beliefs

Do social media echo chambers deepen political polarization, or simply reflect existing social divisions?A landmark research project that investigated Facebook around the 2020 US presidential election published its first results Thursday, finding that, contrary to assumption, the platform's often criticized content-ranking algorithm doesn't shape users' beliefs. The work is the product of a collaboration between Meta -- the parent company of Facebook and Instagram -- and a group of academics from US universities who were…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Negative attitudes towards the trans and gender diverse (TGD) community are affected by people's fundamental beliefs regarding gender, according to new Nottingham Trent University (NTU) research which recommends that anti-prejudice education be targeted at these views. TGD describes people who…

A new study refutes the idea that intelligence equates to quicker thinking, revealing instead that people with higher fluid intelligence take more time on complex problems due to their brain’s synchronized activity allowing for deeper evidence consideration and problem-solving. Credit: Petra RitterDo intelligent people think faster than others when solving problems? New findings by researchers from the Human Brain Project at Charité University Berlin and their partner at University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona question this…

Generative AI models like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Midjourney may distort human beliefs by transmitting false information and stereotyped biases, according to Celeste Kidd and Abeba Birhane. The design of current generative AI, focused on information search and provision, could make it hard to alter people’s perceptions once exposed to false information.Researchers warn that generative AI models, including ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Midjourney, could distort human beliefs by spreading false, biased information.Impact of AI on Human…

New research challenges the belief that “hot Jupiters” are typically isolated, proposing they can coexist with nearby planetary companions. The new findings, based on NASA’s Kepler Mission data, suggest that the presence of gas giants influences the formation and migration of these planets, offering new insights into the evolution of exoplanets and our solar system.A study spearheaded by an astronomer from Indiana University presents a challenge to the established ideas about the solitary nature of “hot Jupiters,”…

The story of Cedar the goat, seized by Shasta County, California, sheriff’s deputies from the sobbing nine-year-old girl who raised him, sharply focuses competing views of animals. Cedar's passage from a county fair to a community barbeque garnered reactions that depended on whether you regard the goat as a stolen family pet or as livestock destined for slaughter. Cedar was raised in 4-H, a youth program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Over a year, kids bring commercial breeds of cattle, pigs, goats and sheep to…

AI assistants may be able to change our views without our realizing it. Says one expert: “What’s interesting here is the subtlety.” AI assistants may be able to change our views without our realizing it. Says one expert: “What’s interesting here is the subtlety.” FOLLOW US ON GOOGLE NEWS Read original article here Denial of responsibility! Techno Blender is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their…

Distribution of specific prior beliefs (i.e. people who believe versus who deny climate change and its consequences) plotted as a function of partisanship in our studies. Although the two measures are moderately correlated, they are meaningfully distinct. Credit: PNAS Nexus (2023). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad100 A popular explanation for climate denialism is that humans will adopt beliefs that accord with their political…

A recent study examined the impact of psychedelic experiences on belief changes. The results revealed significant increases in beliefs related to dualism, paranormal/spirituality, nonmammal consciousness, and mammal consciousness, but not superstition. An increase in nonphysicalist beliefs such as the universe being conscious, the mind working with the brain to generate behavior, or inanimate natural objects having conscious experiences, was observed. The study found that the percentage of believers in a higher power…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Understanding how beliefs are formed and why they can be resistant to counter evidence is important in today's polarized world, as views sharply diverge on issues ranging from vaccines to climate change. To debunk a false belief, it may be better to target a person's system of beliefs rather than…