https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst have published work in the journal Science calling into question the conclusions of a widely reported study—published in Science in 2023—finding the social platform's algorithms successfully filtered out untrustworthy news surrounding the 2020 election and were not major drivers of misinformation. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-team-debunks-facebook-news-algorithm.html Social Sciences Political science Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:00:01 EDT news646565823 More people in the UK now access news online than on television, according to new survey data from the media regulator Ofcom. This is the first time Ofcom's annual news consumption poll has found online media use ahead of TV news. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-online-news-consumption-surpassed-television.html Social Sciences Political science Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:18:04 EDT news645718681 New research published in Science shows that for some people who believe in conspiracy theories, a fact-based conversation with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot can "pull them out of the rabbit hole." Better yet, it seems to keep them out for at least two months. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-ai-conspiracy-theory-rabbit-holes.html Social Sciences Political science Sat, 14 Sep 2024 14:00:01 EDT news645443820 A new Javan rhino calf has been spotted in an Indonesian national park, the facility's head said Friday, further boosting hopes for one of the world's most endangered mammals after two other sightings this year. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-rare-javan-rhino-calf-indonesia.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 13 Sep 2024 04:14:50 EDT news645419687 Today's young people are chronically online, and it appears that their media consumption is having an impact on their political views and likelihood to vote, according to a new study released by the UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-gen-zers-politics-media-trend.html Social Sciences Political science Thu, 12 Sep 2024 14:20:16 EDT news645369610 Even news outlets perceived as politically neutral can benefit from today's polarized media environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-neutral-news-sources-exploit-today.html Economics & Business Political science Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:24:04 EDT news645099841 Young people are as engaged and interested in current affairs as ever, but social media is siloing their opinions and making fake news hard to spot, and schools are the places to tackle this, according to a conspiracy theory expert. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-schools-urged-children-conspiracies-fake.html Education Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:30:02 EDT news644684967 On Aug. 18, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump posted an unusual endorsement to his social media account on Truth Social. Amid a series of photos, he included an image of pop megastar Taylor Swift wearing an Uncle Sam hat and declaring: "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump." https://phys.org/news/2024-08-ai-images-election-fact-fiction.html Political science Thu, 29 Aug 2024 16:28:04 EDT news644167681 The tumultuous 2024 U.S. presidential election season is fraught with partisan battles over contentious issues such as abortion, immigration, racial violence and climate change. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-america-divisiveness-requires.html Social Sciences Political science Mon, 26 Aug 2024 17:08:07 EDT news643910881 Canada saw a record 2,330 product recalls in 2023—more than six per day and the highest since the federal government started releasing the data in 2011. A product recall occurs when a manufacturer takes action to remove consumer goods with safety defects or regulatory non-compliance from the market. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-journalists-social-media-users-key.html Economics & Business Fri, 23 Aug 2024 11:16:04 EDT news643630561 Five hundred young sturgeon were released at four locations into the Saginaw River system last week as part of an ongoing effort by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University to rebuild the giant fish's population. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-young-sturgeon-saginaw-river.html Ecology Thu, 22 Aug 2024 07:15:21 EDT news643529717 Looks like Kamala Harris' campaign is getting it right when it comes to social media, according to a new study. As democrats are playing up their sunny outlook in their presidential campaign, a study published in Scientific Reports suggests that emphasizing in-party positive messaging is more effective for political communication on social media than promoting out-party hostility. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-online-reveals-party-positivity-engagement.html Social Sciences Political science Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:57:31 EDT news643287447 Instead of excitement about the upcoming election, many of my patients and friends—regardless of political affiliation—report they're terrified at the thought of the "other side" winning. Democrats tell me they fear Donald Trump will end our democracy; Republicans are afraid Kamala Harris will turn the United States into a socialist society without family values. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-election-anxiety-psychiatrist-channel-tribal.html Social Sciences Political science Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:10:04 EDT news642679615 Social networks have revolutionized the way we communicate, stay informed and share moments of our daily lives. We use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to keep in touch with our friends and family, share our experiences, keep informed, and express our opinions. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-social-media-disinformation-expert-safety.html Social Sciences Political science Sat, 10 Aug 2024 19:00:01 EDT news642419711 J. David Cisneros, a professor of communication and an affiliate of Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researches social movements and public rhetoric about race, culture and citizenship. