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It’s not surprising that propaganda, disinformation and general vitriol would surge immediately preceding an outbreak of political violence, whether war or internal strife. Much of this heated and deceptive chatter takes place on social media these days, and political scientists frequently look to social media data for their research on conflict.
But the tools for studying online content are largely limited to analyzing text, while much of the content is visual. Some days it feels like spreading visual memes is what social media was invented for.
Notre Dame researchers Tim Weninger and Ernesto Verdeja and colleagues used a combination of AI image analysis and human subject matter experts to crack the code on politically charged visual content. In a case study of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the researchers documented a huge spike in anti-Ukraine visual memes and fakes in the days and hours leading up to the invasion.
The researchers note that in addition to making a rich source of data more accessible to social and political scientists, their method could serve as an early warning system for the risk of large-scale violence. Sadly, researchers looking to advance this work will have a harder time finding funding. The National Science Foundation announced on April 18 that it was canceling grants for research in the field of misinformation and disinformation.
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AI tools reveal how images have been manipulated.
William Theisen et al.
Tim Weninger, University of Notre Dame; Ernesto Verdeja, University of Notre Dame
Visual content, including manipulated images, is a staple of propaganda and political messaging. AI analysis shows that a surge of these memes can precede the outbreak of wide-scale violence.
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Economy + Business
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Fernanda G Nicola, American University; Dhaisy Paredes Guzman, American University
The World Bank has long sought to replace it’s annual index that fell to scandal in 2021. But a new replacement repeats some of the flaws.
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Health + Medicine
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Michelle Riba, University of Michigan
Some patients with a terminal illness seem to be able to ‘hold on’ until after an anticipated holiday or event. This might be less about staying positive and more about being supported in your goals.
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Monica Y. Bartlett, Gonzaga University
Some people are more inclined toward gratitude than others, but there are specific ways that everyone can cultivate more of it.
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Education
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Todd L. Ely, University of Colorado Denver
Donor-imposed restrictions keep colleges and universities from freely determining how and when to spend a large share of their endowment funds.
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K. Dara Hill, University of Michigan-Dearborn
US schools are going all in on phonics, but research shows that approach won’t work for every child. A blended literacy strategy can get more students reading.
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Environment + Energy
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Brett Watson, University of Alaska Anchorage
Alaska produces a lot of crude oil, but many of the state’s utilities, businesses and homes run on natural gas, which is in dwindling supply near population centers.
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Arts + Culture
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Sonja Dümpelmann, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
A landscape historian explains how a Victorian tradition became a tool for social change in 19th- and 20th-century Philadelphia.
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International
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Shaoyu Yuan, Rutgers University - Newark
Is China winning over Western youth through its cinema, video games and TikTok.
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Sergi Basco, Universitat de Barcelona
Uncertainty is far worse for the economy than a fixed, high tariff.
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From the archive️
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Lorne J. Hofseth, University of South Carolina
Health and Human Health Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday announced measures to phase out artificial food dyes. This article from the holiday season in 2021 explains the health concerns around synthetic dyes.
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