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Swarms of AI bots can sway people’s beliefs – threatening democracy

  • Written by Filippo Menczer, Professor of Informatics and Computer Science, Indiana University
imageCrowds of AI bots posing as humans can influence crowds of real people on social media.J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images

In mid-2023, around the time Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as X but before he discontinued free academic access to the platform’s data, my colleagues and I looked for signs of social bot accounts posting content...

Read more: Swarms of AI bots can sway people’s beliefs – threatening democracy

Hesitation is costly in sports but essential to life – neuroscientists identified its brain circuitry

  • Written by Eric Yttri, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
imageA split-second pause can make the difference between gold and grief.Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images

At the Winter Olympics, skiers, bobsledders, speedskaters and many other athletes all have to master one critical moment: when to start. That split second is paramount during competition because when everyone is strong and skilled, a moment of...

Read more: Hesitation is costly in sports but essential to life – neuroscientists identified its brain...

Trump administration losing credibility with judges and grand juries – a former federal judge explains why this is ‘remarkable and unprecedented’

  • Written by John E. Jones III, President, Dickinson College
imageTurns out, grand juries − usually rubber stamps for prosecutors − might not indict a ham sandwich. ilbusca/iStock Getty Images Plus

The word “unprecedented” is getting a workout after a grand jury in Washington on Feb. 10, 2026, rebuffed an attempt by federal prosecutors to get an indictment against perceived enemies of...

Read more: Trump administration losing credibility with judges and grand juries – a former federal judge...

Living in space can change where your brain sits in your skull – new research

  • Written by Rachael Seidler, Professor of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, University of Florida
imageAstronauts explore the inner cosmos of the human brain in this illustration. Gong, Chen

Going to space is harsh on the human body, and as a new study from our research teamfinds, the brain shifts upward and backward and deforms inside the skull after spaceflight.

The extent of these changes was greater for those who spent longer in space. As NASA...

Read more: Living in space can change where your brain sits in your skull – new research

The rise of ‘Merzoni’: How an alliance between Germany’s and Italy’s leaders is reshaping Europe

  • Written by Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, Associate Professor of Critical Cultural & International Studies, Colorado State University
imageItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at an intergovernmental summit in Rome.Massimo Di Vita/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

“Merzoni” isn’t a neologism that easily trips off the tongue, and it hasn’t fully taken hold in the world of European politics.

Yet, for months, a pragmatic...

Read more: The rise of ‘Merzoni’: How an alliance between Germany’s and Italy’s leaders is reshaping Europe

Green or not, US energy future depends on Native nations

  • Written by Charles Prior, Professor in History, University of Birmingham
imageLeaders of Native nations and representatives of the United States have signed many treaties over the centuries, including the 1851 Treaty of Traverse des Sioux.ullstein bild via Getty Images

The Trump administration’s drive to increase domestic production of fossil fuels and mining of key minerals likely cannot be accomplished without a key...

Read more: Green or not, US energy future depends on Native nations

Martha Washington’s enslaved maid Ona Judge made a daring escape to freedom – but the National Park Service has erased her story from Philadelphia exhibit

  • Written by Timothy Welbeck, Director of the Center for Anti-Racism, Temple University
imageThe National Park Service removed an exhibit on slavery at the President's House site in Philadelphia on Jan. 22, 2026. The city of Philadelphia has sued the Trump administration in response. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

On the evening of May 21, 1796, Ona Judge made the daring decision to free herself.

Considering the prominence of her owner, the laws of...

Read more: Martha Washington’s enslaved maid Ona Judge made a daring escape to freedom – but the National...

‘Proportional representation’ could reduce polarization in Congress and help more people feel like their voices are being heard

  • Written by Jennifer Lynn McCoy, Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University
imageThere is growing support for electoral reform in the U.S.PeterSnow/Getty Images

In the face of widespread pessimism about the political fate of the United States and growing political polarization, scholars and citizens across the country are reimagining how American democracy could better serve the needs of the whole population.

In an October 2025...

Read more: ‘Proportional representation’ could reduce polarization in Congress and help more people feel like...

Distrust and disempowerment, not apathy, keep employees from supporting marginalized colleagues

  • Written by Meg A. Warren, Professor of Management, Western Washington University
imageWhat might hold you back from standing up for a colleague who's treated unfairly?AnVr/E+ via Getty Images

What really holds people back from stepping up as allies in support of their marginalized colleagues? For example, why don’t more men say something when they see a colleague or a customer make a sexist remark about a female co-worker?

Our...

Read more: Distrust and disempowerment, not apathy, keep employees from supporting marginalized colleagues

What is and isn’t new about US bishops’ criticism of Trump’s foreign policy

  • Written by Gerard F. Powers, Director of Catholic Peacebuilding Studies, University of Notre Dame
imageCardinals Robert McElroy, Joseph Tobin and Blase Cupich issued a statement on U.S. foreign policy on Jan. 19, 2026.Gregorio Borgia/Gregory Bull/AP Photo

In recent weeks, Catholic leaders have been increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially its military intervention in Venezuela and saber-...

