Category archives: Humanities & Social Sciences

Personality traits and bullying behavior

Personality traits and bullying behavior

PsychologySociology

By Invited Researcher

Over the last decade, research has focused on studying predictive personality traits that may underlie bullying. Two such traits are self-esteem and narcissism. Self-esteem is associated with overall acceptance of oneself, feelings of worthiness and self-confidence. Low self-esteem has long been theorized to be a risk factor for aggression and antisocial behavior . Likewise, the […]

On theory and observation (3): Scientists selling lemons, a game-theoretic analysis of how scientific facts are constructed

On theory and observation (3): Scientists selling lemons, a game-theoretic analysis of how scientific facts are constructed

Philosophy of science

By Jesús Zamora Bonilla

In our trip through the philosophical discussion about the nature of observation in science, I propose to take a different route from the most classical ones, and probably a surprising one for most of you. Akerlof’s classic paper ‘The Market for Lemons’, one of the founding works of the Economics of Information, presented an idealised […]

A founder event left its genetic mark in Ashkenazi Jews

A founder event left its genetic mark in Ashkenazi Jews

AnthropologyArchaeologyEthicsGeneticsHistory

By Invited Researcher

About two-thirds of Jews today – or about 10 million people – are Ashkenazi, referring to a recent origin from Eastern and Central Europe. They reside mostly in the United States and Israel. Ashkenazi Jews carry a particularly high burden of disease-causing genetic mutations, such as those in the BRCA1 gene associated with an increased […]

What’s next for ancient DNA studies after Nobel Prize honors paleogenomics

What’s next for ancient DNA studies after Nobel Prize honors paleogenomics

AnthropologyArchaeology

By Invited Researcher

For the first time, a Nobel Prize recognized the field of anthropology, the study of humanity. Svante Pääbo, a pioneer in the study of ancient DNA, or aDNA, was awarded the 2022 prize in physiology or medicine for his breathtaking achievements sequencing DNA extracted from ancient skeletal remains and reconstructing early humans’ genomes – that […]

Social networks and risk behaviors of adolescents and young adults

Social networks and risk behaviors of adolescents and young adults

Sociology

By Invited Researcher

Social networks and digital platforms allow adolescents to interact with each other and to develop and maintain positive interpersonal relationships and support networks that are critical in their development. In general, teens benefit from socialization opportunities such as keeping in touch, sharing images, or interchanging ideas. In addition, social networking encourages participation, creative expression, and […]

The dangers of agricultural big data

The dangers of agricultural big data

Computer scienceEconomicsEthicsSociology

By Invited Researcher

Most internet users are by now aware of the vulnerability of their personal data. When the news broke that tech companies misuse and manipulate our personal data, there was a widespread “techlash” against the corporate giants Facebook, Amazon and Google. The explicit motive for data harvesting is the prediction of consumer wants and needs. And […]