If people do not observe inequality, they are less likely to favor policies that redistribute wealth, such as taxation—but they are also more satisfied with their lot, according to online experiments involving 1,440 US-based participants. Milena Tsvetkova and colleagues developed a model simulating how network structure affects perception of inequality and tested its predictions through an online experiment where participants voted on tax rates. In the experiment, participants were randomly assigned as "rich" (with scores around ...

The same personalized algorithms that deliver online content based on your previous choices on social media sites like YouTube also impair learning, a new study suggests.   Researchers found that when an algorithm controlled what information was shown to study participants on a subject they knew nothing about, they tended to narrow their focus and only explore a limited subset of the information that was available to them.   As a result, these participants were often wrong when tested on the information they were supposed to learn – but were still overconfident in their incorrect answers.   The ...

Note: December 1-5 is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week   When today’s older adults learned to drive, they might have heard the Beatles’ “Drive My Car” or Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” on their car radio’s Top 40 station. Now, 84% of people age 65 and older drive at least once a week, and 62% drive most days, according to a new University of Michigan national poll. But less than half of these older drivers have made a plan for a time down the road, when changes ...

Up to 30% of life, by weight, is underground. Seismic activity may renew the energy supply for subterranean ecosystems. Eric Boyd and colleagues chronicled the ecological changes in subsurface microbial communities that took place after a swarm of small earthquakes rattled the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field in 2021. Subsurface microbial communities are powered by chemical energy gleaned from the interactions between rocks and water. Earthquakes can expose new rocks, release trapped fluids, and alter the flow path of water, together kicking off new reactions and changing the chemical “menu” for subsurface ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of our everyday lives and with that emerges a pressing question: Who should be held responsible, when AI goes wrong? AI lacks consciousness and free-will, which makes it difficult to blame the system for the mistakes. AI systems operate through complex, opaque processes in a semi-autonomous manner. Hence, even though the systems are developed and used by human stakeholders, it is impossible for them to predict the harm. The traditional ethical frameworks thus fail to explain who is responsible for these harms, leading to the so-called responsibility gap in AI ethics. A recent study by Dr. Hyungrae Noh, an Assistant ...

Perovskites—a class of compounds with a unique ABX3 structure and high temperature stability—are promising materials for energy conversion. In recent years, they have been utilized in photovoltaic systems. They exhibit excellent performance in solid oxide fuel cells and organic reactions such as oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) for the production of ethane and ethylene. Notably, BaTiO3 is a promising perovskite with applications in fields including ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and semiconductivity. It possesses a flexible lattice and rich defect chemistry, making it suitable for structural modifications via doping for enhanced functional performance. Furthermore, ...

CHICAGO – Using a deep learning AI model, researchers identified the first-of-its-kind biomarker of chronic stress detectable through routine imaging, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Chronic stress can affect both physical and psychological well-being, causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, according to the American Psychological Association. Research shows that chronic stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart ...

CHICAGO – The shape of the gluteus maximus muscle in the buttocks changes in different ways with aging, lifestyle, frailty, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes, and these changes differ between women and men, according to new research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The researchers used MRI 3D mapping, a technique that processes a series of MRI images to create a detailed 3D anatomical model, allowing for improved visualization. The 3D mapping revealed distinct, sex-specific patterns in the gluteus maximus that were associated with type 2 diabetes, suggesting that the shape—not the size—of the muscle ...

Four major turning points around age nine, 32, 66 and 83 create five broad eras of neural wiring over the average human lifespan.    Typical adolescent brain development lasts until our early thirties on average, when the adult era of neural wiring finally emerges.  Neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge have identified five “major epochs” of brain structure over the course of a human life, as our brains rewire to support different ways of thinking while we grow, mature, ...

Temperature, rainfall, and snowfall patterns are shifting at an accelerated rate in mountain regions  Over one billion people worldwide depend on mountain snow and glaciers for water, including the populations of China and India  As temperatures rise, more snow is changing to rain, decreasing mountain snowfall  Mountains worldwide are experiencing climate change more intensely than lowland areas, with potentially devastating consequences for billions of people who live in and/or depend on these regions, according to a major global review.  The international study, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, examines ...

Earth's ocean, the planet's life-support system, is experiencing rapid and widespread transformations that extend far below its surface. A promising international study published in Nature Climate Change reveals that vast regions of the global ocean are experiencing compound state change, with simultaneously warming, becoming saltier or fresher, losing oxygen, and acidifying—clear indicators of climate change pushing marine environments into uncharted territory. Led by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Mercator Ocean International (MOI, France), and the Laboratoire ...

Autistic people are more likely to report suicide-related behaviours and psychological distress irrespective of previous traumatic experiences, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Additionally, the study shows for the first time that higher levels of trauma are associated with an increased likelihood of reporting suicide-related behaviours and psychological distress in autistic people — as is the case in the general population. Given that autistic people are recognised as a priority group for suicide prevention in the UK, these findings have important implications for national suicide prevention strategies. ...

A hospital-acquired bacterium that causes serious infections can move from the lungs to the gut inside the same patient, raising the risk of life-threatening sepsis, new research reveals. Published today (25 November) in Nature Communications, researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute analysed DNA data taken from hospital patients to understand movement of the bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) within individuals. The research sheds light on how lung infections can result in the spread of a major disease-causing bacterium between multiple parts of the body, increasing the risk of sepsis in vulnerable patients. The insights from the study may inform ...

