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In western Germany, approval of xenophobic statements has increased significantly, bringing it closer to attitudes in the east. In the eastern German states, satisfaction with democracy as it is practised in Germany is at its lowest level since 2006. These are the key findings of the Leipzig Authoritarianism Study 2024, which was presented today (13 November) at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin under the title "United in Resentment" by Oliver Decker and Elmar Brähler from the Competence Center for Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy Research at Leipzig University.

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications examines the use of ochre in southern Africa and shows that the earth mineral has been used there as a dye and for ritual purposes for almost 50,000 years. The researchers analyzed 173 samples from 15 Stone Age sites and reconstructed methods of ochre extraction, the use of ochre, and transportation networks, considering local strategies and long-distance exchange.

A new study examines how extreme temperatures in the United States significantly affect mortality among different racial groups and found that both cold and hot days increase mortality rates, with the latter disproportionately affecting underrepresented populations. In particular, Non-Hispanic Blacks experienced higher excess mortality on hot days compared to Whites.

Migration can have different causes such as military conflicts or poverty. However, there is hardly any research to date on whether international sanctions influence the decision to leave one's homeland or not. Researchers at the University of Hamburg and Trier University have now published the first statistical analysis on sanction-driven emigration in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.

A new study reveals increased mental stress for mothers during the coronavirus pandemic During the Covid-19 pandemic, parents suddenly had to make do without childcare, which placed a heavy burden on mothers in particular. A study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research has investigated how the childcare situation changed during the pandemic and what impact this had on parents' mental health.

Researchers including Göttingen University show that modern behaviour explains prehistoric economies   What if the 'Market Economy' always existed? Archaeologists from the Universities of Göttingen in Germany and Salento in Italy tried to answer this question by researching how much Bronze Age people used to spend to sustain their daily lives.

Research exposes the long-lasting effects of losing a family member in war-torn regions Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are affected by armed conflict, both directly, through loss of life, or indirectly, through the loss of family members. Researchers studied the extent and duration of bereavement among those who lost immediate family members in high-intensity conflicts.

Ancient Maya genomes reveal the practice of male twin sacrifice and the enduring genetic legacy of colonial-era epidemics Rising to power in the wake of the Classic Maya collapse, Chichén Itzá was among the largest and most influential cities of the ancient Maya, but much about its political connections and ritual life remain poorly understood.

Significant differences in the working lives of mothers and fathers in Italy - Finland, on the other hand, balanced A study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research shows that, in contrast to Finland, from midlife mothers in Italy and the US work significantly fewer years than fathers, especially if they have two and more children.

A hug can have a soothing effect. Even if it comes from a robot . Touch can do a lot of good - so far, so good. But to what extent do people benefit from it? How much touch is allowed? Who should touch and where? Does it even have to be another person with whom we come into physical contact? A research team from Bochum, Duisburg-Essen and Amsterdam analyzed over 130 international studies with around 10,000 participants to answer these questions.

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, has researched parents' support behavior in relation to school grades. The study shows that low-income families support their children equally regardless of grades, while parents from higher income groups tend to give more support to children with lower grades.

Empathy can be transferred. This means that people can learn or unlearn empathy by observing their environment. This is shown by a new study by Würzburg neuroscientist Grit Hein . With her latest evaluations of empathy skills, Würzburg professor Grit Hein has once again disproved the old adage: "What goes around comes around".

Burials show that children with Down Syndrome and Edwards Syndrome were recognized as members of their communities An international team of researchers has analysed the DNA from a world-wide sample of nearly 10,000 ancient individuals to search for cases of Down Syndrome, an uncommon genetic condition caused by the presence of an additional copy of Chromosome 21.

What factors determine which countries people migrate to? Tim Müller from the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (BIM) has analysed this in a study of 160 countries. According to the study, important pull factors for migration are not so much social benefits, but rather good job opportunities, democratic conditions and the national language.

The adage "necessity is the mother of invention" is often used to describe the origin from which our cultural development springs. After all, necessity in times of scarcity has forced humans to constantly invent new technologies that have driven the remarkable cumulative culture of our species. But an invention only becomes cultural when it is learned and spread by many people.

You won't find another place that makes it as easy to compare yourself with others as social media. That's not good for you. Clothes, cars, travel, followers: People with a materialistic mindset always want more and, above all, more than others. Social media provides them with ideal opportunities to compare themselves with others, which makes them susceptible to passive and addictive user behavior.

Are you feeling permanently stressed and overworked? It could be due to your social media consumption. Reducing it by as little as 30 minutes a day makes a difference. If you feel overworked and stressed, you'll be less committed to your job and perform less well. Many companies are aware of this problem and, therefore, spend money on professionals to look after the mental health of their employees.

A study led by education professor Martin Neugebauer of Freie Universität Berlin and published in the European Sociological Review shows that young people's life satisfaction significantly declined during the pandemic Young people faced particularly difficult challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In modern societies, there is great inequality in the amount of pension that men and women receive over the course of their lives. This inequality is a consequence of both the fact that some people live long lives and the fact that the amount of pension people receive varies widely. Although this inequality is larger than inequalities in wages, for example, it is rarely studied.

Life expectancy in the U.S. has stopped increasing since 2010, after decades of steady increase. Meanwhile, most other countries have continued to experience improvements in life expectancy. Previous research has suggested that the poor performance of U.S. is because of high mortality of the working age population.