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Oldest known giant rock scallop bead suggests California coastal trade began millennia earlier

9 August 2026 at 13:40
Archaeologists have discovered two giant rock scallop beads that push back the clock on the first appearance of these high-status ornaments. The discovery shows that these prized marine beads were traded hundreds of miles from the California coast thousands of years earlier than previously thought.

Mega-study analyzes the impact of gratitude interventions

8 August 2026 at 12:20
Are some interventions designed to induce gratitude more effectively than others? In which countries and cultures do they work best to improve mood, strengthen bonds between people and promote social reciprocity? A study aimed at answering these questionsβ€”conducted in 34 countries with more than 10,000 participantsβ€”had its results published in PNAS. In Brazil, the project received the help of researchers and 598 volunteers who responded to intervention prompts via an online tool.

Don't believe the GenAI hypeβ€”learn from it instead, say researchers

7 August 2026 at 18:20
When is a hype bubble more than just a bubble? When it becomes a mass, real-time learning event. New research published in the Academy of Management Journal by Anna Brattstrom, a professor at the University of St Andrews Business School, and Hassan Hamadi, a PhD student at Lund University, aimed to understand the hype around generative AI.

Food fraud costs UK economy up to Β£2 billion a year, new study finds

7 August 2026 at 17:40
Food fraud is costing the UK economy up to Β£2 billion every year, according to the first study to calculate its full economic impact. The research, from the University of Portsmouth, estimates that food fraud costs between Β£400 million and Β£2 billion annually, making it one of the country's most expensive forms of economic crime.

High-coverage ancient genomes reveal prehistoric population histories of Japan

7 August 2026 at 16:40
A research team led by Koji Ishiya of Kanazawa University reconstructed exceptionally high-coverage genomes from two ancient individuals in Japan: IY1, a woman from the Initial Jomon period who lived about 8,300 years ago, and DO, a man from the Middle Yayoi period who lived about 2,300 years ago.

AI for homeworkβ€”parents more willing to pay subscriptions for their children as peer pressure rises

7 August 2026 at 00:40
Many parents have mixed feelings about the unrestricted use of artificial intelligence (AI) for schoolwork. They are concerned about the potential impact on their child's ability to learn but also don't want them to be left behind if other young people are using AI.

Checking out AI: University library puts emerging technology to the test

6 August 2026 at 21:00
In a meeting room at the C. V. Starr East Asian Library, a Chinese film poster flickers onto a large screen. Haiqing Lin, the library's head of technical services, is demonstrating an interface he built. With a few practiced clicks, he sends the imageβ€”one of 2,000 posters from the Paul Fonoroff collectionβ€”through an artificial intelligence model. Seconds later, a draft catalog description appears.

Building better prediction models for consumer choices

6 August 2026 at 19:00
As consumers, we are constantly making choices about things like what to eat at a restaurant, what clothing to buy at a store and the type of car we'd like to purchase, and so much more. Savvy producers of such goods look to economists to help estimate what products people want and how demand might shift when factors like price and availability change.

Refugees reveal how community shapes success in Canada

6 August 2026 at 18:40
Hungarian and Vietnamese refugees who arrived in Canada during two of the largest refugee movements in Canadian history report that strong social connections, supportive communities and opportunities for belonging played a crucial role in helping them build successful lives, according to a new University of Toronto study.

Fully remote work and stable long-term care costs can buffer life satisfaction in small and medium-sized cities

6 August 2026 at 17:00
As populations decline and age across many developed countries, cities are increasingly being forced to ask a difficult question: How can residents maintain well-being when long-term demographic recovery is unlikely? This question is especially urgent in Japan, where the majority of small and medium-sized cities (SMCs) are already experiencing population decline.

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