Marketing researchers have identified the combination of characteristics that make people “like” images on Instagram. Previous work found there are two aspects of an image that people respond to: feature complexity and design complexity. Essentially,

Sex education lacks representation of Black and Brown people, research finds. In recent years, attention to diversity of images in visual media—TV, movies, stock photos, children’s books, and more—has increased. The new paper investigates skin color

Researchers suspect that the Earth’s heat may dissipate sooner than previously thought. The researchers have come to this conclusion after showing in the lab how well a mineral common at the boundary between the Earth’s core and mantle conducts heat.

“Doomscrolling,” a term used to describe the concept of binging on negative news, is a new and unique behavior, and not just another trendy, clickbaity phrase, a new study finds. The study in Technology, Mind, and Behavior also developed a technique

A new technique uses small wearable sensors to gather data on how people who have experienced a traumatic hand amputation use a prosthesis versus a transplant in everyday life. So far, the data shows people with a transplanted hand demonstrate a more

Computer algorithms can determine antimicrobial resistance of bacteria faster than previous methods, researchers report. This could help treat serious infections more efficiently in the future. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise all over t

The Centers for Disease Control has upgraded its guidance to acknowledge that cloth masks are not as effective as surgical and N95 masks to protect against COVID-19. The recommendation comes as the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to drive

Children up to age 18 with COVID-19 were at low risk for serious health problems stemming from such infections, researchers report. The new study was based on pediatric data analyzed up to June 2021, before the Delta and Omicron variants took hold. T

Researchers have come up with a computer model that remarkably mirrors the way misinformation spreads in real life. The new work might provide insight on how to protect people from the current contagion of misinformation that threatens public health

Boosting levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine with atomoxetine, a repurposed ADHD medication, may be able to stall neurodegeneration in people with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. The results appear in the journ

A new biologically inspired battery membrane has enabled a battery with five times the capacity of the industry-standard lithium ion design to run for the thousand-plus cycles needed to power an electric car. A network of aramid nanofibers, recycled

Researchers have come up with an explanation for the moon’s strong magnetic field during its early history. It’s a question that has confounded researchers since NASA’s Apollo program began returning lunar samples in 1969. Rocks returned to Earth dur

The ability of animal-dispersed plants to keep pace with climate change has been reduced by 60% due to the loss of mammals and birds that help such plants adapt to environmental change, researchers report. Researchers used machine learning and data f

Survey findings document than 500 people’s experiences with delta-8-THC and how it compares to cannabis. The words of one user best describe the overarching views shared by survey participants: that delta-8-THC is like delta-9’s “nicer younger siblin

Phthalates may disrupt a hormone called pCRH that’s needed for a healthy pregnancy, research suggests. The study examines the impact phthalates have on pCRH, or placental corticotropin releasing hormone, which plays an important role in labor. Phthal

Why have so many people become fans of Wordle? Social psychologist Matt Baldwin has some answers. Wordle, the free, once-a-day word game, has gained millions of fans since its public launch in October. Unlike most players, though, Baldwin understands

Your taste buds may or may not be able to tell real sugar from a sugar sweetener substitute like Splenda, but there are cells in your intestines that can and do distinguish between the two sweet solutions. And, those cells can communicate the differe

Americans who eat beef could slash their diet’s carbon footprint by as much as 48% by swapping just one serving per day for a more planet-friendly alternative, according to a new study. Using real-world data from a survey of what more than 16,000 Ame

Dengue-infected mosquitos are more attracted to mammals and bite more often, tripling disease transmission opportunities, according to a new study. Researchers say the findings could help develop more effective disease control strategies, which have

New research shows parasite density is far higher around water sources than elsewhere in African savanna landscapes. “We think about watering holes as being iconic centers of these majestic animals,” says Georgia Titcomb, a biologist at the Universit

Direct transmission of bisphenol A from through the placenta could negatively affect fetal brain development, a new study shows. Cheryl Rosenfeld, a professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri,

Are you a jerk at work? Psychology professor Tessa West offers a game plan for interacting more productively with fellow employees—and for spotting your own misbehavior. The workplace has undoubtedly transformed since March of 2020, when the pandemic

By stepping up its military presence along the Ukrainian border, Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes that Ukraine and the West will make concessions and Ukraine will realign itself back to Moscow, says Steven Pifer. But nothing has alienated Ukrai

Attending school on Zoom and quarantining from family and friends has children struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, but, surprisingly, having kids at home may help adults feel less distressed, researchers report. Adults in households with childr

An analysis of 1 million doctoral dissertations finds widespread bias against research that just seems feminine, even if it’s not explicitly about women or gender. For more than a decade, women have earned more doctoral degrees than men in the United

A new study identifies three things that draw people back to their hometowns a decade or two after leaving: public schools, population density, and other college-degree-holders in the community. Many academics and journalists have written about rural

Being popular in middle school doesn’t necessarily mean being well-liked, research finds. The study finds that middle school students generally consider well-liked classmates to be those who are high achieving academically as well as helpful, kind, a

Thinking like engineers rather than doctors, Jeffery Hubbell and Melody Swartz are bringing new approaches to the field of immunotherapy—and helping rethink cancer research. Swartz has even developed what she calls a cancer “vaccine”—a way to train t

A new study looks at United States unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the effects of job loss trends on LGBTQ+ populations. LGBTQ+ individuals who are younger, Black non-Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic, gay cisgender men, in

State-level legalization of abortion produced a 30-40% decline in non-white maternal mortality, health records from the 1960s and 1970s indicate. The state-level changes had little impact on overall or white maternal mortality, according to the worki