When the lights come back on and credits start rolling, it's easy to see that some of the most successful movies of the past few years—from "Avatar: The Way of Water" and "Jurassic World" to "Barbie"—were co-directed or co-written by women. These films are among those that bring in the most money for studios, a new Frontiers in Communication study notes.
When we talk about climate change, the debate usually centers on energy, biodiversity, carbon emissions or the economic costs of the transition. But another aspect of the problem remains largely underestimated: the impact of climate change on our cultural heritage.
A study of more than 800 fast-food customers suggests that loyalty to a brand is shaped not only by satisfaction with the product or service but also by customers' emotional experiences. The study, published in the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, focused on fast-food consumers in Peru but could have implications for fast-food brands in other emerging markets.
Researchers have found that we know very little about how artificial intelligence use impacts younger school children's ability to learn and think.
Ph.D. candidate Natalia Seliutina has followed gemstones from the -30° temperatures of Siberia to the carving studios of Ōtepoti and the particle accelerators of Taiwan in her quest to discover why pounamu is one of the toughest natural materials on Earth. Fresh from the publication of Natalia's paper in the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, Kathryn van Beek catches up with her to find out how understanding the properties of pounamu might one day help us explore space.
Who cuts emissions fastest, and who supports others in doing so, are central questions in global climate action. New IIASA-led research shows that building fairness into climate models from the start can inform deliberations without changing the overall climate goal.
Segregation is a multidimensional phenomenon deeply intertwined with historical, social and ecological contexts. Yet this more integrated perspective has received limited attention in the Global South. A recent study focusing on the city of Valdivia offers an exception, examining three key historical moments: colonization, the devastating 1960 earthquake and current struggles to protect urban wetlands.
A synthetic biology technology has been developed that converts easily degraded messenger RNA (mRNA) into a ring-shaped form inside microbial cells, increasing protein production.
Geopolitical rivalry, conflict, authoritarian nationalism and the systematic erosion of rules-based politics are reshaping the global order and putting cooperation under growing pressure. Yet the picture is more nuanced: While disruptive trends dominate the headlines, reforms are taking shape at the same time.
Gloeotrichia echinulata is a type of cyanobacterium that draws scrutiny because it tends to bloom in clear lakes, forming thick mats of visible green or white puffballs in otherwise clean water. Because of the slew of toxic compounds cyanobacteria can produce, blooms (historically called "blue-green algae") are of growing global concern. Yet, a new study by researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Oregon State University suggests this particular species might not deserve its maligned reputation.
