Psychology news

• Why People Share Their Location Data With Friends and Family

  28-08-2026 18:13 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostPeople frequently track the real-time geographic movements of their close friends and family members through smartphone applications. A new survey of adults reveals that users most often share their whereabouts with romantic partners to manage practical logistics, while relying on the technology to monitor the physical safety of their parents and siblings. The findings were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
  
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• West Point's Only Climate Scientist Fired Over Teaching Human Causes

  28-08-2026 18:13 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: The Guardian - Climate CrisisThe only climate scientist teaching at West Point, the U.S. army's military academy, was fired after he resisted an order to stop teaching about the human causes of climate change, a lawsuit claims. Adam Kalkstein, a geography professor at the New York institution, was terminated after the spring semester this year, six months after a tense meeting with Brigadier General Shane Reeves, then dean of West Point's academic board, the court filing...
  
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• Pentagon Asks Supreme Court to Allow Ban on Trangender Troops

  28-08-2026 18:13 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsA federal court ruled in June that the U.S. military's attempts to remove transgender Americans were "arbitrary and based upon animus." Yet the Trump administration pushed back on Friday, asking the Supreme Court to allow the Pentagon to ban transgender people from the military. Donald Trump has targeted transgender service members since 2025 and signed an executive order saying transgender troops' health needs are "inconsistent" with military...
  
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• Forced Birth Control in Greenland Violated Women's Rights, Experts Find

  28-08-2026 18:13 via socialpsychology.org
  Source:Al JazeeraGreenland is establishing a truth and reconciliation commission regarding a forced contraceptive scheme against Indigenous girls and women, after two expert reports failed to agree whether it constituted genocide. From the 1960s to the 1990s, at least 4,000 Greenlandic Inuits—including girls as young as 12—received intrauterine devices or contraceptive injections, often without their consent or knowledge, a joint Danish-Greenlandic inquiry...
  
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• Ratko Mladic, War Criminal Convicted of Srebrenica Genocide, Dies

  28-08-2026 13:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: DW- top storiesMore than 30 years after the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995), Srebrenica remains emblematic of its brutality. And no one is more closely linked to the genocide there than Ratko Mladic, who led the Bosnian Serb army and died in prison yesterday at the age of 84. Around 100,000 people were killed during the four-year war in Bosnia, while 2.2 million were driven from their homes across the country—half of its total population...
  
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• Final Report Calls OpenAI Hacking Incident a "Warning Shot"

  27-08-2026 08:01 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsOpenAI released a final report Wednesday on a July incident in which its artificial intelligence agents hacked into another company's systems, saying it sees the episode as "a warning shot" for the company and the world. The incident is "evidence that, without proper safeguards, highly capable AI agents are now able to work around technical controls, collaborate through unapproved channels and take dangerous actions that no human directed," the...
  
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• Bill Gates Issues Stark Warning About AI's Impact on Jobs and Biosecurity

  27-08-2026 08:01 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsIn a nearly 6,000-word essay released Wednesday on his personal website, Bill Gates is sounding the alarm about artificial intelligence, warning that the technology will rapidly transform the U.S. labor market and put millions of jobs at risk. AI is changing the economy much faster than previous revolutions, he says, advancing at what the Microsoft co-founder called a "mind-blowing rate" and leaving less time to prepare for employment...
  
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• Why Are European Leaders Silent After a Summer of Climate Shock?

  26-08-2026 08:14 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: The Guardian - Climate CrisisDespite four heatwaves that have scorched Europe this summer—shattering temperature records, fanning unprecedented fires, and causing thousands of excess deaths—few politicians want to talk about climate action. One exception is France's radical-left firebrand, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who warned recently that the term "climate change" may sound "almost reassuring," but its actual impact will feel like "landing on another planet whenever we...
  
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• Meta Reaches $17 Billion Settlement in Social Media Addiction Case

  26-08-2026 08:14 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsMeta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will pay $17 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general over the mental health risks posed to children by its social media platforms. Court filings on Wednesday detail changes Meta must implement to safeguard its platform for the use of minors. Those requirements include limits on daily use, blocking access at night, more parental tools, and greater proof of age standards.
  
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• Workers in China Worry Over Being Replaced by AI

  25-08-2026 17:43 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourComputer programmer Fei Zhaojun's boss asked him if artificial intelligence could soon replace humans in coding jobs. Two weeks later, he was laid off from his job in Beijing, together with about 160 colleagues. It's an increasingly common scenario as artificial intelligence reshapes China's massive job market, and it has some workers worried. Already, humanoid robots are sorting parcels in some postal centers in China.
  