ALBUQUERQUE, NM and MEMPHIS, TN – November 25, 2025 – Scientists have uncovered a surprising mechanism by which a brain enzyme called OTULIN controls the expression of tau, the protein that forms toxic tangles in Alzheimer's disease. The findings, published today in Genomic Psychiatry, reveal that OTULIN functions not only as expected in protein degradation pathways but also plays a previously unknown role as a master regulator of gene expression and RNA metabolism. The research team, led by Dr. Kiran Bhaskar at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and Dr. Francesca-Fang Liao at the University of Tennessee Health ...

In recent years, governments worldwide have expressed concern over rising inequality, eroding social cohesion, and declining trust in institutions. This study, led by Professor Ken’ichi Ikeda from the Faculty of Social Studies, Doshisha University, Japan, in collaboration with Associate Professor Naoki Akaeda from the Faculty of Sociology, Kansai University, Japan, contributes to that debate. They demonstrate that subjective well-being (SWB) is deeply tied to both a country’s overall risk climate and the configuration of happiness inequality, where society resembles a “weak pyramid” or an “inverted pyramid.” Understanding ...

A joint research team led by Dr. Hee-Eun Song of the Photovoltaics Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (President Yi Chang-Keun, hereafter “KIER”) and Prof. Ka-Hyun Kim of the Department of Physics at Chungbuk National University (President Koh Chang-Seup, hereafter “CBNU”) has successfully identified, for the first time, the specific types of defects responsible for efficiency loss in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. The findings are expected to significantly contribute to improving solar cell efficiency when combined with defect-suppression (passivation) techniques. * Silicon Heterojunction ...

Superconductive materials can conduct electricity with no resistance, but typically only at very low temperatures. Realizing superconductivity at room temperature could enable advanced, energy-efficient electronics and other technologies. Now, an international research team is one step closer to such an achievement. The researchers made the first observation of a special electronic state known as a “nodal metal,” which provides more insight into electronic behavior at different temperatures, in a multilayer system comprising copper and oxygen. The team, which includes researchers based in Japan, ...

While urbanization has restricted and fragmented the natural ecosystems, it also creates new and diverse environmental conditions within towns. A Kobe University research team now found that a plant species that successfully established itself throughout a megacity exhibited distinct and inheritable characteristics that have adapted to the diverse urban environments. Urbanization has been accelerating since the 1970s, leading to habitat reduction and fragmentation. Many studies have since confirmed a loss in biodiversity and species abundance in urban compared to rural habitats. Kobe University ecologist USHIMARU Atushi has been studying the Asiatic dayflower, scientifically known ...

In the earliest text written in Marathi, a language of millions in western and central India, a 13th-century religious figure named Cakradhara points to an acacia tree as a symbol of the cycle of death and reincarnation. It’s unlikely he imagined he would help today’s scientists understand the history of India’s vast lands. But scholars say that centuries-old literary works like this could help reveal the history of the great expanses of savannas and grasslands that cover nearly 10% of India and more than a third of the land ...

Earthquake forecasting tools powered by AI can forecast the risk of aftershocks seconds after the initial tremor, a study suggests. Machine learning models have been developed that can forecast where, and how many, aftershocks will take place following an earthquake in close to real-time, researchers say. Current methods used to forecast aftershocks – secondary quakes that can prove more deadly than initial earthquakes – can take several hours or days, the team says. The rapid forecasts produced by AI-powered tools could help authorities with decision-making about public safety measures and resource allocation in disaster-hit areas. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, ...

Dysfunctional breathing (DB) is frequently misdiagnosed or insufficiently treated, leading to a diminished quality of life and unnecessary medical intervention. While recent studies have focused on DB in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), its prevalence and contributing factors in the general population remain unclear. Additionally, tobacco use may exacerbate both respiratory symptoms and underlying comorbidities, while potentially contributing to DB. A team led by Osaka Metropolitan University researchers aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of DB, as well ...

Researchers from University of California San Diego have identified 11 genetic regions linked to delay discounting — the tendency to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones — shedding new light on how impulsive decision-making relates to both mental and physical health. The study, published on Nov. 25, 2025 in Molecular Psychiatry, analyzed genome-wide data from 134,935 23andMe participants and found that the same genetic factors that influence impulsive decision-making also overlap ...

Patients with the deadliest form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, who received MRI-guided focused ultrasound with standard-of-care chemotherapy had a nearly 40 percent increase in overall survival in a landmark trial of 34 patients led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers. This is the first time researchers have demonstrated a potential survival benefit from using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier to improve delivery of chemotherapy to the tumor site in brain cancer patients after surgery. “Our results are very encouraging. Using focused ultrasound to open the ...

Researchers have developed the world’s first real-world head-to-head testing platform to determine whether commercial artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are fit for NHS use to detect disease in a fair, equitable, transparent and trustworthy way, using diabetic eye disease as the first example. They say that it removes any biases that can come from companies wanting to deploy their AI software in clinical settings, putting all companies on a level playing field. Currently, NHS AI algorithm selection focuses on cost-effectiveness and matching human performance. ...

Special Report Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of Americans each year and can result in long-lasting symptoms. Previously, outpatient TBI care lacked standardized guidance that could not apply uniformly to adults with TBI who could care for themselves after hospital discharge or who did not require hospital admission. The National Academies’ 2022 report on TBI identified this gap and called for coordinated follow-up care, leading to the formation of the Action Collaborative on TBI Care. The collaborative’s Clinical Practice Guideline Working Group synthesized and adapted recommendations from 18 existing evidence-based guidelines ...