Read more: What is and isn’t new about US bishops’ criticism of Trump’s foreign policy

More Articles ...

  1. Why is US health care still the most expensive in the world after decades of cost-cutting initiatives?
  2. Reading to young kids improves their social skills − and a new study shows it doesn’t matter whether parents stop to ask questions
  3. Historically Black colleges and universities do more than offer Black youths a pathway to opportunity and success – I teach criminology, and my research suggests another benefit
  4. Local governments provide proof that polarization is not inevitable
  5. How a 22-year-old George Washington learned how to lead, from a series of mistakes in the Pennsylvania wilderness
  6. RNA is key to the dark matter of the genome − scientists are sequencing it to illuminate human health and disease
  7. Mapping cemeteries for class – how students used phones and drones to help a city count its headstones
  8. Why eating cheap chocolate can feel embarrassing – even though no one else cares
  9. ‘Which Side Are You On?’: American protest songs have emboldened social movements for generations, from coal country to Minneapolis
  10. As Jeff Bezos dismantles The Washington Post, 5 regional papers chart a course for survival
  11. Why Christian clergy see risk as part of their moral calling
  12. Held captive in their own country during World War II, Japanese Americans used nature to cope with their unjustified imprisonment
  13. Valentine’s Day cards too sugary sweet for you? Return to the 19th-century custom of the spicy ‘vinegar valentine’
  14. Philadelphia was once a sweet spot for chocolatiers and other candymakers who made iconic treats for Valentine’s Day and other holidays
  15. Infusing asphalt with plastic could help roads last longer and resist cracking under heat
  16. How do scientists hunt for dark matter? A physicist explains why the mysterious substance is so hard to find
  17. Americans are asking too much of their dogs
  18. Fifteen years after Egypt’s uprising, how faith and politics reshaped a generation
  19. How the law can add to child sex trafficking victims’ existing trauma
  20. Sixth year of drought in Texas and Oklahoma leaves ranchers bracing for another harsh summer
  21. Why ‘The West Wing’ went from a bipartisan hit to a polarized streaming comfort watch over 2 decades, reflecting profound shifts in media and politics
  22. Journalism may be too slow to remain credible once events are filtered through social media
  23. No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?
  24. Winter Olympians often compete in freezing temperatures – physiology and advances in materials science help keep them warm
  25. Whether it’s yoga, rock climbing or Dungeons Dragons, taking leisure to a high level can be good for your well-being
  26. New technologies are stepping up the global fight against wildlife trafficking
  27. US experiencing largest measles outbreak since 2000 – 5 essential reads on the risks, what to do and what’s coming next
  28. Federal and state authorities are taking a 2-pronged approach to make it harder to get an abortion
  29. What is the American Dream, and has it become harder to achieve in recent years?
  30. Will a ‘Trump slump’ continue to hit US tourism in 2026 − and even keep World Cup fans away?
  31. Has globalization lessened the importance of physical distance? For economic shocks, new research suggests ‘yes’
  32. Aldi is coming to Colorado, and the disruption could lead to lower food prices
  33. There’s a competition crisis in America’s state legislatures – and that’s bad for democracy
  34. From ski jumps and sliding bobsleds to engineering snow, here are 5 essential reads on the science of the Winter Olympics
  35. Fears about TikTok’s policy changes point to a deeper problem in the tech industry
  36. What Olympic athletes see that viewers don’t: Machine-made snow makes ski racing faster and riskier – and it’s everywhere
  37. Clarence ‘Taffy’ Abel: A pioneering US Olympic hockey star who hid his Indigenous identity to play in the NHL
  38. A terrorism label that comes before the facts can turn ‘domestic terrorism’ into a useless designation
  39. Why corporate America is mostly staying quiet as federal immigration agents show up at its doors
  40. You’ve reached your weight loss goal on GLP-1 medications – what now?
  41. Overactive immune cells can worsen heart failure – targeting them could offer new treatments
  42. AI-generated text is overwhelming institutions – setting off a no-win ‘arms race’ with AI detectors
  43. How women are reinterpreting the menstrual taboos in Chinese Buddhism
  44. Has Little Caesars Arena boosted economic activity in Detroit? We looked at hotel and short-term rental industry data to find out
  45. ‘Less lethal’ crowd-control weapons still cause harm – 2 physicians explain what they are and their health effects
  46. ICE and Border Patrol in Minnesota − accused of violating 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th amendment rights − are testing whether the Constitution can survive
  47. Schools are increasingly telling students they must put their phones away – Ohio’s example shows mixed results following new bans
  48. Women have been mapping the world for centuries – and now they’re speaking up for the people left out of those maps
  49. Congress has exercised minimal oversight over ICE, but that might change
  50. Lüften sounds simple – but ‘house-burping’ is more complicated in Pittsburgh