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How Is the World Doing on Tackling Climate Change?
Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesWorld leaders are meeting at the annual U.N. climate summit, COP29, in Azerbaijan during what is set to be the hottest year on record. What progress have countries made to tackle climate change? Carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to reach a new high in 2024 at 37.4 billion tons, and U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump has pledged to "drill, baby, drill" for even more oil and gas. Yet renewable energy from wind and solar is growing...
Multiple Sclerosis Drug May Help with Poor Working Memory
Source: Science Daily - Top NewsThe drug fampridine is currently used to improve walking ability in people with multiple sclerosis. A new study shows that it could also help individuals with reduced working memory, as seen in mental health conditions like schizophrenia or depression. The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, was randomized, double-blind, and found cognitive improvement after only three days of taking the medicine.
Why Thousands in New Zealand Are Protesting for Māori Rights
Source: U.S. News and World ReportA proposed law that would redefine New Zealand's founding treaty between the British Crown and Māori chiefs has triggered political turmoil and a march by thousands of people the length of the country to protest it. The bill is not expected to become law, but it has become a flashpoint on race relations in the fraught 180-year-old conversation about how New Zealand should honor its promises to Indigenous people when the country was colonized.
Indigenous Senator in Australia Censured for Heckling King Charles III
Source: United Press International - Health NewsAn Indigenous Australian senator was censured by fellow lawmakers Monday for a "disrespectful and disruptive" outburst at Britain's King Charles III during a state visit in October. Lawmakers voted 46-12 to censure Sen. Lidia Thorpe and bar her from membership of any delegation representing the chamber after she yelled "you are not my king" and "this is not your land" to publicize the fact many Indigenous Australians never relinquished their...
Pope Francis Suggests International Study Into Possible Genocide in Gaza
Source: U.S. News and World ReportPope Francis has suggested the global community should study whether Israel's military campaign in Gaza constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people, in some of his most explicit criticism yet of Israel's conduct in its year-long war. In excerpts published on Sunday from a new forthcoming book, the pontiff said some international experts say "what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide." Israel has denied all accusations...
The Sixth Great Extinction Is Happening, Jane Goodall Warns
Source: BBC News - Science and Environment"We're in the midst of the sixth great extinction," famed primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall has told BBC Radio 4's Inside Science. To help the natural world, her foundation has helped carry out a habitat restoration mission that's planted nearly two million trees in Uganda. The project aims to restore the threatened habitat of Uganda's 5,000 chimpanzees, and to highlight the threat that deforestation poses to our climate.
Humans—Not AI—Should Control Nuclear Weapons, Agree Biden and Xi
Source: U.S. News and World ReportU.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Saturday that human beings—not artificial intelligence—should make decisions over the use of nuclear weapons. "The two leaders also stressed the need to consider carefully the potential risks and develop AI technology in the military field in a prudent and responsible manner," the White House said in a statement. An official Chinese government summary of the meeting echoed this...
FBI Says Bigoted Text Messages Also Sent to LGBTQ and Hispanic People
Source: U.S. News and World ReportThe U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday that a spate of offensive text messages sent after Donald Trump's victory—apparently aimed at Black Americans—had expanded to target Hispanic and LGBTQ people. The earlier messages used slurs and instructed recipients to pick cotton, and the new wave of messages were sent to Hispanics and LGBTQ people, in some cases telling people they were chosen for deportation or should report to a...
World's Most Polluting Cities Revealed at COP29; China and U.S. Top List
Source: Huff Post Environment Cities in Asia and the United States emit the largest amount of heat-trapping gas that feeds climate change, with Shanghai the most polluting, according to new data that combine observations and artificial intelligence. Of the seven states or provinces that spew the most greenhouse gases, six are in China and one—Texas—is in the U.S., as reported Friday by Climate TRACE, an organization co-founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
AI Method Can Spot Potential Disease Faster and Better Than Can Humans
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA "deep learning" artificial intelligence model can identify pathology, or signs of disease, in images of human tissue much faster—and often more accurately—than can people. The development could dramatically speed up the pace of disease-related research. It also holds potential for improved medical diagnosis, such as detecting cancer from a biopsy image in a matter of minutes, a process that typically takes a human pathologist several hours.
