Should Twitter politely warn users not to tweet hate speech?
futurity.org – Politely worded reminders that there may be consequences to posting hate speech on Twitter may temporarily reduce hateful language on the platform.
Source: Mustafa Mikdat Yildirim, Jonathan Nagler, Richard Bonneau, Joshua A. Tucker. Short of Suspension: How Suspension Warnings Can Reduce Hate Speech on Twitter. Perspectives on Politics, 2021.
Why lithium-ion batteries have become dirt cheap: R&D
zmescience.com – We have research and development to thank for affordable batteries.
Source: Micah S. Ziegler, Juhyun Song, Jessika E. Trancik. Determinants of lithium-ion battery technology cost decline. Energy & Environmental Science, 2021.
Amazon birds are shrinking as the climate warms, prompting warning from scientists
npr.org – A new study examined 77 bird species in the Amazon over a 40-year period. It found they were rapidly evolving due to rising temperatures because smaller birds shed heat more efficiently.
Source: Vitek Jirinec, et al. Morphological consequences of climate change for resident birds in intact Amazonian rainforest. Science Advances, 2021.
The Gut Microbiome’s Role in Autism Gets Murkier
wired.com – As scientists look for a link between digestive-tract microbes and autism, some questionable treatments have surfaced. A new study says they’ve got it all backwards.
Source: Chloe X. Yap, et al. Autism-related dietary preferences mediate autism-gut microbiome associations. Cell, 2021.
6 Essential Numbers to Understand the Glasgow Climate Pact
wired.com – Last week nearly 200 countries agreed to take key steps to tackle the climate crisis. Here's what you need to know.
Source: Jocelyn Timperley. The broken $100-billion promise of climate finance — and how to fix it. Nature, 2021.
Chemical in human body odor triggers aggression in women, not in men, study finds
upi.com – Sniffing a chemical in human body odor blocks aggression in men but triggers it in women, an analysis published Friday by the journal Science Advances found.
Source: Eva Mishor, et al. Sniffing the human body volatile hexadecanal blocks aggression in men but triggers aggression in women. Science Advances, 2021.
Novel mRNA vaccine against ticks works in guinea pigs
zmescience.com – In the US alone, there are 50,000 tick bites reported every year.
Source: Andaleeb Sajid, et al. mRNA vaccination induces tick resistance and prevents transmission of the Lyme disease agent. Science Translational Medicine, 2021.
Eugenics: how bad science was used to promote racism and ableism
zmescience.com – When you believe some people are worth less than others, you end up on the wrong side of history.
Source: Katharine Sanderson. High-profile autism genetics project paused amid backlash. Nature, 2021.
COVID hit 13 members of their family the first time. A year later it struck again
npr.org – The second time Vanessa Quintero's family caught the virus, probably from her 8-year-old daughter, fewer people got sick. They and their doctors credit the protection of vaccination.
Source: Zijun Wang, et al. Naturally enhanced neutralizing breadth against SARS-CoV-2 one year after infection. Nature, 2021.
The Loss of a Child Takes a Physical Toll on the Heart
nytimes.com – Grieving parents were at high risk of a heart attack in the days following the death of a child, and an increased risk may persist for years.
Source: Dang Wei, et al. Death of an offspring and parental risk of ischemic heart diseases: A population-based cohort study. PLOS Medicine, 2021.