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• Most Papers Claiming Sex Differences Never Compared Sexes, Study Finds

  25-08-2026 10:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostNew research indicates that many scientific papers claiming men and women respond differently to treatments or interventions lack strong evidence to back up those claims. When analyzing recent studies in the behavioral and brain sciences, scientists found that fewer than one in four articles properly compared male and female responses. These findings, published in PNAS, raise questions about the evidence behind medical treatments tailored to...
  
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• Australia's Music Industry Bans AI-Generated Tracks From Official Charts

  25-08-2026 09:57 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourAustralia's recorded music industry will bar tracks wholly generated by artificial intelligence from official charts as burgeoning generative technologies threaten artists' livelihoods, a representative said Tuesday. The crackdown comes as a variation of Madonna's pop hit "Like a Prayer" created by an Australian producer using AI-generated vocals and drums has spent 16 weeks in the Australian top 20, stoking debate about generative AI's place in...
  
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• A Split in the Spectrum? The Ongoing Battle to Define Autism

  23-08-2026 10:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthIf someone asked you to think of an autistic person, who would come to mind? The world's richest man, Elon Musk? Maybe Greta Thunberg, who says being different can be a superpower? In recent years there has been a rise in the number of people with an autism diagnosis, and the National Autistic Society says there remains "a significant underdiagnosis of autism, particularly among women and older people." Yet experts vary in how they define the...
  
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• How the United Nations is Using AI to Advance Human Rights

  22-08-2026 08:08 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Nations NewsAcross agencies, the United Nations is implementing artificial intelligence tools to help promote peace, security, and human rights. The U.N. is also using AI to detect land mines, assess disaster damage, identify suspicious financial transactions, and monitor radioactive contamination. But as technology advances, the U.N. is emphasizing equity, human rights, and ethics to ensure that AI promotes development instead of threatening peace and...
  
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• Whistleblower Alleges White House Improperly Targeted Top Universities

  18-08-2026 12:58 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsThe Trump administration pressured career civil rights attorneys to investigate allegations of antisemitism at the university campuses of Harvard, Columbia, and Brown even though there was no factual or legal basis to do so, according to a former Justice Department attorney. Veteran civil rights lawyer Haley Van Erem made this allegation as part of a whistleblower complaint made public on Tuesday by Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin.
  
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• A Little Movement in Midlife Could Pay Off for Your Brain Years Later

  17-08-2026 11:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthPhysical activity and healthy blood sugar levels during midlife may be linked to a significantly slowing of cognitive decline decades later. Yet the results, published in the journal Alzheimer's, differed across ethnic populations. Physical activity was associated with slower cognitive decline among Hispanic participants, whereas lower fasting blood glucose levels were linked to slower cognitive decline among non-Hispanic White participants.
  
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• Slavery Linked to Current U.S. Racial Gaps in Health and Mortality

  16-08-2026 09:35 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceIn 1953, civil rights activist James Baldwin wrote that "people are trapped in history and history is trapped in them"—an observation that would ring all too familiar to researchers studying racial health disparities in the U.S. today. A study published by the National Academies of Science, suggests that slavery may still cast a long shadow on the country's well-being, worsening health outcomes for some Black people more than 150 years after...
  
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• White House Bans Use of Medicaid for Youth Gender Identity Healthcare

  14-08-2026 17:02 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsOn Tuesday, the Trump administration finalized rule changes that ban the use of Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program funds for gender identity healthcare for children. The new rule—the administration's latest move to bar access to such healthcare—will go into effect on October 13. President Trump lauded the changes in a post on social media, calling gender-affirming healthcare measures "barbaric."
  
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• How Europe Can Prevent a Repeat of This Year's Devastating Wildfires

  14-08-2026 14:13 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceA wave of wildfires across Southern Europe has so far this year burned more than half a million hectares—an area equivalent to Grand Canyon National Park—far exceeding the area burned by August 2025, the worst year on record. Indeed, since the 1980s, the number of "fire weather" days—scorching, dry, breezy days—has more than doubled across much of the region, exacerbated by climate change. What, then, can be done to avoid more years like 2026?
  
