The Conversation

Facebook has a misinformation problem, and is blocking access to data about how much there is and who is affected

Written by Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication, and Information, University of Massachusetts Amherst

How big of a problem is misinformation on social media? Without key data, the picture is blurry.Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Leaked internal documents suggest Facebook – which recently renamed itself Meta – is doing far worse than it claims at minimizing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on the Facebook social media platform.

Online...

The slippery slope of using AI and deepfakes to bring history to life

Written by Nir Eisikovits, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, University of Massachusetts Boston

In a still from a MyHeritage.com video, Abraham Lincoln chats about how he colored and sharpened old family photos to bring them to life.MyHeritage

To mark Israel’s Memorial Day in 2021, the Israel Defense Forces musical ensembles collaborated with a company that specializes in synthetic videos, also known as “deepfake”...

Why are investors so cocky? They often have a biased memory – and selectively forget their money-losing stocks

Written by Philip Fernbach, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Colorado Boulder

Investors often seem to view their performance through pink-tinted glasses. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Stock investors mistakenly remember their past investments as better than they actually were, which leads them to be overconfident about how they’ll perform in the...

Go ahead, enjoy your memes – they really do help ease pandemic stress

Written by Jessica Myrick, Professor of Media Studies, Penn State

A mini break with a humorous meme can take the momentary edge off during a stressful time.JGI/Tom Grill

Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, while trying to feed, entertain and beg-to-sleep an infant whose day care had closed, I needed a break but couldn’t really take one in April of 2020.

Enter memes. Between work, moving the laundry and taking...

University of Florida bans professors from giving expert testimony against state -- a scholar explains the academic freedom issues

Written by George Justice, Professor of English, Arizona State University

Three professors from the University of Florida have been barred from participating as expert witnesses in a voting rights case.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The University of Florida barred three of its professors from serving as paid experts in a Florida voting rights case - sparking outrage within academia and in the...

The COVID-19 pandemic increased eating disorders among young people – but the signs aren't what parents might expect

Written by Julia F. Taylor, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Virginia

More time spent on social media can leave young adults feeling worse about their bodies.Leo Patrizi/E+ Collection via Getty Images

Eating disorders began to spike among young people shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts believe the increase occurred due to disruptions in daily living, emotional distress and more time spent on soci...

The science everyone needs to know about climate change, in 6 charts

Written by Betsy Weatherhead, Senior Scientist, University of Colorado Boulder

Scientific instruments in space today can monitor hurricane strength, sea level rise, ice sheet loss and much more.Christina Koch/NASA

With the United Nations’ climate conference in Scotland turning a spotlight on climate change policies and the impact of global warming, it’s useful to understand what the science shows.

I’m an atmos...

Gun rights at the Supreme Court: justices will consider if the fundamental right to keep a gun at home applies to carrying weapons in public

Written by Morgan Marietta, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dozens of people attended an open carry rally led by Joey Gibson, leader of the Patriot Prayer group, on May 20, 2018, in Seattle. Karen Ducey/Getty Images

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Nov. 3, 2021, on a clear question: Does the constitutional right to possess a gun extend outside the home? The answer may alter gun regulations in...

COVID-19 threatens the already shaky status of arts education in schools

Written by Ryan D. Shaw, Assistant Professor of Music Education, Michigan State University

As more normalcy returns to schools, will arts education programs rebound?Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

Parents can watch their kids draw and paint at home or perform in school music concerts and dance recitals. But they may not know how their school arts program compares with others around the country.

As a music...

A small telescope past Saturn could solve some mysteries of the universe better than giant telescopes near Earth

Written by Michael Zemcov, Associate Professor of Physics, Rochester Institute of Technology

A telescope in the outer solar system would be able to do unique science that is impossible closer to the Sun.Michael Zemcov, CC BY-ND

Dozens of space-based telescopes operate near Earth and provide incredible images of the universe. But imagine a telescope far away in the outer solar system, 10 or even 100 times farther from the Sun than Earth....