Category: Social Science

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Hidden benefactor

Your water footprint.

Hidden benefactor of

a healthy diet.

 

Dietary changes can lead to big health benefits, but there are global benefits to a change in diet too. Vanham et al (2018) have found that a healthy diet results in a decrease in the water footprint required to produce the food. Whilst healthy vegetarian or pescetarian diets have the lowest water footprint, even a change to a healthy diet containing meat results in a decrease in water footprint of between 11% and 35%.

Original research: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0133-x

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False positives

Again we find the

results not replicable.

False positives teem!

 

One of the core principles of research is that it should be reproducible, namely that someone else repeating your methods should get the same result as you. But there’s little resources available to reproduce work so it’s often hard to know just how reproducible a result is.

The results of a study by Camerer et al (2018) suggest that reproducibility (at least in certain fields) might be lower than expected. The researchers replicated 21 experiments published in the social sciences in the journals Nature and Science between 2010 and 2015. They found that only 62% of their replications showed evidence consistent with the original studies. Interestingly, they also found evidence to suggest that the research community could predict which studies would replicate and which wouldn’t.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0399-z

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Ancient Crayon

Ancient crayon of

Mesolithic origin.

What might you have drawn?

 

It can be easy to attribute modern interpretations to objects found in ancient archaeological sites. Objects found in North Yorkshire, UK, were tested by Needham et al (2018) using microscopy and spectroscopy and were revealed to contain ochre – an important mineral pigment used by prehistoric hunter-gathers across the world.

One piece in particular was shaped a little like a modern crayon, a long cylindrical object with a pointed end, four edges and elongate grooves running in parallel down its the length. Both the wear and the shape of the item are not consistent with the natural crystal habits of haematite, suggesting the shape is a result of anthropogenic working and could have been a drawing tool.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.12.002

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Dynamic toll

Dynamic toll roads.

Prices fluctuate with load,

save time, money, health.

 

Traffic congestion damages health, the environment and the economy. Whilst more roads might seem like the answer, history shows that additional roads don’t reduce traffic jams. Now Cramton et al (2018) suggest that smart toll roads – roads that track usage and charge accordingly – could be the solution.

By increasing prices in real time on roads that are busy, the authors suggest that road users would look to alternative routes and modes of transport or choose to travel at a different time. It would also reduce the financial burden on those individuals that rarely use road travel but still pay taxes to maintain road links.

Original source: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05836-0

 

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Affordable care

Affordable care:

Act for the vulnerable.

Will you endure yet?

 

New research reveals the broadly positive impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare).

McKenna et al (2018) used data from 2011 to 2016 and found that, whilst not perfect, the Affordable Care Act reduced the financial strain of healthcare and increased access and utilisation to healthcare for low- and middle-income adults. In particular, those that benefit most are those making an income of twice the poverty-line designation or below.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958018790164

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Consider the lobster

To know global trade,

consider the lobster from

trade route to market.

 

There has been a 515% increase in the trade of fisheries products for human consumption from 1976 to 2014. This international scale leaves small-scale fishers and fishing economies vulnerable despite an apparent global market.

By mapping the global trade routes of lobsters Stoll et al (2018) have revealed vulnerabilities of small-scale producers in North America to changes in a small number of end-markets. In particular the trade routes make it harder to identify and anticipate risk – should the demand change (as a result of a trade-war between the USA and China for instance) the impact on the $1.5 billion-a-year Maine lobster industry would be vast.

This sciku also includes a reference to David Foster Wallace’s collection of essays – Consider the Lobster.

Original research: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00239

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How sad a solo?

Alone. How tragic.

Unless that’s what’s intended?

How sad a solo?

 

Orchestras have a vast array of instruments, yet composers frequently employ a solo instrument within orchestral passages. Hansen & Huron (2018) have investigated whether a solo is used to convey or enhance a sad effect.

By characterising orchestral passages as featuring a solo or not and then investigating the differences between they were able to assess the impact of a solo on the emotion of the piece. Whilst they acknowledge that composers might use a solo for a number of reasons, their results suggest that there is an association between sadness-related acoustic feature and solos. Indeed, pieces of music with sad characteristics are twice as likely to feature solos.

Original research: http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/mp.2018.35.5.540

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Drive safe!

Why would you risk kids?

Is social media so

important? Drive safe!

 

Car accidents frequently occur when drivers are distracted. New research suggests that the temptations offered by mobile phones is too much, even when driving children.

A survey of 760 adults from the USA by McDonald et al (2018) found that 47% of respondents have driven children aged between 4 and 10 whilst on a hand held phone without hands-free. The statistics get worse: 33% of parents had read text messages, 26% had written text messages and 13% had used social media whilst driving with children.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.06.003

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Parental problem

Lack of sleep presents

a parental problem. Sleep

well to parent well.