"AI Alone" Outperforms "AI+Doctors" in Medical Diagnosis Study
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthDo doctors make more accurate diagnoses when they have access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and how do AI-assisted doctors compare with AI operating on its own? In a surprising study of 50 doctors, published in JAMA Network Open, doctors did not make more accurate diagnoses when they had access to AI, yet AI operating alone outperformed doctors. "Adding a human physician to the mix actually reduced diagnostic accuracy," said one of the...
Iran Sets Up Mental Health Clinic to "Treat" Women Who Won't Wear Hijab
Source: Google News - HealthA mental health clinic will now "treat" Iranian women who resist wearing a hijab. The Clinic for Quitting Hijab Removal is an effort by the Islamic Republic to quash female dissent that has swept the country since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising in 2022. The center claims to be "for the scientific and psychological treatment of removing the hijab, specifically for the teenage generation, young adults, and women seeking social and Islamic...
After Trump Pledges to Cut Trans Protection, Students Flood Hotlines
Source: U.S. News and World ReportTransgender youth in the U.S. have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign. One ad summed up Mr. Trump's stance on rights for trans and nonbinary Americans: "Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you." In the U.S., 5.5% of high school students identify as transgender or question their gender, and many of these students now report worrying about their...
Even If You Can't Hit 10,000 Steps a Day, Walking Has Many Benefits
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Health NewsMedical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness, and prevent disease. It helps meet recommendations that adults get at least 2½ hours of moderate physical activity every week, thereby cutting the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression, and many types of cancer. Walking also lowers blood sugar levels, is good for bone health, reduces weight, and improves sleep...
Top U.S. Climate Advisor Vows "We Won't Revert Back" After Trump Victory
Source: PBS ScienceDespite the U-turn President-Elect Trump will make on climate change, America won't return to the 1950s, said U.S. Climate Adviser John Podesta Monday at the U.N. climate talks, COP29. He said Trump will likely pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement and try to roll back a 2022 law that provides $375 billion in climate spending. "Are we facing new headwinds? Absolutely. But we won't revert back to the energy system of the 1950s. No way,"...
Ohio Senate Passes Bill Limiting Trans Student Access to Bathrooms
Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsThe Ohio Senate approved a ban Wednesday on transgender students using bathrooms that fit their gender identities and sent the measure to Republican Governor Mike DeWine. The Republican-backed bill applies to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. It requires the schools to designate separate bathrooms and locker rooms "for the exclusive use" of either males and females, based on one's gender assigned at or near birth.
Bhutan to Build "Mindfulness City" to Attract Investment and Create Jobs
Source: U.S. News and World ReportBhutan, the Himalayan kingdom that brought the world the concept of gross national happiness, is set to build a "mindfulness city" and will launch a $100 million bond issue on Monday to help start the project. The "Gelephu Mindfulness City" will link South Asia to Southeast Asia, officials said, and will promote walking and cycling to reduce emissions, green spaces for meditation and relaxation, mindfulness-based education, wellness centers, and...
After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Alcohol Use in U.S. Remains Elevated
Source: Google News - HealthHeavy alcohol use in the U.S. rose by 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remained elevated after the pandemic in 2022, posing serious health risks. This trend took place across most demographics, with the highest rise among adults aged 40-49. Researchers believe pandemic stress may have normalized drinking, contributing to sustained higher levels of alcohol use. In response, health experts urge more interventions to address this public...
After Trump's Win, Some Women Consider Joining 4B Movement
Source: Google News - HealthSince Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, there's been a surge of interest in the U.S. for 4B. Young liberal women across TikTok and Instagram are sharing information about the South Korean feminist movement in which straight women refuse to marry, have children, date, or have sex with men. These women say they are fed up after a majority of male voters backed a candidate found liable for sexual abuse, and who helped overturn...
Why ADHD Diagnoses Are Becoming More and More Common
Source: Google News - HealthAlthough experts have traditionally said that 5-6% of children have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 11.4% had ADHD in 2022. Likewise, the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare reports that in 2022 10.5% of boys and 6% of girls received an ADHD diagnosis—50% more than in 2019. So, what might explain this startling rise? Here are eight possible causes.

Psychology in the News