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-qa-presidential-candidates-embody-ideas.html Political science Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:50:01 EDT news641727112 Most Americans are aware of fake news and misinformation. In a new study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania sought to uncover whether the threat of misinformation drives Americans to seek out news sources that reflect their own political beliefs. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-reveals-impact-misinformation-americans-media.html Social Sciences Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:59:16 EDT news641573952 Canadians have been engaging less with news on Facebook since Meta's decision to block journalistic content on some of its platforms. However, this trend was already underway before this measure was taken, and can also be observed internationally. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-canadians-facebook-source-news.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:49:03 EDT news641209741 According to the UK's Femicide Census, between 124 and 168 women have been killed by men in the country every year for the past 15 years. Most of these have been by current or former partners. These stories are, sadly, frequent and do not always make the news—but when they do, they must be told more sensitively. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-published-images-happy-couple-victims.html Social Sciences Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:54:56 EDT news640605290 In a world-first study on the impact of doomscrolling from an existential perspective, Flinders University researchers warn that habitual checking of disturbing stories on social media is linked with changes to how we view humankind and the meaning of life. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-doomscrolling-trigger-existential-crisis.html Social Sciences Thu, 18 Jul 2024 12:24:40 EDT news640524278 From podcasts to shorts, the topic of serial killers is likely to receive a significant amount of attention on social media sites. But what is it about this subject that captures the imagination of millions? https://phys.org/news/2024-07-social-media-perspectives-serial-killer.html Social Sciences Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:00:01 EDT news639305213 Earlier this year, New Hampshire voters received a phone message that sounded like President Joe Biden, discouraging them to vote in the state's primary election. The voice on the line, however, was not really Biden's—it was a robocall created with artificial intelligence (AI) to deceptively mimic the president. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-ai-fake-content-policymakers.html Political science Thu, 04 Jul 2024 09:37:23 EDT news639304636 In recent years, incidents of violence by "involuntary celibates" (incels) have raised questions about the risks and worldview of those who espouse incel beliefs. In 2022, a Canadian Parliament standing committee explored the connections of incel violence to threats of extremism. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-mental-health-neurodivergence-incel-violence.html Social Sciences Wed, 03 Jul 2024 12:12:08 EDT news639227526 Journalism faces a credibility crisis. Only 32% of Americans report having "a great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in news reporting—a historical low. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-journalism-problem-money-politics.html Economics & Business Political science Wed, 26 Jun 2024 15:30:01 EDT news638624282 Once upon a time, newly minted graduates dreamt of creating online social media that would bring people closer together. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-social-media-fueling-political-polarization.html Social Sciences Political science Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:10:02 EDT news638099446 Corporate earnings announcements are more than just powerful signals to those in the know. After all, it might be expected that sophisticated investors and employees of public companies closely watch news that directly affects their personal wealth. But surprising news about corporate earnings also affects the communities that surround a company, three Stanford Graduate School of Business accounting professors find in a new paper. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-companies-locals-pocketbooks.html Economics & Business Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:40:30 EDT news638012425 New research led by the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy reveals a crucial disparity in how climate change is reported across different types of news outlets and locations. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-polarization-climate-coverage-elite.html Political science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:43:31 EDT news637846991 A team of materials scientists from Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, both in Israel, working with a colleague from California Institute of Technology, in the U.S., has found that mixing a certain peptide with water results in the creation of a self-assembling and self-healing glass. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-accidentally-peptide-results-glass.html Materials Science Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:55:23 EDT news637491318 Why do politicians lie and deny when they are caught up in political scandal? According to a recent study led by a University of Nebraska–Lincoln political scientist, the answer may be that their supporters prefer a less-than-credible denial to losing political power and in-group status because of a discredited standard-bearer. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-politicians-deny-misdeeds.html Political science Wed, 12 Jun 2024 17:12:03 EDT news637431121 Partisan websites masquerading as media outlets now outnumber American newspaper sites, a research group that tracks misinformation said Tuesday, highlighting a local news crisis in a year of high-stakes elections. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-phony-news-portals-surpass-newspaper.html Political science Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:41:47 EDT news637386098 Efforts to tackle false information through fact-checking or media literacy initiatives increase the public's skepticism toward "fake news." However, they also breed distrust in genuine, fact-based news sources, shows a University of Zurich-led study using online survey experiments in the US, Poland and Hong Kong. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-interventions-misinformation-skepticism-reliable-sources.html Social Sciences Political science Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:51:04 EDT news637239062