insights on how to chart a path forward to address climate change.
Artificial intelligence grunt work can be outsourced using a new blockchain-based framework
Researchers have developed a new framework to make complex AI tasks more accessible and transparent to users. The framework specializes in providing solutions to deep reinforcement learning (DRL) requests. The framework pairs developers, companies and individuals that have specific but out-of-reach AI needs with service providers who have the resources, expertise and models they require. The service is crowdsourced, built on a blockchain and uses a smart contract -- a contract with a pre-defined set of conditions built into the code -- to match the users with the appropriate service provider.
One in five UK doctors use AI chatbots, study finds
A survey reveals that a significant proportion of UK general practitioners (GPs) are integrating generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, into their clinical workflows. The results highlight the rapidly growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare -- a development that has the potential to revolutionize patient care but also raises significant ethical and safety concerns.
Slow-moving landslides a growing, but ignored, threat to mountain communities
As urban centers in mountainous regions grow, more people are driven to build on steeper slopes prone to slow-moving landslides, a new study finds. Slow-moving landslides are frequently excluded from estimates of landslide risk, but they could threaten hundreds of thousands of people globally, the researchers conclude.
Shrinking the pint can reduce beer sales by almost 10%
Reducing the serving size for beer, lager and cider reduces the volume of those drinks consumed in pubs, bars and restaurants, and could be a useful alcohol control measure, according to a new study. Researchers found that over a short intervention period, venues that removed the pint and offered two third pints instead, sold 10% less beer by volume compared with when pints were available.
Unhealthy behaviors contribute to more coronary artery disease deaths in the poor
Lower socioeconomic status is associated with higher rates of death from coronary artery disease compared to higher socioeconomic status, and more than half of the disparities can be explained by four unhealthy behaviors, according to a new study.
Soil footprint: a simple indicator of a crop's impact on soil erosion
A research team proposes a method to calculate, compare and communicate how different crops affect the loss of agricultural soil, with the aim of raising awareness of this problem and promoting solutions to preserve this vital resource.
Improved epidemic monitoring via sewage
Analyzing wastewater has the potential to alert authorities about thousands of health threats at once, from antimicrobial resistance to cholera, according to new research.
Reducing smartphone use increases work satisfaction
On average, we spend three and a quarter hours a day looking at our phones. Cutting back this time by one hour a day is not only good for our mental health, but also helps us to feel happier and more motivated at work, new research suggests.
People aren't volunteering as much these days: What gives?
Volunteering used to be a mainstay of U.S. culture. But in recent years, giving back to their community hasn't played as big a role in many Americans' lives. New research suggests the economy may be to blame.
Reducing the cultural bias of AI with one sentence
Cultural values and traditions differ across the globe, but large language models (LLMs), used in text-generating programs such as ChatGPT, have a tendency to reflect values from English-speaking and Protestant European countries. A research team believes there is an easy way to solve that problem.
Sport-related stress may affect whether college athletes eat enough calories
Sport-related stress may contribute to some NCAA Division One swimmers and runners failing to consume enough calories to fuel their bodies.
'Marine identity' can help restore the ocean
People's deep connection with the ocean -- their 'marine identity' -- can help us reset society's relationship with the seas, new research suggests.