Using emotion and humor to combat science misinformation
Misinformation in public debates about scientific issues such as vaccinations and climate change can be found all over the internet, especially on social media. In a new study, Sara K. Yeo, associate professor of communication at the University of Ut.....»»
Study shows relatively low number of superspreaders responsible for large portion of misinformation on Twitter
A small team of social media analysts at Indiana University has found that a major portion of tweets spreading disinformation are sent by a surprisingly small percentage of a given userbase......»»
The hornet has landed: Scientists combat new honeybee killer in US
Researchers are working to limit the threat while developing better eradication methods. Enlarge / 2023 marked the first sighting of a yellow-legged hornet in the United States, sparking fears that it may spread and devastate hon.....»»
Saturday Citations: The cheapness horizon of electric batteries; the battle-worthiness of ancient armor; scared animals
Sometimes, science requires traveling into hazardous environments; sometimes it requires a vast influx of state capital and an army of researchers and technicians. But sometimes, science has to call in the Marines. We reported on that this week, alon.....»»
AI Tool Predicts Whether Online Health Misinformation Will Cause Real-World Harm
A new AI-based analytical technique reveals that specific language phrasing in Reddit misinformation posts foretold people rejecting COVID vaccinations.....»»
There’s a Missing Human in Misinformation Fixes
Misinformation solutions target a rational, ethical ideal who doesn’t exist; to combat misinfo, we need to start with a richer concept of the human.....»»
The Sordid History of U.S. Food Safety Highlights the Importance of Regulation
Author and science journalist Deborah Blum describes how an Indiana chemist kicked off the first major food regulation in the U.S......»»
Big Oil May Pay Billions for Climate Pollution under New Legislation
Vermont's “Climate Superfund Act” would use attribution science to force oil, gas and coal companies to cover damages associated with their emissions.....»»
Urban water system theory 5.0 offers a systematic solution to complex urban water issues in China
The urban water system theory is the application and extension of watershed hydrological science to an urban scale. In a paper published in Science China Earth Sciences, a research group led by Chinese academician Xia Jun introduced the urban water s.....»»
Researchers unveil tritium release behavior of solid breeder irradiated with fusion neutron
A research group led by Prof. Wang Haixia from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the tritium release behavior of lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) breeder irradiated with fusion neutrons, which contribu.....»»
Researchers create new type of composite material for shielding against neutron and gamma radiation
Recently, Dr. Huo Zhipeng and his student Lu Yidong from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of Chinese Academy of Sciences have created a new type of composite material for shielding against neutron and gamma radiation. They used micron plate Sm2O3.....»»
Ambitious targets are needed to end ocean plastic pollution by 2100, analysis finds
A collaboration between researchers at Imperial College London and GNS Science, suggests that reducing plastic pollution by 5% per year would stabilize the level of microplastics—plastics less than 5 mm in length—in the surface oceans......»»
Agreement reached at UN on biopiracy treaty
More than 190 nations agreed Friday on a new treaty to combat so-called biopiracy and regulate patents stemming from genetic resources such as medicinal plants, particularly ones whose uses owe a debt to traditional knowledge......»»
Uncertainty clouds UN talks on biopiracy treaty
UN talks to create a global treaty to combat biopiracy and the exploitation of genetic resources hung in the balance Thursday, a day before an agreement was due to be signed......»»
Study finds individuals less likely to evaluate peers negatively if facing evaluation themselves
New research from ESMT Berlin finds that individuals strategically select the colleagues they evaluate, and the evaluation they give, based on how they want to be perceived. The research was published in the journal Organization Science......»»
Uncovering new details on antibiotic resistance from 1940s milk samples
Sometime in the 1940s or so, someone in what is now the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science got a lyophilizer, a piece of equipment that freeze-dries samples, says Director of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CV.....»»
Community science volunteers can set scientific world abuzz with new bumble bee sightings
Community science volunteers—laypeople with an interest in bees and conservation—significantly contribute to the scientific knowledge of native bumble bees across Canada and the United States, finds a new study by York University......»»
NASA"s compact infrared cameras enable new science
A new, higher-resolution infrared camera outfitted with a variety of lightweight filters could probe sunlight reflected off Earth's upper atmosphere and surface, improve forest fire warnings, and reveal the molecular composition of other planets......»»
Astronomers observe jet reorientation in "Death Star" black holes
Huge black holes are firing powerful beams of particles into space—and then changing their aim to fire at new targets. This discovery, made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astrono.....»»
Ancient Mycenaean armor tested by Marines and pronounced suitable for extended combat
A famous Mycenaean suit of armor was not just ceremonial, but suitable for extended combat, according to a study published May 22 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Andreas Flouris of the University of Thessaly, Greece and colleagues......»»
Can disease-detecting dogs help save South Dakota"s bighorn sheep?
In summer 2021, Badlands National Park was home to a healthy and growing population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, with approximately 300 total among the three herds. Then in August, Paul Roghair, lead biological science technician for the park, ca.....»»