BUSINESS
Elon Musk’s Community Notes feature on X is working
Crowdsourced fact-checking is better at curtailing misinformation than content moderation
TRENDS
Why we're so exhausted if we're spending more time in bed
A couple of new surveys show curious results: Americans are sleeping longer but report feeling less rested
BUSINESS
If pigs get bird flu, we could be in for a real nightmare
H5N1 has already spread to an alarming number of mammals. If it reaches pigs, it’s more likely to mutate into something that could threaten humans
BUSINESS
Political Deepfakes will hijack your brain — if you let them
The way to fight so-called deepfakes isn’t to develop some rumour-busting form of AI or to train the public to spot fake images. A better tactic would be to encourage a few well-known critical thinking methods — refocusing our attention, reconsidering our sources, and questioning ourselves. Slow thinking instead of jumping to conclusions could help
TRENDS
Contradictory diet advice is making healthy eating even harder
2024 might be an especially hard time to keep to a new diet because there are so many contradictory claims — and so little left on the menu that isn’t being vilified by someone with initials after their name
BUSINESS
Want to avoid fake news? Step away from Google
When researchers exposed volunteers to a mix of fake and real news stories, they found people became more prone to being fooled by fake stories after being asked to do an internet search
ENVIRONMENT
We don't know how worried we should be about nanoplastics
Tackling the plastics problem requires more information about sizes and kinds of particles that are most dangerous and where they come from. But enough alarming data has now amassed that it’s time to move from fear and outrage to action
BUSINESS
That rat in your neighbourhood park? It’s probably hatching a plot
Scientists may shift to asking new questions — losing their obsession with proving humans are unique among animals and instead investigating how mammalian brains are different from our increasingly intelligent machines
BUSINESS
It’s time scientists admitted their COVID mistakes
Some public health agencies took years to admit what had quickly become obvious: that the COVID virus was airborne. Others suggested extreme precautions, which had minimal benefits or were hard to implement. Rebuilding trust is not just about clearer, more persuasive communication but also admitting to mistakes
BUSINESS
Want to unravel some big COVID mysteries? Check the wastewater
By sifting through sewage, scientists can study unusual cases and even the origin of the virus
BUSINESS
Our addiction to fossil fuels is killing baby Penguins
As polar sea ice melts, the fluffy chicks are drowning before they can learn to swim
BUSINESS
The earth is dancing too close to a temperature tipping point
Our planet has survived huge climate changes in the past. But for complex life, these swings often led to mass death and even extinction
BUSINESS
Climate Change: How hot is too hot for the human body?
As the Earth gets hotter, city officials have to embrace heat warning systems, public cooling centres and science-based regulations aimed at preventing heat from killing us
BUSINESS
Don’t squander a key advance in fertility research
Scientists who announced that they had created "synthetic human embryos" should worry that the name and the still unanswered questions about how these so-called synthetic embryos were created and related misunderstandings could lead to bans that could derail this important scientific work representing a potentially significant breakthrough in the study of infertility
BUSINESS
Want to be more creative? Try dream-hacking while you sleep
New scientific methods are helping researchers understand how dreams can boost brainpower
