Viewpoint: ‘Public fixation on human extinction from AI could distract from AI’s more immediate harms’

The warning consisted of a single sentence: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” The pithy…

Echo Chambers Amplified: How CNN and Fox News Fuel America’s Polarization

Summary: Researchers utilized AI and natural language processing to analyze 10 years of broadcasts and tweets from CNN and Fox News, revealing a surge in partisan and inflammatory language. The…

Omega Fatty Acids Improve Vision in Preterm Babies

Summary: A novel study reveals that preterm babies given a supplement of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids show significantly better visual function by age two and a half. Conducted between…

Debunking the Social Media & Teen Anxiety Myth

Summary: Contrary to popular belief, a six-year study reveals that increased use of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok does not lead to higher rates of anxiety and…

Anger, The Forgotten Emotion Unveiled: How Trauma Influences Problem Anger

Summary: Anger remains a misunderstood emotion, often stigmatized and mishandled in society. Researchers revealed a significant link between problem anger and trauma experiences, with anger serving as a common, yet…

Mental Health and Cannabis Use in Pregnant Women

Summary: A recent study reveals a potential vulnerability of pregnant and postpartum women with mental health disorders towards self-medicating with cannabis. Prior research had been vague, generalizing mental health issues…

Ketamine in Depression Treatment: Balancing Promise with Caution

Summary: Researchers examined the evolving use of ketamine as a treatment for depression in New Zealand. While acknowledging its potential benefits for treatment-resistant depression, they advise against a rapid large-scale…

Sequestering carbon on a gigaton scale: How gene editing can address climate change by reducing atmospheric emissions

Hardly a day goes by without another piece praising the potential for gene editing to help solve climate change. Nevertheless, the possible contributions of biology and biotechnology have been conspicuously underplayed in most of the International Panel on Climate Change…

Unlocking Sound: Common Supplement Might Combat Age-Related Hearing Loss

Summary: Researchers discovered a link between age-related hearing loss and decreased cholesterol in the inner ear. This cholesterol reduction affects the outer hair cells (OHCs), which are essential for amplifying…

Emperor penguins lost thousands of chicks to melting ice last year

Thousands of emperor penguins in western Antarctica lost their chicks last year, largely due to receding sea ice, satellite data suggest. Over the last two years, sea ice has reached…