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Social Sciences - 20.10.2022

Dark personality traits make susceptible to fake news
People who deny the existence of facts believe in fake news more often. Particularly often affected are people with dark personality traits - those who always put their own benefit first. These are the findings of a new study at the Institute for Human-Computer Media at the University of Würzburg. Some people believe fake news even when the scientific facts clearly speak against it," says psychologist Jan Philipp Rudloff.

Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 19.10.2022

Meet the first Neandertal family
Ancient genomes of thirteen Neandertals provide a rare snapshot of their community and social organization For the first time, an international team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have managed to sequence multiple individuals from a remote Neandertal community in Siberia.

Social Sciences - 29.09.2022

Exposure to accents helps children learn words
University of Freiburg study on vocabulary acquisition uses novel game-based design Freiburg, Sep 29, 2022 If elementary school children are accustomed to many regional and foreign accents because they hear them frequently in their linguistic environment, then it is easier for them to learn new words from other children who speak with unfamiliar accents.

Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 21.09.2022

From Continental Europe to England
Archaeogenetic study reveals large-scale continental migration into the East of England during the early Medieval Period In the largest early-medieval population study to date, an interdisciplinary team consisting of geneticists and archaeologists - led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Central Lancashire - analysed over 400 individuals from ancient Britain, Ireland, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Social Sciences - 12.09.2022

Money can increase willingness to help - but only if empathy is low
People who help others do not necessarily want to be rewarded for this. However, a reward can motivate low-empathic individuals to provide help. This is shown by a new study. A classic finding of social psychology research is that people donate less blood if they are paid to do so. If there is no payment, which means that they act simply out of a desire to help their fellow human beings, they give significantly more blood.

Environment - Social Sciences - 12.09.2022

Battle of the bins
In Australia, cockatoos and humans are in an arms race over garbage access Residents of southern Sydney, Australia have been in a long-term battle over garbage - humans want to throw it out, and cockatoos want to eat it. The sulphur-crested cockatoos that call the area home have a knack for getting into garbage bins, and people have been using inventive devices to keep them out.

Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 06.09.2022

What attitudes towards outgroups improves
A realistic assessment of our own social group can help improve our attitude towards other groups. This is shown by a new study by the University Hospital of Würzburg. We are us, and others are exactly that - other. The feeling of belonging to a particular group that is clearly different from other groups is probably a human trait that we all share.

Social Sciences - Health - 05.09.2022

’Children younger than six years old do not belong in bunk beds’
Study by Leipzig University Medical Center: Forearm fractures most common after falls from bunk beds They are in vogue with many families: bunk beds in all shapes and colors, with stairs, ladders or even slides. A study by Leipzig University Medical Center has shown that accidents involving such beds frequently lead to bone fractures in children.

Social Sciences - 02.09.2022

New Study Highlights What Helped Families in the Corona Crisis
What factors determined how well families mastered the challenges of the corona pandemic? And what impact did social inequality have? A new study at Universität Hamburg has some answers. -We already know that individual factors, for example resources such as housing, income, or education, affect people during the pandemic,- explains sociologist Manderscheid from Universität Hamburg.

Health - Social Sciences - 24.08.2022

Variants in BRCA1/2 and MMR genes in children with cancer
Genetic testing not recommended in healthy children Pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2 genes are associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer in adults and variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes increase the risk of gastrointestinal and other cancers. Until now, the role of such variants in children and adolescents with cancer was unclear.

Environment - Social Sciences - 16.08.2022

National parks - islands in a desert?
Effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in national parks is associated with socioeconomic conditions How effective is biodiversity conservation of European and African national parks? This seems to be strongly associated with societal and economic conditions. But even under the most favourable conditions, conservation efforts cannot completely halt emerging threats to biodiversity if conditions outside of the parks do not improve.

Social Sciences - Event - 20.06.2022

’I never knew there were people like me at university’
Surveys of participants in the -Native Schools- project show that knowledge communication may be a key to overcoming social injustice, inequality and exclusion. In particular, direct interactions between researchers and disadvantaged groups have the potential to increase knowledge about and enthusiasm for research in all parts of society.

Social Sciences - Health - 31.05.2022

Healthy development thanks to older siblings
If expectant mothers are exposed to stress their child can develop behavioural problems - but this is less often the case for children with siblings During the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and achievements.

Agronomy / Food Science - Social Sciences - 10.05.2022

What benefits nutrition in Africa the most
More variety in the fields is not necessarily the best strategy, a recent study shows Malnutrition in developing countries is best addressed not by increasing the variety of crops grown on smallholder farms, but by improving access to markets. This is the conclusion of a recent study by the MwAPATA Institute in Malawi and the University of Bonn in Germany.

Social Sciences - Health - 07.04.2022

Protein boosts height growth in girls
Just seven grams over daily protein intake recommendation can increase height by one centimeter Quite a few young men would like to increase their height. However, a study by nutritionists at the University of Bonn shows that they do not benefit from increased protein intake in terms of their adult height.

Health - Social Sciences - 07.04.2022

Physical intimacy among older couples
A study by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and international collaborators reveals: physical intimacy and well-being in old age are closely linked Kissing, touching, or cuddling - older couples who report more physical intimacy in their everyday lives also display better well-being. Yet, men and women experience this differently, and thus experiencing physical intimacy relates to their stress hormone levels in a different way.

Environment - Social Sciences - 03.03.2022

’The impacts of climate change depend on the vulnerability and adaptability of societies’
Prof. Jörn Birkmann from the University of Stuttgart is a co-author of the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Picture: canva.com] Extreme weather events resulting from climate change will become more frequent and more severe, but the impacts will affect societies very differently, depending on their respective vulnerability and adaptability: This is one of the findings of the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was presented at the Federal Press Conference on February 28, 2022.

Health - Social Sciences - 14.02.2022

Early detection of type 1 diabetes in children
It only takes a blood test to detect the autoimmune disease type 1 diabetes in children at an early stage and, thus, prevent severe metabolic derailments. A research team from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now calculated that introducing screening into standard care would probably cost the health care system in Germany just 22 euros per child examined.

Environment - Social Sciences - 08.02.2022

International land use scientists urge policymakers to adopt new approaches to addressing climate change, biodiversity and other global crises
New study IDs "10 Facts" about global land use and details opportunities for a more sustainable and equitable approach A new report released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) is a call to action for policymakers worldwide seeking to develop sustainable and equitable solutions to our most urgent global challenges.

Social Sciences - 07.02.2022

Impact of Covid-19 social isolation measures on early development
International research team investigates impact of lockdown measures on 8- to 36-month-old infants across 13 countries An international consortium with researchers from 13 countries has investigated the impact of Covid-19 related social isolation measures on 2,200 young infants and toddlers between 8 and 36 months of age.