Short-reads explaining the latest developments in science, technology and health.
Bytes
My enemy’s enemy is not my friend: The psychology of polarisation in the Labour party
New research from the University of Cambridge suggests polarisation within the Labour Party is greater than expected: Corbyn and Starmer supporters actually tend to prefer moderate Conservatives over each other.
All Eyes on Rafah: the age of the infographic
People sharing an AI-generated graphic that read ‘All eyes on Rafah’; people criticising those who shared the graphic; and people criticising those who criticised those who shared the graphic.
Elon Musk under fire from scientific community amidst Neuralink trial success
Elon Musk's Neuralink has faced criticism after announcing the first success of the implantation of a BCI chip in a human patient.
Could Latest Vaccine Trials Promise End to Infant Malaria Mortality?
Vaccine improvements are “bringing us closer to a malaria-free world,” say scientists working on a trial across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Chatbot success signals new dawn for mental health services
Maya Dharampal-Hornby speaks to an NHS psychiatrist about the success of Limbic AI’s chatbot for referrals to NHS mental health services.
MENTAL HEALTH TOP REASON FOR NHS STAFF SICK DAYS
Mental health issues accounted for 26% of sick days taken by NHS workers from January to September 2023, the highest in the public sector and over double that of the UK labour market as a whole.
HIGHEST EVER GONORRHOEA DIAGNOSES, AMONGST RISING STI CONCERNS
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released data today showing soaring numbers of diagnoses for gonorrhoea and syphilis.
TWITTER MISINFORMATION SPELLS ELECTORAL SUCCESS FOR TURKEY’S ERDOĞAN
On the eve of the first election between Erdoğan and leader of the Militant Alliance group, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Twitter agreed to block several accounts at the request of Erdoğan’s incumbent government.
GENDER INEQUALITY LINKED TO STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES IN MEN AND WOMEN’S BRAINS
A new global study has found that gender inequality is correlated with differences in men and women’s brain structure. In countries with higher inequality, women were shown to have thinner cortices.