Opinion: We should ban all new oil and gas fields
As a professor of geophysics, I have spent 36 years training young geologists destined to work in the fossil fuel industry how to look for oil and gas. But now I believe it's time to stop fossil-fuel exploration and halt the development of all new oi.....»»
Cardiff Beyoncé concert: Face recognition use criticised
The police are using the technology on the city's streets, a move that has divided opinion......»»
Report: A growing share of Hong Kong people support same-sex couples" rights
A new report shows that Hong Kong public opinion on same-sex couples' rights has changed markedly over the past ten years. Earlier this year, 60% of Hong Kong people said they supported same-sex marriage, while only 17% said they were not supportive,.....»»
This is catfishing on an industrial scale
Hired as customer service reps, they lure the lovestruck through a network of dating sites. Enlarge (credit: Emilija Manevska/Getty Images) This wasn’t supposed to happen. In 2020, in a house surrounded by fields in th.....»»
Human crowds are best modeled by a "visual neighborhood"
Human crowd dynamics are best predicted by a visual neighborhood model, based on the visual fields of each person in the crowd. Birds flock, fish school, and human crowds, too, move in a collective motion pattern. Understanding human crowd behavior c.....»»
Opinion: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" urges us to defend real animals
As "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 "lights up the box office, its glow is reaching animals who are rarely seen: those in laboratories. Through the powerful stories of the central character Rocket Raccoon, alongside Floor the rabbit, Teefs the walrus.....»»
Opinion: Our hybrid media system has emboldened anti-LGBTQ+ hate—what can we do about it?
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate from religious conservatives and far-right extremists in the United States, and now in Australia, is a worrying trend......»»
Flip-flopping magnetic fields hint at a solution for puzzling fast radio bursts from space
Fast radio bursts—intense, milliseconds-long flashes of radio energy from outer space—have puzzled astronomers since they were first spotted in 2007. A single burst can emit as much energy in its brief life as the Sun does in a few days......»»
The Nexus 7 was Google’s only great tablet, and it has never tried to replace it
Opinion: 2013 Nexus 7 was the right tablet at the right price at the right time. Enlarge / Someone poking at a 2013 Nexus 7, Google's last (and possibly only) great tablet. (credit: Google) Well, here we are again—Goog.....»»
Magnetic bacteria: Microorganisms can help to extract dangerous heavy metals from wastewater
A research team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has managed to purify water containing uranium using a special kind of bacteria known as magnetotactic bacteria. The name derives from their ability to react to magnetic fields. They.....»»
Opinion: Landslides are a global injustice, and they"re rarely caused by the people worst affected
In northern India, a tragedy is playing out in slow-motion. Located at about 2,000 meters elevation in Chamoli District in the Himalayas, Joshimath is an ancient, sacred town of about 17,000 people. Popular with pilgrims and visitors wanting to ski o.....»»
Opinion: AI used in justice system should keep "humans in the loop"
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our society. Beyond the currently hyped systems such as ChatGPT or DALL-E, which can generate images, the technology has also found its way into the daily work of lawyers and even judges. At present, such.....»»
Indigenous people living near oil fields in the Peruvian Amazon have high levels of metals in their urine
Indigenous communities living near oil exploration sites in the Peruvian Amazon have high levels of mercury, cadmium and lead in their bodies. This is the conclusion of a study led by Cristina O'Callaghan Gordo, a researcher at the Barcelona Institut.....»»
Researchers call for a new approach to studying academic progress
In the study of higher education, universities have long been viewed as pipelines, preparing students for productive careers in specific fields. But when it comes to understanding how students actually make their way through college, the "pipeline" i.....»»
Opinion: When employers reward "ideal" workers, gender equality suffers
UK deputy prime minister Dominic Raab recently resigned following the publication of a report into workplace complaints about his conduct, including bullying allegations. But this element of his behavior wasn't the only concerning workplace problem h.....»»
Opinion: Generational and cultural change is stimulating environmental sustainability
We continue to live in a world of rapid technological change that constantly engenders economic and cultural transitions. New technologies steadily transform the way we live. We are starting to see this with artificial intelligence, and the world has.....»»
How Magnetic Fields Control Galactic Growth
Our galaxy’s enormous scaffolding is shaped by complex magnetic fields.....»»
Opinion: Why menstrual leave could be bad for women
Spain recently adopted a menstrual leave policy, which makes additional (paid or unpaid) days off work available to "only and all cisgender women.".....»»
Impact of fall armyworm pest in sub-Saharan Africa worsened by COVID-19, study reveals
The impact of the fall armyworm pest on maize crops and communities in sub-Saharan Africa were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new CABI-led research published as a Current Opinion article in the journal Environmental Sustainability......»»
Opinion: A rise in self-service technologies may cause a decline in our sense of community
Automation, once hidden behind closed doors in factories, is increasingly moving into public view. Customers can pay for groceries or clothing at a self-checkout machine, order fast food from a touchscreen kiosk or even pickup coffee from a "robo-caf.....»»
Organic light-emitting diodes can be harnessed to map magnetic fields
Smartphones could one day become portable quantum sensors thanks to a new chip-scale approach that uses organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to image magnetic fields, with significant implications for use in health care and industry settings......»»