Analysis: Chile"s transition to democracy slow, incomplete, fueled by social movements
A new article analyzes Chile's transition in 1990 from dictatorship to democracy, the nature of democracy between 1990 and 2019, and the appearance of several social movements geared to expanding this democracy. The article, by researchers at Carnegi.....»»
"Who"s a good boy?" Humans use dog-specific voices for better canine comprehension
The voice people use to address their dogs isn't just because of their big puppy eyes. Humans slow their own speech when talking to their dogs, and this slower tempo matches their pets' receptive abilities, allowing the dogs to better understand thei.....»»
Authoritarian populism has weakened democracy in Brazil, says study
The rise of authoritarian populism in Brazil has weakened structures that stabilize democracy—mirroring trends in wider global society and potentially making it harder for the country to strengthen its democracy in future, a new study reveals. The.....»»
Solidarity drives online virality in a nation under attack, study of Ukrainian social media reveals
The first major study of social media behavior during wartime has found that posts celebrating national and cultural unity in a country under attack receive significantly more online engagement than derogatory posts about the aggressors......»»
Talking politics hurts fundraising, finds analysis of 19,898 Kickstarter campaigns
Divisive political opinions are everywhere these days, but entrepreneurs might be wise to bite their tongues......»»
Why trying to protect freedom may work better than campaigning to protect democracy
When Joe Biden was the Democrats' candidate for president in 2020 and again in 2024, he staked his candidacy on being the person who would save democracy from the threat Donald Trump posed......»»
Corporate social responsibility can boost a company"s bottom line
Can companies do well by doing good? Research in the International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management that has looked at companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) provides a positive answer to that question. The researchers have.....»»
Over half of Americans say lowering health care costs is among most important issues in deciding their presidential pick
Lowering the cost of health care and prescription drug prices and protecting Medicare and Social Security are among the most important issues for Americans in determining their vote for president, according to a new national West Health-Gallup Poll r.....»»
Researchers urge governments to enlist emotion when fighting fake news
Real people with relatable stories can help public agencies counter social media disinformation campaigns and "fake news" around issues such as vaccination programs, academic researchers say......»»
Social networks help people resolve welfare problems—but only sometimes, new research finds
Lead researcher Dr. Sarah Nason, from Bangor University's School of History, Law and Social Sciences explained, "Debt, benefits, special educational needs, health care issues, these are everyday problems that many of us face, and it's only natural to.....»»
Alleged M4 MacBook Pro packaging leak highlights a few new upgrades
Originally shared on social media by ShrimpApplePro, an apparent packaging leak for the M4 seems to showcase a couple features for the laptop that we didn’t quite expect. The leak is unverified, so take it with a grain of salt. more….....»»
Saturday Citations: Octopuses as shift supervisors for fish; universe confounds standard model; extremely old cheese
This week, biologists tracked down a mysterious group of orcas near Chile; Hubble spotted a black hole jet that causes stars along its trajectory to erupt; and researchers explained mysterious craters that began appearing in Siberian permafrost in th.....»»
Why South America is burning
A record wave of wildfires, fueled by severe drought linked to climate change and deforestation, is causing havoc across South America......»»
Edmunds" new digital campaign turns to TikTok, YouTube, Meta
Online car shopping guide Edmunds is running a sports-themed fall social media advertising campaign to boost brand awareness and help retailers sell more cars......»»
Sloth survival under threat due to climate change, study finds
A new PeerJ study has revealed that sloths, the famously slow-moving creatures of Central and South America, may face existential threats due to climate change. The research, conducted by scientists studying the metabolic response of sloths to rising.....»»
Study suggests moon may have been captured from space rather than formed from collision particles
Over six missions to the moon, from 1969 to 1972, Apollo astronauts collected more than 800 pounds of lunar rock and soil. Chemical and isotopic analysis of that material showed that it was similar to the rock and soil on Earth: calcium-rich, basalti.....»»
Ultrasound technology accelerates drying of renewable cellulose nanocrystals
The global transition towards sustainability has sparked significant interest in bio-based materials and energy-efficient technologies. Among these, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), derived from renewable resources, have shown great potential for use i.....»»
Balloon mission tests quantum sensor technology
A WashU team launched the Dilution Refrigerator Transition Edge Sensor (DR-TES) mission on Sept. 24 from NASA's scientific balloon facility in Fort Sumner, N.M. The mission is testing a sophisticated cooling system and a novel gamma-ray detector arra.....»»
Team debunks research showing Facebook"s news-feed algorithm curbs election misinformation
An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst have published work in the journal Science calling into question the conclusions of a widely reported study—published in Science in 2023—finding the social pl.....»»
How social structure influences the way people share money
People around the globe often depend on informal financial arrangements, borrowing and lending money through social networks. Understanding this sheds light on local economies and helps fight poverty......»»
A method of "look twice, forgive once" can sustain social cooperation
The theory of indirect reciprocity holds that people who earn a good reputation by helping others are more likely to be rewarded by third parties, but widespread cooperation depends on agreement about reputations......»»