Why the middle is neglected in politics and other spectrums

When people talk about the political spectrum, it's often in reference to "opposite sides." Whether the sides are "conservatives versus liberals," "Republicans versus Democrats," or "left versus right," the center is rarely ...

Scientists bridge disparate approaches to belief dynamics

Why do individuals change some beliefs quickly, but fiercely resist changing other beliefs? On issues like climate change, vaccinations, and genetically modified foods, we're heavily influenced not only by the people around ...

Animal aggression depends on rank within social hierarchies

Humans and animals alike constantly size up one another. In the workplace, a new employee quickly learns which coworkers are the most respected—and therefore hold more power. Big brothers boss around little brothers. In ...

Low-wage workers at risk for automation: study

In a study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface in January 2021, SFI External Professor Doyne Farmer, first author Maria del Rio-Chanona, and their colleagues at Oxford University explore the impact of ...

To find the right network model, compare all possible histories

Two family members test positive for COVID-19—how do we know who infected whom? In a perfect world, network science could provide a probable answer to such questions. It could also tell archeologists how a shard of Greek ...

Accounting for the gaps in ancient food webs

If you want to understand an ecosystem, look at what the species within it eat. In studying food webs—how animals and plants in a community are connected through their dietary preferences—ecologists can piece together ...

What makes an explanation good enough?

"If you look at the biggest and most divisive arguments we're having right now," says Simon DeDeo, SFI External Professor and Carnegie Mellon University Professor, "we often agree on the facts. We disagree on the explanations."

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