Despite well-documented concerns over an economic slowdown in China, the country’s luxury goods market is still seeing opulent growth according to a new study. Behind secular and demographic tailwinds, the luxury sector is set to continue its torrid expansion in the face of volatility as it’s quickly becoming a defensive economic crown jewel. Using proprietary […]
View More Slowdown or not, China’s luxury goods still seeing high-end growthCategory: Research
Why anti-vaxxer mobs go after pro-vaccine doctors online — and what to do about it
In 2017, Kids Plus Pediatrics, an independent medical practice in Pittsburgh, posted a 90-second video on its Facebook page encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection tha…
View More Why anti-vaxxer mobs go after pro-vaccine doctors online — and what to do about itIn a glamorous turn of events, polar bears are pooping glitter to fight off extinction
Fighting extinction is a daunting and demanding task, but it does come with some quirky perks for the scientists willing to tackle it — like the opportunity to sort through thousands of packages of glitzy, glittery polar bear poop.
Researchers at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens have been hard at work investigating means of conserving the global polar bear population since 2008. Focusing predominantly on the polar bear’s reproductive system, these scientists have spent over a decade attempting to crack the code on increasing the species’ population despite the continued threats posed by climate change. Read more…
More about Zoo, Climate Change, Research, Polar Bear, and Poop
View More In a glamorous turn of events, polar bears are pooping glitter to fight off extinctionFacebook lied about how many teens it used for research
You know it’s a good day at Facebook when the words “teenagers,” “research,” and “lying” are in the news.
In January, an investigation from TechCrunch found that Facebook was paying people, including teenagers, $20 to monitor their internet and phone use.
At the time, Facebook said that less than 5 percent of its study participants were teens, and that participants under 18 were required to get parental consent. But now, Facebook has revealed that teens comprised 18 percent of its users — not five.
After TechCrunch’s investigation, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) asked Facebook for more information about the program; Warner was reportedly frustrated with Facebook’s lack of transparency regarding its research programs. Read more…
More about Facebook, Research, Teenagers, Tech, and Social Media Companies
One overlooked way we can significantly improve our mental health: more nature
Our mental health often feels like a mystery. A cheerful mood can inexplicably give way to sad or scary thoughts. Even though we might try to manage our emotional well-being through things like talk therapy, self-care apps, meditation, and medication…
View More One overlooked way we can significantly improve our mental health: more natureFacebook users who quit the social network for a month feel happier
New research out of Stanford and New York University took a look at what happens when people step back from Facebook for a month. Through Facebook, the research team recruited 2,488 people who averaged an hour of Facebook use each day. After assessing their “willingness to accept” the idea of deactivating their account for a […]
View More Facebook users who quit the social network for a month feel happierChemists have created a nontoxic pufferfish extract
Pufferfish are considered a delicacy, but eating it could kill you. Read more…More about Science, Mashable Video, Research, Toxic, and Pufferfish
View More Chemists have created a nontoxic pufferfish extractMorressier makes it easy to share early research
By the time you hear about a research project online or in the news it’s probably already gone through countless iterations and changes. Until Morressier, however, that early stage research was done separately by researchers who barely interacted with each other. Morressier is a service for early stage research. This means it allows researchers to […]
View More Morressier makes it easy to share early researchNew study finds female-led films perform better at box office. Your move, Hollywood.
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Movie audiences love women.
According to a study by Creative Arts Agency and shift7, films with women in leading roles earn more than their male counterparts at the box office, a finding which should lead to a major paradigm shift in show business.
“The perception that it’s not good business to have female leads is not true,” CAA agent Christy Haubegger told The New York Times. “They’re a marketing asset.”
CAA and shift7 examined 350 top box office films from 2014 to 2017, defining “lead actor” as the first performer credited in official press materials (also of note: most of these films passed the Bechdel test). 105 of these were women. In every category broken down by budget, films with women in the lead outperformed those starring men. Read more…
More about Entertainment, Movies, Study, Diversity, and Research
The next big restaurant chain may not own any kitchens
If investors at some of the biggest technology companies are right, the next big restaurant chain could have no kitchens of its own. These venture capitalists think the same forces that have transformed transportation, media, retail and logistics will also work their way through prepared food businesses. The Battle Is For The Customer Interface Investors […]
View More The next big restaurant chain may not own any kitchensWatch this tiny robot crawl through a wet stomach
While this video shows a tiny robot from the City University of Hong Kong doing what amounts to a mitzvah, we can all imagine a future in which this little fellow could stab you in the kishkes. This wild little robot uses electromagnetic force to swim or flop back and forth to pull itself forward […]
View More Watch this tiny robot crawl through a wet stomachAmazon expands its Alexa Fund Fellowship to a total of 18 universities, up from 4 last year
Amazon announced this morning a further investment in voice technology with an expansion of its Alexa Fund Fellowship to 14 new universities, up from only 4 in 2017, the Fellowship’s first year. The program, which is designed to support conversational A.I. and speech science research, is now coming to 18 total universities, including new additions, […]
View More Amazon expands its Alexa Fund Fellowship to a total of 18 universities, up from 4 last year