The release in July 2024 of the blockbuster film Twisters (centred around a social-media celebrity storm-chaser) demonstrates an ongoing public fascination in hazards and extreme weather. The arrival of camera and streaming technologies have made it easier to collect and share such footage in recent years, resulting in often dramatic footage being live-streamed on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Discord. Now, a new study has analyzed what might be motivating people to watch these streams -- in some instances for up to 12 hours at a time.
Read more: Study explores what motivates people to watch footage of disasters and extreme weather
We unconsciously form prejudice toward groups when we see biased people interact with members of a group. That is according to new research by psychologists, who show for the first time that observational learning is an important mechanism of prejudice formation.
Read more: Watching others' biased behavior unconsciously creates prejudice
Scientists have identified a gene which, when missing or impaired, can cause obesity, behavioural problems and, in mothers, postnatal depression. The discovery, reported today in Cell, may have wider implications for the treatment of postnatal depression, with a study in mice suggesting that oxytocin may alleviate symptoms.
Read more: Genetic study points to oxytocin as possible treatment for obesity and postnatal depression