AI chatbots might be better at swaying conspiracy theorists than humans
Co-author Gordon Pennycook: "The work overturns a lot of how we thought about conspiracies." Enlarge / A woman wearing a sweatshirt for the QAnon conspiracy theory on October 11, 2020 in Ronkonkoma, New York. (credit: Stephanie.....»»
How humans are affecting the Northern Hemisphere"s wind patterns
The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record and, unfortunately, this came as no surprise. Summers have been getting hotter and drier around the world, including in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to intense droughts and heat waves in North America.....»»
The relationship between emotions and economic decision-making differs across countries, multi-national analysis finds
When making economic decisions, humans can be driven by various factors, including their goals and emotions. Past studies have hypothesized that emotions play a crucial role in economic decisions, particularly those that involve risk or trade-offs be.....»»
Norway reports first cases of bluetongue disease in livestock since 2009
Norway reported Thursday dozens of confirmed and suspected cases of bluetongue, an insect-borne virus that is harmless to humans but can be fatal to sheep and other livestock, for the first time in the country since 2009......»»
“Dead Internet theory” comes to life with new AI-powered social media app
SocialAI takes the social media "filter bubble" to an extreme with 100% fake interactions. Enlarge (credit: gremlin via Getty Images) For the past few years, a conspiracy theory called "Dead Internet theory" has picked u.....»»
Moving as one: Discovering how synchronous movements strengthen social bonds
Sharing stories over a cup of coffee; dancing in a group; cheering a football game in a crowd: these everyday rituals are among many different types of shared experiences that help humans develop social cohesion......»»
AI Could Help Save Us from Conspiracy Theories, and Massachusetts Could Help Save Us from Our Trash
AI fights conspiracy theories, Massachusetts leads the way on waste reduction, and more in this week’s science news roundup.....»»
Unraveling an ancient European extinction mystery: Disappearance of dwarf megafauna on paleolithic Cyprus
Scientists have unraveled a mystery about the disappearance of dwarf hippos and elephants that once roamed the picturesque landscape on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before paleolithic humans arrived......»»
Nuclear theorists turn to supercomputers to map out matter"s building blocks in 3D
Deep inside what we perceive as solid matter, the landscape is anything but stationary. The interior of the building blocks of the atom's nucleus—particles called hadrons that a high school student would recognize as protons and neutrons—are made.....»»
Can AI make you less gullible or is it a conspiracy?
Researchers demonstrate AI chatbot that can dismantle conspiracy theories......»»
Researchers find evidence that bumblebees make the same memory errors as humans
Psychologists at the University of Stirling have carried out research that shows wild bumblebees make the same memory errors as humans......»»
Can AI talk us out of conspiracy theory rabbit holes?
New research published in Science shows that for some people who believe in conspiracy theories, a fact-based conversation with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot can "pull them out of the rabbit hole." Better yet, it seems to keep them out for.....»»
How bacteria actively use passive physics to make biofilms
When we think about bacteria, we may imagine single cells swimming in solution. However, similarly to humans, bacterial cells often socialize, using surfaces to coalesce into complex heterogeneous communities called biofilms. Within a group, bacteria.....»»
AI chatbots might be better at swaying conspiracy theorists than humans
Co-author Gordon Pennycook: "The work overturns a lot of how we thought about conspiracies." Enlarge / A woman wearing a sweatshirt for the QAnon conspiracy theory on October 11, 2020 in Ronkonkoma, New York. (credit: Stephanie.....»»
Conversations with AI can successfully reduce belief in conspiracy theories
Have you ever tried to convince a conspiracy theorist that the moon landing wasn't staged? You likely didn't succeed, but ChatGPT might have better luck, according to research by MIT Sloan School of Management professor David Rand and American Univer.....»»
Clovis people used Great Lakes camp annually about 13,000 years ago, researchers confirm
The earliest humans to settle the Great Lakes region likely returned to a campsite in southwest Michigan for several years in a row, according to a University of Michigan study......»»
Carbohydrate polymers could be a sweet solution for water purification
Water polluted with heavy metals can pose a threat when consumed by humans and aquatic life. Sugar-derived polymers from plants remove these metals but often require other substances to adjust their stability or solubility in water......»»
Private astronauts on daring trek ahead of historic spacewalk
A private crew set out on an audacious orbital expedition Tuesday, journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in half a century as they prepare for the first ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts......»»
Multiple ways to evolve tiny knee bone could have helped humans walk upright
The evolution of bones in primates' knees could have implications for how humans evolved to walk upright, a new study has found......»»
Thanks to humans, Salish Sea waters are too noisy for resident orcas to hunt successfully
The Salish Sea—the inland coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia—is home to two unique populations of fish-eating orcas, the northern resident and the southern resident orcas. Human activity over much of the 20th century, including red.....»»
Pollution of the potent warming gas methane soars and people are mostly to blame
The amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, helping to turbocharge climate change, a new study finds......»»