A computational analysis of language used by the writer Edgar Allan Poe has revealed that his mysterious death was unlikely to have been suicide. The author, poet, editor, and literary critic died in 1849 after spending several days in hospital while in a state of delirium. To date, Poe’s death remains an unsolved enigma, with...
Social media pages and accounts often turn into memorials when someone dies, giving people a chance to still feel connected to those they’ve lost. But after we’re gone, who owns the information on our pages? Who can access them? Faheem Hussain, a clinical assistant professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society...
Imagine flipping through your Facebook News Feed first thing in the morning and spotting a notification that your ex is now “in a relationship.” Or maybe the Memories feature shows a photo from that beach vacation you took together last year. Or your ex-lover’s new lover’s mom shows up under People You May Know. Scenarios...
With February being Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, new research is illuminating how this problem is manifesting online. “Digital dating abuse” as it has been termed, uses technology to repetitively harass a romantic partner with the intent to control, coerce, intimidate, annoy or threaten them. Given that youth in relationships today are constantly in touch...
Arab women, long relegated to the private sphere by law and social custom, are gaining new access to public life. All countries of the Arab Gulf now have workforce “nationalization policies” that aim to reduce dependency on migrant labor by getting more women into the workforce. Saudi Arabia set a goal of 30% female labor...
Humans are fascinated by what scares us, be it sky-diving, roller-coasters, or true-crime documentaries – provided these threats are kept at a safe distance. Horror movies are no different. Whilst all movies have our heroes face some kind of threat to their safety or happiness, horror movies up the ante by having some kind of...
Cultural differences play a pivotal role in how people in different parts of the world perceive when it is acceptable to sacrifice one person to save a larger group, new research has shown. An innovative new research, led by Edmond Awad from the University of Exeter’s Business School, looked at how people on different continents...
Nightclubs and bars must create a supportive environment that cracks down on unwanted sexual attention and allows women to enjoy their nights out, according to a new study. Increasing numbers of women are prepared to speak back to sexual harassment whilst enjoying a night out with female friends by confronting the men responsible and telling...
Mathematicians, physicists, and materials experts might not spring to mind as the first people to consult about whether you are brewing your coffee right. But a team of such researchers from around the globe–the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Switzerland–are challenging common espresso wisdom, finding that fewer coffee beans, ground more coarsely,...
On Jan. 3, the American Dialect Society held its 30th annual “Word of the Year” vote, which this year also included a vote for “Word of the Decade.” It was the year – and the decade – of the pronoun. In a nod to shifting attitudes about gender identities that are nonbinary – meaning they...
