Large Study Finds Girls Credit This Stereotype For Failing, And It’s Holding Them Back

Across the world, girls are more likely than boys to blame academic failure on a lack of talent, according to a large study on gender stereotypes published Wednesday.  Paradoxically, the idea that males are inherently more brilliant was most entrenched in countries that are more egalitarian.    Such stereotypes have been explored in the past, … Read more

How a 19th-Century Breakthrough Could Revolutionize COVID-19 Diagnosis

It sounds simple, but to treat someone you suspect has COVID, you need to confirm they are actually infected with the coronavirus. In the UK, it is easy to take this for granted – we’ve had a reliable detection method for diagnosing infected patients widely available since early on in the pandemic. This allowed for … Read more

The World’s ‘Happiest’ Countries Harbor a Dark Side, Wellbeing Study Reveals

Have you looked at the international rankings of the world’s happiest countries lately? Measuring a country’s subjective levels of happiness has become something of an international sport. People look with interest (and a little jealousy) to nations such as Denmark, which consistently tops the world’s happiness rankings.   It has also led to Danish practices … Read more

Vast Majority of People With Depression Aren’t Getting Treatment, Global Review Finds

Depression has become a leading cause of disability worldwide with no signs of slowing down. By 2030, the World Health Organization predicts the disorder could be the main contributor to the global burden of disease.   Even though we now have some effective treatments for depression, including medications and psychological interventions, medical care remains woeful … Read more

Analysis From 113 Countries Shows The Harrowing Extent of Loneliness We Live With

More humans are alive today than ever before, and yet around the world, people are still feeling alone a lot of the time. Even before the global pandemic hit, a sweeping meta analysis has found chronic or severe loneliness was a common and overlooked experience in numerous nations.   Past studies in the industrialized world … Read more

Countries Back Away from Pledge to Update Climate Goals This Year

One decision that came out of last year’s climate negotiations gained more attention than others for the pressure it puts on nations to cut planet-warming pollution faster. Rather than wait until 2025 to submit new plans for reducing emissions, each country would need to update their targets this year, according to the final pact sealed … Read more

What Would Happen if Rich Countries Gave Away Half Their COVID-19 Vaccines?

New research gives a stark warning to richer nations that have been hoarding their supplies of COVID-19 vaccines: Doing so only has a short-term local benefit, and in the longer term leaves everyone more vulnerable to infection.   Across a five-year model, scientists found that when rich countries gave away 46 percent of their COVID-19 … Read more

What’s The Deal With 5G And Plane Safety? Here’s What You Need to Know

Several international airlines recently cancelled flights into certain US airports over concerns the rollout of 5G mobile communication technology could interfere with some planes’ equipment.   After warnings about the potential problem from aviation bosses and the Federal Aviation Administration, telecommunications companies AT&T and Verizon delayed activating some 5G masts around US airports. But how … Read more

This Cheap, Effective, Patent-Free COVID Vaccine Could Be a Global Game-Changer

The world now has a new COVID-19 vaccine in its arsenal, and at a fraction of the cost per dose. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has seen over 314 million infections and over 5.5 million deaths worldwide. Approximately 60 percent of the world population has received at least one dose of a … Read more