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Unraveling the Power and Influence of Language
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Unraveling the Power and Influence of Language

A choice was made to include each word in this sentence. Every message, even the most mundane, is crafted with a specific frame in mind that impacts how the message is perceived. The study of framing effects is a multidisciplinary line of research that investigates when, how, and why language influences those who receive a...

Human-Related Activities Continue to Threaten Global Climate and Productivity
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Human-Related Activities Continue to Threaten Global Climate and Productivity

The pace at which anthropogenic climate change has altered the terrestrial carbon stores is making our current climate-change mitigation efforts seem fruitless, unless behaviors are quickly changed. Climate change induced by human behaviors, or anthropogenic climate change, has been a hot topic for decades and is not going away. As with any problem, reviewing datasets...

Gift-Giving Was Practiced by Early Humans in Africa – How It Spread and Evolved
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Gift-Giving Was Practiced by Early Humans in Africa – How It Spread and Evolved

For many countries around the world, December is an intense, commercialised period of gift-giving. Not just within families but across all sorts of relationships, such as gifts between buyers and service providers. Gift-giving, the act of presenting someone with a gift is intended to convey thoughtfulness, appreciation, or goodwill. The gift can be a tangible...

How a Small Brazilian Town Became an Unlikely Battleground Over Confederate Memory
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How a Small Brazilian Town Became an Unlikely Battleground Over Confederate Memory

There were no antebellum hoop skirts at the site of Brazil’s annual “Festa Confederada,” or Confederate Festival, in 2024. Flag poles that once flew the Brazilian flag alongside the red, white and blue rebel banner of the American Confederacy stood barren. Since 1980, the Confederate Festival – a series of cultural performances and culinary experiences...

Bob Dylan and the Creative Leap That Transformed Modern Music
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Bob Dylan and the Creative Leap That Transformed Modern Music

The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet, focuses on Dylan’s early 1960s transition from idiosyncratic singer of folk songs to internationally renowned singer-songwriter. As a music historian, I’ve always respected one decision of Dylan’s in particular – one that kicked off the young artist’s most turbulent and significant period of creative activity....

3D-Printed Guns, Like the One Allegedly Used to Kill a Health Care CEO, Are a Growing Threat in the U.S. and Around the World
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3D-Printed Guns, Like the One Allegedly Used to Kill a Health Care CEO, Are a Growing Threat in the U.S. and Around the World

Police investigating the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, have announced that the suspected assailant had used a 3D-printed gun. Several high-profile crimes in recent years have involved this kind of homemade, or partially homemade, weapon. Often called “ghost guns” because they can be hard to trace, these firearms can be...

Detroit’s Reparations Task Force Now Has Until 2025 to Make Its Report, but Going Slow with This Challenging Work May Not Be a Bad Thing
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Detroit’s Reparations Task Force Now Has Until 2025 to Make Its Report, but Going Slow with This Challenging Work May Not Be a Bad Thing

The work of crafting reparations at the municipal level is fierce. Detroiters know. In November 2021, residents voted to create a reparations committee that would make recommendations for housing and economic development programs to address historical discrimination against Black residents. Three years have passed – and Detroiters recently learned the report is delayed. Some folks...

Aaron Morse’s “The Living World”: A Vibrant Exploration of the American West
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Aaron Morse’s “The Living World”: A Vibrant Exploration of the American West

For this year’s Miami Art Week, the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) delivered a dazzling spectrum of creativity, presenting works from artists who explored diverse mediums and subjects. From copper woven on canvases to quilted textiles, LED installations, and sediment-textured oil paint, the exhibition offered an eclectic and thought-provoking experience. Among the standout showcases was...

Algorithm Can Sniff Out Whisky’s Strongest Notes and Origin
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Algorithm Can Sniff Out Whisky’s Strongest Notes and Origin

Two machine learning algorithms can determine whether a whisky is of American or Scotch origin and identify its strongest aromas, according to research published in Communications Chemistry. The results also suggest that the algorithms can outperform human experts at assessing a whisky’s strongest aromas. A whisky’s aroma is determined by a complex mixture of odorous compounds....