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• Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Harvard for Alleged Antisemitism

  14-08-2026 14:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourA federal judge on Thursday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that accused Harvard University of turning a blind eye to harassment of Jewish students. The decision said that the administration failed to prove an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws. Harvard wrote in a statement that it "cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on...
  
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• Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Harvard for Alleged Anti-Semitism

  14-08-2026 14:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourA federal judge on Thursday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that accused Harvard University of turning a blind eye to harassment of Jewish students. The decision said that the administration failed to prove an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws. Harvard wrote in a statement that it "cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on...
  
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• Court Orders Meta and Instagram to Pay $567M for Kids' Mental Health

  06-08-2026 17:15 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourA New Mexico court has ordered Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta to pay $567 million to address harms to young people from its platforms. Most of the money will be used to treat young people and increase awareness and prevention. The penalty is in addition to $375 million ordered against Meta in March after determining the company knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its...
  
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• Poll Suggests U.S. Adults Are Facing Increased Strain From Extreme Heat

  06-08-2026 17:14 via socialpsychology.org
  Source:Al JazeeraA new poll of U.S. adults finds that more are feeling a personal impact from extreme heat, yet a smaller number believe in climate change. The poll, released Thursday by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, surveyed 1,165 Americans in late July. According to the survey, 66% of Americans believe climate change is happening, down from 73% last year, but more U.S. adults now say that extreme heat has affected their...
  
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• Meta Says Its AI Model Breached a Third-Party Company During Testing

  06-08-2026 17:14 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsTechnology giant Meta revealed Wednesday that one of its artificial intelligence models hacked another organization during testing—the third time in recent weeks that an AI model has improperly accessed a third-party company. In a statement provided to CBS News, Meta said that "a misconfiguration by Irregular, an independent testing company Meta uses, inadvertently allowed one of our models access to the internet during evaluation."
  
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• Gratitude Makes People More Helpful, But Bystander Effect Persists

  06-08-2026 17:14 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostA new study has found that feeling grateful increases a person's willingness to help others. However, experiencing gratitude does not make individuals immune to the bystander effect—a psychological phenomenon in which people are less likely to intervene when other bystanders are present. The findings suggest that gratitude boosts overall helpfulness but does not change our tendency to hold back when responsibility can be shared with a crowd.
  
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• Artificial Intelligence Has Been Used to Design Brand New Viruses

  06-08-2026 17:13 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthArtificial Intelligence has been used to design new viruses that are fully functional and can replicate in the laboratory, say U.S. researchers. It is the first time AI has designed whole genomes. The resulting 16 novel viruses were created to infect bacteria and pose no threat to people, and the breakthrough has been labelled a "very significant turning point" in science, but experts also warn AI-designed viruses raise "urgent" safety and...
  
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• How Heatwaves and Wildfires Are Changing Daily Life Across Europe

  03-08-2026 19:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source:Al JazeeraWhat was once considered exceptionally hot European weather, such as temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Prague, are becoming the norm. According to Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service, late May and June heatwaves brought average daily temperatures more than 10C (18F) above the norm in parts of France, the U.K., and Spain—a rise in temperature so large that it is reshaping ecosystems, economies, and daily life across much of the...
  
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• Judge Denies Bid by Musk's xAI to Block Minnesota Nudification Ban

  01-08-2026 18:54 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsMinnesota in May became the first state in the nation to pass legislation banning the practice of using AI to digitally remove clothing from a pictured individual. Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI—which develops the chatbot and image generator Grok—then filed the suit over the ban Tuesday, but a federal judge turned down the request three days later. "See you in court, creep," Governor Tim Walz said in a statement on X,.
  
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• The Dark Side of Tourism in Mexico: Human Trafficking

  31-07-2026 16:07 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: DW- top storiesBy May, a record-breaking 20 million tourists had visited Mexico so far in 2026. But with increased tourism comes a heightened risk of human trafficking and sexual exploitation—especially of women and children. Said one woman who suffered this fate, these crimes happen "because there are bad people who sell other people. And there are bad people who buy other people." In Mexico human trafficking is now one of the most lucrative economies in...
  
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• A Daily GLP-1 Pill Could Curb Heavy Drinking, Study Suggests

  31-07-2026 16:07 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthA GLP-1 pill a day may help keep problem drinking at bay. Researchers have conducted a small randomized trial of oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, for people with alcohol use disorder. Compared to those taking a placebo, people on semaglutide reported fewer days of heavy drinking, among other benefits. The findings, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggest that GLP-1s could have a role in treating...
  
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