 

All parents know what it’s like to miss out on sleep, yet it appears that a lack of quality sleep is associated with parenting ability. Tu et al (2018) found evidence that mothers who reported a lack of quality sleep were more permissive parents to their adolescent children – that is parenting marked by lax or inconsistent discipline.

The findings also indicate that this might be particularly relevant for African-American mothers and mothers from socioeconomically disadvantaged households. Is this a vicious cycle – tired mothers struggling to enforce consistent discipline and ultimately losing sleep because of it?

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12676

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Journal ranking

Journal ranking means

little in terms of methods.

Higher might be worse.

 

Academics aim to submit their research for publication in the most prestigious journals as this brings career advantages including during job and grant applications. This is due to the concept that only the best research, and therefore academics, will be accepted for publication by these journals.

Yet increasingly research is showing that these high ranked journals may not actually be publishing the highest quality research after all.

In a fascinating review Brembs (2018) summaries findings from multiple studies investigating journal status and research quality. Together these findings suggest that the methodological quality of research doesn’t increase with journal rank. In fact, evidence suggests that the inverse may be true – as journal status increases the quality and reliability of the published work may actually decrease. These findings could have profound impacts on ways that modern publically funded science operates and the preservation of public trust in science.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00037

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Table accessible

Board game inclusion

keeps tables accessible.

Lessons to be learnt.

 

Whilst the concept of inclusion has been studied in video games, board games remain an under-explored area despite a surge in board game popularity in recent years. In an article in The Computer Games Journal, Heron et al (2018) have set out to rectify this based on their work with Meeple Like Us and the Meeple Centred Design project (meeple being a term for player pieces in board games – ‘my people’).

Their analysis of 116 board games found strengths and weakness in game design and accessibility around colour blindness and other visual impairments, physical abilities, cognitive and emotional accessibility, articulation and communication, as well as the level of representation, diversity and inclusion present in modern board games.

The project is now looking towards developing a set of Tabletop Accessibility Guidelines to help game designers interested in ensuring their games are accessible.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40869-018-0056-9

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A safety zone

Personal space size:

A safety zone to protect

you from aggression?

 

It’s a widely recognised stereotype that different people and cultures can have varied concepts of ideal interpersonal space. Yet it seems that personal space can vary within individuals as well.

Research by Vagnoni et al (2018) has found that interpersonal space size increases following listening to a conversation with aggressive content. This suggests that interpersonal space might be a way of protecting yourself from an aggressive confrontation.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192753

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Sleep disruption

Modern screens can cause

sleep disruption if used late.

Weekends may top up?

 

Research suggests that sleep duration is important for health, making maintaining decent sleeping patterns important for a healthy lifestyle. Chinoy et al (2018) have found evidence that the use of electronic tablet devices with light-emitting screens close to bedtime can result in later bedtimes and disrupted circadian rhythms and result in lower alertness in the morning.

Many of us like a lie in at the weekend, as if we are making up for the week gone by. Research by Åkerstedt et al (2018) studying over 40,000 subjects across 13 years suggests that longer weekend sleep may indeed compensate for shorter weekday sleep.

Original research:

Chinoy et al (2018): https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.14814/phy2.13692

Åkerstedt et al (2018): https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12712

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Trust me, I’m female

Crowdfund my startup,

Your money is safe with me.

Trust me, I’m female!

 

In business, women are traditionally at a disadvantage when seeking financing for business start-ups. Yet a new study by Johnson et al (2018) suggests that women have the advantage when it comes to crowd-funded start-ups. The research suggests that women are stereotypically seen as more trustworthy than men which influences the amateur investors’ willingness to invest.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.04.003

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My dreams escape me

My dreams escape me.

Vitamin B6 could help

my recollection.

 

It’s often hard to remember the details of dreams when we wake – some people even keep notebooks by their beds to scribble their dreams down whilst they are fresh in their memories.

A study by Aspy et al (2018) has now found evidence to suggest that taking vitamin B6 before bed for 5 days increased dream recall ability (although not dream vividness, bizarreness or colour). Interestingly taking a range of B vitamins did not affect dream recall and even resulted in participants having a lower sleep quality and feeling more tired.

Original research: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0031512518770326

 

 

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Rapport trumps torture.

Interrogation:

it’s not like in the movies.

Rapport trumps torture.

 

In films and tv programs aggression and threats are used in interrogations to get information out of a suspect. This approach is often common in police and armed forces around the world and yet evidence suggests that this it’s not effective.

