Blue ticks: what evolutionary theory tells us about the turmoil around social media verification

Signalling theory tells us lots about the way paid-for verification has disrupted the blue tick system.

Jonathan R Goodman, Researcher, Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge • conversation
March 7, 2023 ~8 min

AI could make more work for us, instead of simplifying our lives

Automation may not reduce our workloads as much as we’d hoped.

Barbara Ribeiro, Associate professor in innovation management and policy, SKEMA Business School and Honorary Lecturer, University of Manchester • conversation
March 2, 2023 ~5 min


Why does the Earth spin?

An astronomer takes us on a tour of the universe to learn about the birth of stars and planets and how they get their spin.

Silas Laycock, Professor of Astronomy, UMass Lowell • conversation
Feb. 13, 2023 ~7 min

How did birds survive while dinosaurs went extinct?

Birds and dinosaurs lived together for millions of years, but only toothless birds survived the asteroid impact that upended life on Earth.

Chris Lituma, Assistant Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, West Virginia University • conversation
Feb. 6, 2023 ~5 min

Cornwall space launch: why launching rockets from UK soil can benefit industry and security

Efforts to launch rockets into space from the UK need to demonstrate reliability.

Craig Underwood, Professor, University of Surrey • conversation
Feb. 3, 2023 ~8 min

How we cracked the mystery of Australia's prehistoric giant eggs

A puzzle over the identity of an extinct bird that laid eggs across Australia has been solved.

Gifford Miller, Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
Jan. 24, 2023 ~8 min

Like Prince Harry a quarter of British people have consulted a psychic – here’s the science on why

How Prince Harry using a psychic to contact his dead mother, Princess Diana, isn’t that unusual.

Neil Dagnall, Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University • conversation
Jan. 12, 2023 ~7 min

China now publishes more high-quality science than any other nation -- should the US be worried?

In 2014, Chinese researchers published more papers than any other country for the first time. In 2019, China overtook the U.S. as the No. 1 publisher of the most influential papers.

Caroline Wagner, Milton & Roslyn Wolf Chair in International Affairs, The Ohio State University • conversation
Jan. 10, 2023 ~9 min


Why is astronomy a science but astrology is not?

Astrology and astronomy were once practiced side by side by scientists like Galileo and Kepler. And they’re more similar than you might think.

Carl Craver, Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis • conversation
Dec. 19, 2022 ~8 min

Nuclear fusion may still be decades away, but the latest breakthrough could speed up its development

A US national lab has proved we can the fusion process can be used to produce energy, but it’s just the first step in a very long process.

Gianluca Gregori, Professor of Physics, University of Oxford • conversation
Dec. 15, 2022 ~6 min

/

22