Cogent – Curated – Updated || Since 1999 || Information you need-produced by humans
There has been vigorous debate for more than 20 years about whether nuclear energy can be considered a viable option to help mitigate/prevent warming global temperatures as a result of a changing climate. Can nuclear power be considered a low-carbon energy source? In this featured article, Nikolaus Muellner, et al. evaluate “the climate protection potential of nuclear power” and also factor in “the needed uranium resources.”…
See more
What are the connections between the food we eat and how we behave? In particular, is there a connection between diet and aggressive behavior? Can this connection be used to help reduce the aggressive behavior that leads to criminal acts? Featured article: *Tcherni‐Buzzeo, Maria. (2023). Dietary interventions, the gut microbiome, and aggressive behavior: Review of research evidence and potential next steps. Aggressive Behavior, 49(1), 15-32….
See more
“Firearm violence in the US is an unrelenting clinical, public health, societal, and political concern of major proportion. The morbidity and mortality attributed to firearms have continued to increase; have adversely and profoundly affected individuals, families, and communities; and have exceedingly important consequences for all of society. The frequent occurrence of firearm violence and the repetitive episodes of mass shootings highlight the pervasiveness of firearms…
See more
Most regions on Earth are warmer at present than in past decades and centuries, and many regions are experiencing a drying trend as a result of less rain and snow, more intermittent precipitation (less frequent rain and snow but more intense events) and/or higher rates of evaporation. More climate extremes, including prolonged droughts and heatwaves, have recently occurred across the globe. Moreover, human activity has…
See more
On an international scale, food waste is a big problem. “The largest contribution to food waste is from the consumption stage, where household food waste represents the largest share.” In a time of growing food insecurity even in so-called richer countries–due to war, the effects of climate change on agriculture, supply chain problems, and more–wasting a large percentage of the food that is produced magnifies…
See more
Research has shown that the human microbiome can play a large role in a person’s health. But how do “genetics, exposome [environmental factors], lifestyle and diet” affect the microbiome? Featured article: *Gacesa, R., Kurilshikov, A., Vich Vila, A. et al. (2022). Environmental factors shaping the gut microbiome in a Dutch population. Nature. “Alterations in gut microbiota composition and function are associated with a broad range of human health…
See more
Wildfires in the western United States are becoming more intense and are burning larger areas. At the same time, heavy, extreme rainfall is becoming more frequent and intense. When these happen in the same area within a short period of time, they “can cause dramatically more damage to communities than one of the events alone.” Research indicates that the combination of extreme wildfires and extreme…
See more
J. Alexander Navarro, University of Michigan (from The Conversation) Picture the United States struggling to deal with a deadly pandemic. State and local officials enact a slate of social-distancing measures, gathering bans, closure orders and mask mandates in an effort to stem the tide of cases and deaths. The public responds with widespread compliance mixed with more than a hint of grumbling, pushback and even…
See more
**See the updated version of this post (November 4, 2024)** Does discrimination happen based on how people talk and sound? Based on accents, word choice, enunciation, emotion, etc.? In the United States, people can be judged harshly because they do not sound “American” or do not speak what a person may consider is “standard English”, or because they (often women) show emotion through voice and…
See more
More research on the behavior of crowds–benefits and risks … Featured articles: *Becker, J., Porter, E., & Centola, D. (2019). The wisdom of partisan crowds. PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(22), 10717-10722. [PDF] [Cited by] “Theories in favor of deliberative democracy are based on the premise that social information processing can improve group beliefs. While research on the…
See more