A mathematical method of analyzing networks can spot hidden features such as people who wield soft power in organizations.
Far-right candidates Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen have both benefited from substantial support by media groups sympathetic to their ideas.
Thomas Coex/AFP
While many progressive movements have organised online, conservatives dominate because of better organisation, capital, and social inequality. France’s presidential elections are a case in point.
Together with artifacts from the past, ancient DNA can fill in details about our ancient ancestors.
Nina R/Wikimedia Commons
A new study doubles the age of ancient DNA in sub-Saharan Africa, revealing how people moved, mingled and had children together over the last 50,000 years.
People have formed tribes since the dawn of time and, in the digital age, online tribes are helping members deal with all the uncertainties and decisions involved in getting kids ready for school.
Maybe you’re not quite feeling ready to get back out there.
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Ready to party post-pandemic, but at the same time feeling shy? Here’s how social isolation affects the brain – and what research suggests about the effects of resocialization.
A Maasai man receives a call on his mobile phone.
Timothy D. Baird/Virginia Tech
Maasai in Tanzania use their mobile phones all the time – usually to communicate with people they already know. But dialing errors can also breed friendships and business opportunities.
It’s when we use our online networks as pipes, not prisms, that small matters and seems to be valuable.
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Tegwen Gadais, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
It is important to remember in this time of crisis that the need for social connection is vital.
Today, artificial intelligence is deeply imbedded in the systems we use to make decisions. However, the assumptions on which they’re built are often completely hidden to us.
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While AI is intended to help us, it tempts us to abandon judgment and moral responsibility. And without a proper understanding of how it works, we cannot circumvent its negative effects.
With mountains of digital evidence, advanced computing techniques could help judges and jurors better understand how criminal syndicates operate — potentially allowing fairer sentencing.
Social relationships are generally good for mental health, but too much social activity can backfire, leading to fatigue and feelings of guilt when there isn’t enough time to nurture relationships.
Having a social support system is important for mental health.
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The need to keep a physical distance conflicts with adolescents’ natural desire to connect with friends - their regular source of distraction and emotional support.
Staying in touch with other entrepreneurs via video calls during COVID-19 builds a sense of community among startup founders, research has shown.
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How are startup entrepreneurs getting through the COVID-19 pandemic? Talking to each other to offer tips, expertise and a sympathetic ear is helpful, according to an ongoing study.
Sophie Marineau, Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)
The Covid-19 epidemic has given rise to an avalanche of fake news, and accounts managed by Russian interests lead the way. How does this misinformation work, and what are its aims?
Quaranteams offer a way to limit the risk of infection while also maintaining social contacts and mental health.
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People are turning to quarantine bubbles as a way to see friends and family while limiting the risk from the coronavirus. Research shows that this can work, but it’s not easy to be in a quaranteam.
The icon of Houseparty, a “user-friendly” application that rose in popularity during the Covid-19 lockdown.
In the current health crisis, authorities use our need for security and private firms our desire for entertainment to encourage us to give up our civil rights.