❌

Reading view

Ancient Colombians built huge water system without centralized rule, archaeologists say

Communities living in Colombia thousands of years ago achieved an engineering wonder of the world based on cooperation among family groups without top-down government, a new study shows. Archaeologists argue that policymakers in Colombia should now adopt a similar strategy to solve the country's current water management crisis.

  •  

Scientific advancement has never been more prolificβ€”so why has trust in science plummeted?

From genome editing to quantum computing, scientific progress is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, yet public faith in science is collapsing. Our species has mapped the human genome, created powerful computers that sit in the palms of our hands and extended human life spans beyond what our ancestors could have imaginedβ€”meanwhile, anti-intellectual movements are gaining momentum.

  •  

Common-ground curriculum boosts tolerance and civic engagement in pilot study

Social cohesion is the glue that holds society together. Now, those bonds are breaking, and polarization has been growing for years. Educational programs aimed at strengthening social cohesion by promoting greater tolerance often focus on social differences, such as ethnicity, religion or nationality. Yet are such programs effective? A German–American team of researchers involving the University of Konstanz recommends the opposite approach: Instead of focusing on differences, such programs should center on universal human values.

  •  

As charitable food aid expands, new study raises questions for food security policy

As food insecurity persists across high-income countries, charitable organizations and food banks are playing an increasingly important role in helping households access food. A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Sheba Medical Center examines the scale and structure of one such system and raises questions about how philanthropic food aid should fit within national food security policy.

  •  

AI persona practice boosts empathy scores in small pilot study

Rodney Luster, Ph.D., University research chair and chair of the Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research (CLER) in the University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies, presented pilot research examining the potential use of generative artificial intelligence to support structured empathy practice at the 2026 American Psychological Association annual convention.

  •  

Ticklish spots are shared across cultures, but why they are ticklish is more complex than it seems

People from different cultural backgrounds are tickled in remarkably similar ways. They laugh, resist and are usually tickled by family members or friends. They are also ticklish in the same body regions. These are among the findings of a study published recently in Nature Human Behaviour by Ziliang Xiong and Konstantina Kilteni of the Donders Institute at Radboud University in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet.

  •  
❌