Christiansen et al (2018), building on the work of Alison & Alison (2017), studied UK police interviews with 48 terrorist detainees across 181 interviews and coded the interpersonal behaviours of both the detainees and the interrogators across the categories authoritative, passive, confrontational and cooperative.

They found that adaptive interviewer behaviour was positively associated with adaptive detainee behaviour, leading indirectly to increased information. The study suggests that the greater the interviewer’s interpersonal skills the more likely the detainee was to respond and the more useful information was obtained. Similarly authoritative and confrontational behaviours resulted in a less cooperative detainee and less useful information. It seems that building a rapport seems more effective that intimidation.

Original research:

Christiansen et al (2018): https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12111

Alison & Alison (2017): http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000064

 

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Native American Dugout Canoe in Central New York By Donald A. Windsor

Our dugout canoe

Dendrochronology shows

Three hundred years old

 

In central New York State a dugout canoe was found buried in mud on the bank of a pond. It was removed, washed, slowly dried, and preserved in the Chenango County Historical Society Museum. It was determined by both dendrochronological methods and carbon-14 dating to have been produced around 1720 AD from a black ash tree trunk.

I used to paddle in our local rivers with my elegant aluminum canoe. But this dugout canoe does not look seaworthy. It would easily tip over. Perhaps it was not for riders, but for use as a floating basket for harvesting wild rice or clams or other aquatic provisions.

Original research:

Moyer, David ; Windsor, Donald A. ; Noble, Daniel B. ; Griggs, Carol B. The history and dendrochronological dating of the Dave Walker dugout canoe: a progress report. The Bulletin. Journal of the New York State Archaeological Association 2015 Number 129: 49-56.

Windsor, Donald A. Dave Walker’s dugout canoe. Chenango Archaeologist 2009-2010 Winter; 2(7): 1-2. http://chenangoarchaeologists.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/dave-walkers-dugout-canoe.html

Windsor, Donald A. Wild rice in Chenango County.   Chenango Archaeologist 2009-2010 Winter; 2(7): 3.

Donald A. Windsor, a biologist with a multidisciplinary background, is a former president of the Chenango Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association. He retired from industrial pharmaceutical research and development 23 years ago. He is currently affiliated with the Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship. His blog is http://www.chenangoarchaeologists.blogspot.com/

Enjoyed this sciku? Check out Donald’s other sciku: Equal rights for parasites.

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Foibles of research

Manipulation?

Coercion? Unwanted guests?

Foibles of research.

 

Academia prides itself on being fair, rational-minded and logical. Yet the practice behind these noble aims is sometimes far from that. A study by Fong & Wilhite (2017) reveals the various manipulations that can take place: from scholars gaining guest authorships on research papers despite contributing nothing to unnecessary reference list padding in an effort to boost citation rate. These instances of misconduct are likely a response to the pressures of an academic career – the demand for high numbers of publications and citation rates.

The survey of approximately 12,000 scholars across 18 disciplines revealed that over 35% of scholars have added an author to a manuscript despite little contribution (with female researchers more likely to add honorary authors than male researchers). 20% of scholars felt someone had been added to one of their grant proposal for no reason. 14% of academics reported being coerced into adding citations to their papers by journals, whilst 40% said they’d padded their reference list to pre-empt any coercion. Whilst changes to aspects of the academic system might help alleviate these issues, it’s likely to be a slow process.

Original research: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187394

 

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Weak spots in science

Weak spots in science:

Error, bias, misconduct.

Solutions proposed.

 

Modern science is not perfect, like any area it is subject to human errors, biases and instances of misconduct, accidental or otherwise. The underlying principles of science aim to avoid these problems, trying to achieve the golden ideal of accurate, impartial and trustworthy hypothesis testing. It is crucial then that these weak spots are recognised and addressed in order to avoid these potential pitfalls.

Jelte M. Wicherts (2017) has written a fascinating review of contemporary science, its weak spots and potential solutions. Problems discussed include p-hacking, post-hoc hypothesizing, outcome switching, selective reading and reporting, human error and various biases. Solutions such as increased transparency, data sharing and improved training are suggested. Whilst examples are taken from animal welfare research, the article is well worth a read for all scientists and anyone else interested in the scientific method.

Original research: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani7120090

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Dark moths by Prof Matthew J. James

Industrial soot

Biston betularia

Quo vadis dark moths?

 

The Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) is a classic example of evolution in action, yet in recent years Darwin’s Finches seem to have eclipsed the Peppered Moth as the textbook example of natural selection.

This sciku, written by Professor Matthew J. James, celebrates the Peppered Moth as an example of rapid natural selection and asks where the dark moths are going, Quo vadis in Latin meaning “Where are you going?”. The question refers to both the population change in moth colouration from dark to light and also implies a nostalgic deeper meaning asking where the Peppered Moth explanation of natural selection has gone in light of the present-day dominance of Darwin’s Finches.

