Groups of Laypeople Reliably Rate Stories As Effectively as Fact-Checkers
Crowds Can Wise Up To Fake News Experiment with Facebook-flagged content shows groups of laypeople reliably rate stories as effectively as fact-checkers do. In the…
Political Science
It Is Crucial to Talk Openly About Vaccine Side Effects if We Are to Defeat the COVID Pandemic
New research from Aarhus BSS at Aarhus University shows that openness about the effectiveness and side effects of vaccines bolster confidence in the health authorities,…
Stanford’s New Open-Source Software for Designing Sustainable Cities
New technology could help cities around the world improve people’s lives while saving billions of dollars. The free, open-source software developed by the Stanford Natural Capital Project creates maps…
“Battlefield Map” Reveals Malicious COVID-19 Content Exploits Pathways Between Platforms To Thrive Online
New research demonstrates how stopping the spread of harmful content will require inter-platform action. Malicious COVID-19 online content — including racist content, disinformation, and misinformation…
Where Do We Place the Blame for the COVID-19 Pandemic?
In a time of a global crisis such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to note how people move through different phases to…
CIA’s Misleading Inoculation Drive to Catch Osama Bin Laden Led to Vaccine Decline in Pakistan
A new paper in the Journal of the European Economic Association, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that distrust generated by a 2011 CIA-led vaccination campaign…
The Trojan-Horse Mechanism: How Network-Based Recruitment Can Reduce Gender Segregation
The social science literature has long viewed homophily and network-based job recruitment as crucial drivers of segregation. Researchers at Linköping University and ESADE, Ramon…
Conspiracy Theories Influence Our Behavior – Even if We Do Not Believe in Them!
Not least because of the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories are more topical than ever. They are reported and discussed in almost all media and communication…
Why the Middle Is Neglected in Politics and Other Spectrums – Mathematical Model Reveals Surprises
Are we really living in a polarized world? A mathematical model reveals surprises — particularly about people in the middle. When people talk about the…
How to Make People Follow COVID-19 Restrictions Without Appealing to Fear
Making people fear the coronavirus may motivate us to wash our hands, keep our distance and wear a face mask. But fear also takes a…
Why COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Methods Fall Short + 3 Ways to Improve Them
Several proposals have emerged on how to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, but they fall short in ensuring that the vaccine is distributed fairly. A team…
MIT Twitter Experiment Shows Clear Self-Selection Into Social Media “Echo Chambers” Due to Political Preferences
It is no secret that U.S. politics is polarized. An experiment conducted by MIT researchers now shows just how deeply political partisanship directly influences people’s…
Majority of Americans Skeptical Healthcare Costs Will Fall Anytime Soon as Biden Begins Presidency
New West Health-Gallup survey finds new president faces a frustrated public reeling from pandemic, economic disruption and high healthcare costs. In his inaugural address, President…
When Good Governments Go Bad: History Shows That Societies Collapse When Leaders Undermine Social Contracts
All good things must come to an end. Whether societies are ruled by ruthless dictators or more well-meaning representatives, they fall apart in time, with…
Biggest Vaccination Effort in U.S. History, yet Some States May Lack Facilities for Administering COVID-19 Vaccine to Residents
University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and West Health Policy Center develop mapping-tool to identify counties where residents may face access issues. As the biggest…
Mental Health Expert Tips on Coping if Your Presidential Candidate Loses
Tips on Dealing With the Stress of a Divisive Election The results of the presidential election will pack an emotional punch for those whose candidate…
Visualization Tool: See How Your Congressional District Has Handled COVID-19
University of Chicago researchers add district map to COVID Atlas visualization tool. Citizens and voters can now track their congressional districts alongside the coronavirus pandemic,…
Does the Electoral College Need to Be Reformed? Making Voting More Democratic
University of Chicago scholar discusses ways to make voting process more democratic. The outcome of every U.S. presidential election hinges on a few key swing…