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  • To help autonomous vehicles make moral decisions, researchers ditch the 'trolley problem' 01.12.2023
    Researchers have developed a new experiment to better understand what people view as moral and immoral decisions related to driving vehicles, with the goal of collecting data to train autonomous vehicles how to make 'good' decisions. The work is designed to capture a more realistic array of moral challenges in traffic than the widely discussed […]
  • Illuminating the benefits of marine protected areas for ecotourism, and vice versa 30.11.2023
    As California, the U.S. and the world work to make good on commitments to conserve 30% of oceans and lands by 2030, all strategies are on the table -- and under the microscope. When it comes to the ocean, one valuable tool is marine protected areas (MPAs), regions that are defined, designated and managed for […]
  • Unsafe lead levels in school drinking water: new study IDs building risk factors 30.11.2023
    Civil and environmental engineers have determined the factors that may help identify the schools and daycare centers at greatest risk for elevated levels of lead in drinking water. The most telling characteristic for schools in Massachusetts is building age, with facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s -- nearly a third of the facilities tested -- […]
  • Phasing out fossil fuels could save millions of lives 30.11.2023
    Scientists provide new evidence to motivate rapid fossil fuel phaseout. The science team determined exposure to ambient air pollution and its health impacts using an updated atmospheric composition model, a newly developed relative risk model and recent satellite-based fine particle data. They estimated all-cause and disease-specific mortality and attributed them to emission categories. They show […]
  • What makes sustainable consumption so difficult 30.11.2023
    When it comes to self-discipline, psychological research traditionally focuses on individual responsibility. Some researchers believe this is too short-sighted. Self-discipline doesn't work without effective regulation.
  • Money to burn: Wealthy, white neighborhoods losing their heat shields 30.11.2023
    White, wealthy neighborhoods in the LA area -- and likely around the world -- are about to start feeling the same heat that has plagued poorer, Hispanic neighborhoods for generations. A new study shows the protective effect of income has largely eroded over the past 40 years, as landscape plants can't keep up with the […]
  • Parental engagement positively associated with safer driving among young people, UGR study finds 30.11.2023
    The results show that while close supervision may be linked to increased anxiety when driving, it is also associated with a more cautious attitude behind the wheel.
  • Climate: Why disinformation is so persistent 30.11.2023
    Melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme heat waves: the consequences of climate change are more visible than ever, and the scientific community has confirmed that humans are responsible. Yet studies show that a third of the population still doubts or disputes these facts. The cause is disinformation spread by certain vested interests. To try […]
  • Scientists create framework to guide development and assessment of urban climate action plans 30.11.2023
    With the world projected to be highly urbanized by 2050, cities are encouraged to take urgent climate actions to mitigate and adapt to the threats of climate change. As climate change intensifies and urbanization increases rapidly, local governments are expected now more than ever to lead climate action planning. However, studies show the limitations of […]
  • Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations 29.11.2023
    A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite tightened pesticide regulations, far more needs to be done. 
  • Remote collaborations deliver fewer scientific breakthroughs 29.11.2023
    Remote teams are less likely to make breakthrough discoveries compared to those who work onsite, according to new research. The researchers' key finding was that, while remote collaboration has the potential to deliver new and creative scientific ideas through easier access to a global knowledge pool, it is harder for such teams to integrate effectively […]
  • Psychological science can help counter spread of misinformation 29.11.2023
    Debunking, 'prebunking,' nudging and teaching digital literacy are several of the more effective ways to counter misinformation, according to a new report.
  • How to stay on task 28.11.2023
    Our ability to pay attention to tasks—a key component of our everyday lives—is heavily influenced by factors like motivation, arousal and alertness. Maintaining focus can be especially challenging when the task is boring or repetitive.
  • Commitments needed to solve aviation's impact on our climate 28.11.2023
    Researchers could find no simple solution to limiting non-CO2 emissions from aircraft.
  • Kids who feel their parents are less reliable take fewer risks vital to learning and growth 27.11.2023
    The researchers studied decisions that more than 150 children ages 10 to 13 made while playing games that offered opportunities to risk a little and explore for potential gains.
  • Defending your voice against deepfakes 27.11.2023
    Computer scientists have developed AntiFake, a tool to protect voice recordings from unauthorized speech synthesis.
  • Child care centers aren't a likely source of COVID-19 spread, study says 27.11.2023
    Parents who send their children to child care can breathe a little easier. New research shows that children in daycare were not significant spreaders of COVID-19.
  • Extra practice blending letter sounds helps struggling readers 27.11.2023
    New research has shown that extra practice in blending printed letter sounds can help struggling beginner readers (age 4-5) learn to read.
  • A fifth higher: Tropical cyclones substantially raise the Social Cost of Carbon 23.11.2023
    Extreme events like tropical cyclones have immediate impacts, but also long-term implications for societies. A new study now finds: Accounting for the long-term impacts of these storms raises the global Social Cost of Carbon by more than 20 percent, compared to the estimates currently used for policy evaluations. This increase is mainly driven by the […]
  • Particulate pollution from coal associated with double the risk of mortality than PM2.5 from other sources 23.11.2023
    Exposure to fine particulate air pollutants from coal-fired power plants (coal PM2.5) is associated with a risk of mortality more than double that of exposure to PM2.5 from other sources, according to a new study. Examining Medicare and emissions data in the U.S. from 1999 to 2020, the researchers also found that 460,000 deaths were […]