The wild-type Peppered Moth has light wing patterns that act as effective camouflage against its common environmental background. Industrial smog from 19th century coal burning in the United Kingdom resulted in the trees upon which they rested becoming blackened by soot, making the moths stand out. As a result the population of light-winged moths plummeted due to increased predation, however numbers of the melanic mutant form (black in colour) of the species rose – this process has been termed Industrial Melanism. As the Industrial Revolution waned and levels of pollution decreased, numbers of the light-winged form of the moth rose once again. Cook & Saccheri (2013) present an interesting review of the Peppered Moth as a natural selection case study.

Original research: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038%2Fhdy.2012.92

Professor Matthew J. James is Chair in the Department of Geology at Sonoma State University, California. His recent book, Collecting Evolution, examines a scientific collecting expedition to the Galapagos Islands in 1905-06 that resulted in the concept of Darwin’s Finches being developed by David Lack in his 1947 book by that same name.

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A zoo without bars by Dr Lisa Holmes

A zoo without bars –

Building thoughtful habitats

for all to explore.

Chester Zoo (www.chesterzoo.org) is a registered conservation and education charity that supports projects around the world and closer to home in Cheshire. Welcoming 1.9 million visitors a year, it is the most visited zoo in the UK; home to over 15,000 animals and more than 500 different species, many of which are endangered in the wild.

Chester Zoo has continued with the ‘always building’ philosophy of our founder, George Mottershead, who created the UK’s first zoo without bars and focused on animal wellbeing and conservation. In 2015 Chester Zoo opened Islands which was the largest zoological development in the UK to date. The Islands expedition is an immersive experience, taking visitors through six South East Asian islands to discover the incredible wildlife native to those areas and highlight the conservation issues that the zoo staff are working hard to address.

Modern day zoo research encompasses many aspects of biological and social sciences with the overall aim to address challenges faced in the natural world. Chester Zoo not only supports conservation research both in- and ex-situ but leads on important projects both in the UK and across the globe to improve the management of animals and plants, influence sustainability of wild populations and inspire others to Act for Wildlife.

Lisa Holmes is the Behaviour and Welfare Scientist within the Applied Science team at Chester Zoo. Her role involves working closely with the animal curators and keepers to provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance animal wellbeing and help to inform enclosure design. Lisa supervises postgraduate and sandwich placement students who help to gather key data for a wide range of species. Lisa’s research team are currently working on a long-term project assessing the response of species which have moved into the new Islands habitats.

Check out Lisa’s latest sciku ‘The Masterplan’ here.

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Genes and theories

Genes and theories.

This way aids comprehension,

but not acceptance.

 

Learning about science can frequently be confusing and evolution is one of the most misunderstood topics in biology. Often in science different topics overlap and knowledge of one area can help understanding of another.

Mead et al (2017) investigated the order in which genetics and evolution are taught to 14-16 year old students. If genetics was taught first then students gained a greater understanding of both evolution and genetics – a simple, free and minimally disruptive alteration to education that has a major positive effect on student learning.

However, whilst teaching genetics first improved student understanding of evolution, the teaching order itself had no effect on student acceptance of the theory of evolution. Instead it seems that authority figures like parents, teachers, religious leaders and the popular media are more influential with whether students accept the theory of evolution or not.

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Hunger no more

Hungarian men

hungering for a snack should

hunger no more – bugs!

 

A questionnaire of consumers in Hungary found that almost 60% of respondents were aware of eating insects as an alternative to meat, however high food neophobia is still a barrier for actually consuming insects. Men were more likely to consider trying insects than women, but a ‘willingness to eat insect-based food products could be increased by giving more information to consumers’. Gere et al, 2017.

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How safe the trader?

How safe the trader?

The agricultural costs

of invasive pests

 

Invasive pest species threaten global agriculture and can devastate crops. A study of almost 1,300 agricultural invasive species and 124 countries suggests that whilst the biggest agricultural producers (USA and China) “could experience the greatest absolute costs from further species invasion”, their trade patterns mean they are also the greatest potential source of invasive species and so represent the greatest threat to the rest of the world. In contrast, the countries most vulnerable to invasive species were found to be from Sub-Saharan Africa. Paini et al, 2017.

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Ancient female dynasty

DNA reveals

ancient female dynasty

of Chaco Canyon.

 

Hereditary leadership is often an indicator of early political complexity and governance. Kennett et al (2017) used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA to identify an elite matriline that persisted between 800 and 1130 AD in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.