False Reassurance
The Covid crisis has generated an extraordinary amount of what I like to call “false reassurance.” Consider how many times you heard something general like the following some time in 2020. Everything is going to be ok. We will get through.....»»
Personality Type, as well as Politics, Predicts Who Shares Fake News
Highly impulsive people who lean conservative are more likely to share false news stories. They have a desire to create chaos and won’t be deterred by fact-checkers -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»
A Strange Radio Signal Was Just From Earth, Not Aliens
Astronomers with the Breakthrough Listen project scan the sky for signs of extraterrestrial life, but a promising lead turned out to be a false alarm......»»
New game can help users identify, avoid online echo chambers
Every day, social media users are exposed to fake news and political polarization on social networks. What makes people vulnerable to believing false information they find online?.....»»
Google Nest Cam (wired) review: Keeping watch with confidence
You won't have to deal with frequent false alerts with the Google Nest Cam (wired). It's just that smart......»»
An efficient and low-cost approach to detecting food fraud
Fraudulent practices in food production, especially false claims of geographical origin, cause billions of dollars in economic damage every year. Botanists at the University of Basel have now developed a model that can be used to determine the origin.....»»
False spring: Climate change may erode frogs" ability to withstand salt pollution
Climate change may erode frogs' ability to withstand road salt pollution, according to researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York......»»
Fact-checking works to undercut misinformation in many countries
From Argentina to Nigeria, fact-checks limited false beliefs. Enlarge (credit: Gordon Jolly / Flickr) In the wake of the flood of misinformation that's drowning the US, lots of organizations have turned to fact-checks. Many newsrooms set up de.....»»
Hydrogen lobbyist quits, slams oil companies’ “false claims” about blue hydrogen
Recent studies have questioned blue hydrogen’s low-carbon bona fides. A hydrogen filling station. (credit: Peter Gercke/picture alliance via Getty Images) The head of a hydrogen lobbying group has stepped down amid concerns that blue hydroge.....»»
Dispelling false claims of cannibalistic caribs—again
SFU archaeologist Christina Giovas and colleagues are formally denouncing what they call unsubstantiated and harmful claims of cannibalistic Caribs migrating to the Caribbean, in a paper published today in Nature's Scientific Reports......»»
More Americans believe the government, tech firms should take steps to restrict false information online
On the flip side, 59 percent of survey takers believe tech companies should be the ones to take steps to restrict the spread of misinformation online. That’s an increase of three percent over the 56 percent that felt the same way three years ago......»»
Archer Aviation is seeking $1B in damages from Wisk Aero as legal dispute escalates
Archer Aviation is seeking $1 billion in damages from Wisk Aero, according to court filings Tuesday, significantly escalating the ongoing legal battle between the two air taxi rivals. Wisk “deployed a knowingly false extra-judicial smear campaign t.....»»
New Carnivorous Plant Discovered In Pacific Northwest
A pretty little white flower that grows near urban centers of the Pacific Northwest turns out to be a killer. NPR reports: The bog-dwelling western false asphodel, Triantha occidentalis, was first described in the scientific literature in 1879. But u.....»»
Apple explains how iPhones will scan photos for child-sexual-abuse images
Apple offers technical details, claims 1-in-1 trillion chance of false positives. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Oscar Wong) Shortly after reports today that Apple will start scanning iPhones for child-abuse images, the company confirmed its.....»»
Shareholders sue Activision Blizzard for withholding harassment info
Complaint: "False and misleading statements" led to "artificially inflated" stock. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) In a proposed class-action lawsuit, Activision Blizzard shareholders argue that they were "economically damaged".....»»
Cocoa DNA testing to end slavery and child labor in chocolate industry
A new method of DNA testing on cocoa beans could revolutionize the chocolate industry, offering consumers greater reassurance about the origins and ethics of their beloved confectionery, and giving the global cocoa industry a precision tool to help e.....»»
Repurposed drugs present new strategy for treating COVID-19
Researchers have identified repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment through virtual screening and cell-based assays. The team suggested the strategy for virtual screening with greatly reduced false positives by incorporating pre-docking filtering bas.....»»
Swann 4K Thermal Sensing Security Camera Review: High-quality video at a price
The Swann 4K Thermal Sensing Security Camera uses thermal sensing to reduce the number of false alarms, provides 200 feet of night vision, and much more......»»
New research finds ways to improve accuracy of Lateral Flow Tests
Research published in the journal ACS Materials and Interfaces has provided new understanding of how false-negative results in Lateral Flow Tests occur and provides opportunity for simple improvements to be made......»»
Alibaba co-founder: Jack Ma is doing well and Hong Kong will be "fine"
Joe Tsai has some reassurance for those who are worried about the future of Hong Kong — and his pal, Jack Ma......»»
Overconfidence in news judgement
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that individuals who falsely believe they are able to identify false news are more likely to fall victim to it. In the article published today, Ben Lyons, assistant profes.....»»