Tucker Carlson reveals his wild conspiracy theory that abortion causes hurricanes
Rhian Lubin
Tue 5 November 2024 





Tucker Carlson reveals his wild conspiracy theory that abortion causes hurricanes

Donald Trump ally Tucker Carlson has peddled a wild conspiracy theory that abortion is “probably” the cause of hurricanes.

The former Fox News host appeared on Steve Bannon’s MAGAWar Room podcast on the eve of the election, where he dismissed scientific evidence that the extreme weather event is connected to climate change and instead theorized that abortion is a “consequence” of “human sacrifice.”

“I’m sure I’ll be attacked for saying this, but I really believe it,” Carlson began.

“People are like, ‘oh, well, we had another hurricane, it must be global warming.’ No! It’s probably abortion, actually.”

“You can’t kill children on purpose,” he added. “You can’t participate in human sacrifice without consequences.”

Carlson appeared on the podcast a week after Bannon was released from prison after serving time for two counts of contempt of Congress relating to his refusal to comply with the House committee investigating the January 6 riots at the US Capitol.

Tucker Carlson appears on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast where he made wild claim (@bannonswarroom/Instagram)

The comments come after two deadly hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc across parts of the US southeast. Hurricane Milton was the Gulf’s strongest late-season storm on record, and the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita hit in 2005.

Climate change has contributed to the problem, causing hurricanes to bring more intense rainfall and increased storm surge from rising seas. For every one degree of global warming, the air can hold an extra 4 percent of moisture, according to nonprofit Climate Central.

The organization World Weather Attribution, which was initially funded by Climate Central, said that the burning of fossil fuels made increased sea surface temperatures during the track of Helene between 200 to 500 times more likely than they would have been otherwise.

Carlson has become a key player in the Trump campaign’s bid for reelection. The right-wing pundit has interviewed the former president a number of times and spoke at his Madison Square Garden rally last weekend, where he falsely described Kamala Harris as “Samoan-Malaysian.”

Tucker Carlson interviews Donald Trump in Glendale, Arizona (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

“It’s going to be pretty hard to look at us and say ‘You know what? Kamala Harris, she got 85 million votes because she’s so impressive as the first Samoan-Malaysian, low IQ, former California prosecutor ever to be elected president,” he told the crowd.

Carlson then sat down with Trump last Thursday at a campaign event in Glendale, Arizona, where the former president referred to former Republican representative Liz Cheney, who has endorsed Harris, as a “radical war hawk.”

“Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, okay?” Trump said. “And let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”

Tucker Carlson Bizarrely Blames Abortion For Increase In Hurricanes

David Moye
Mon 4 November 2024 

If you thought Tucker Carlson couldn’t get any weirder after claiming he was “physically mauled” by a demon that left claw marks on his body, guess again.

Now the former Fox News host turned Donald Trumptoadie is blaming abortions for the increase in hurricanes.

Carlson made the dubious claim Monday on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast during a discussion about spirituality that stemmed from his recent claim he’d been attacked by a demon.

Somehow the conversation morphed into Carlson decreeing that anyone who thinks reproductive rights are a good thing is “evil” and practicing child sacrifice.

Carlson then claimed that people who don’t agree with his thinking are “worshiping abortion, the killing of kids, not as something that, like, needs to happen unfortunately, but as something that is good, that’s pro-abortion.”

He then proclaimed that abortion likely causes hurricanes.

“I’m sure I’ll be attacked for saying this, but I really believe it. People are like, oh, well, we had another hurricane, must be global warming,” Carlson said. “No, it’s probably abortion, actually. Just being honest.”

Carlson continued: “You can’t kill children on purpose knowing that you’re doing that in exchange for power or freedom or happiness, whatever you think you’re getting in return. You can’t participate in human sacrifice without consequences.”

You can see the exchange below.

Not surprisingly, Carlson’s theory that abortions cause hurricanes produced some stormy reactions on social media.

Some posts pointed out that his theory goes against data suggesting that hurricanes have increased even as abortion rates have dropped over the last four decades.

Another person noted that hurricanes are common in tropical Nicaragua despite very strict anti-abortion laws.

Other critics posted their own thoughts.

One user jokingly suggested that Carlson might be on to something since “he is the one being mauled by demons.”

Related...

• Tucker Carlson Goes Into Great Detail About Being ‘Physically Mauled’ By A ‘Demon’

• Tucker Carlson Makes Up Kamala Harris' Heritage In Racist Conspiracy Rant

• Tucker Carlson Creeps Everyone Out With Trump 'Bad Little Girl' Spanking Fantasy

Svalbard Global Seed Vault evokes epic imagery and controversy because of the symbolic value of seeds

Adriana Craciun, Boston University
Mon 4 November 2024


The entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. 

Martin Zwick/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images


Two-thirds of the world’s food comes today from just nine plants: sugar cane, maize (corn), rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, oil-palm fruit, sugar beet and cassava. In the past, farmers grew tens of thousands of crop varieties around the world. This biodiversity protected agriculture from crop losses caused by plant diseases and climate change.

Today, seed banks around the world are doing much of the work of saving crop varieties that could be essential resources under future growing conditions. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway supports them all. It is the world’s most famous backup site for seeds that are more precious than data.

Tens of thousands of new seeds from around the world arrived at the seed vault on Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, in mid-October 2024. This was one of the largest deposits in the vault’s 16-year history.

And on Oct. 31, crop scientists Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin, who played key roles in creating the Global Seed Vault, received the US$500,000 World Food Prize, which recognizes work that has helped increase the supply, quality or accessibility of food worldwide.

The Global Seed Vault has been politically controversial since it opened in 2008. It is the most visible site in a global agricultural research network associated with the United Nations and funders such as the World Bank.

These organizations supported the Green Revolution – a concerted effort to introduce high-yielding seeds to developing nations in the mid-20th century. This effort saved millions of people from starvation, but it shifted agriculture in a technology-intensive direction. The Global Seed Vault has become a lightning rod for critiques of that effort and its long-term impacts.

I have visited the vault and am completing a book about connections between scientific research on seeds and ideas about immortality over centuries. My research shows that the Global Seed Vault’s controversies are in part inspired by religious associations that predate it. But these cultural beliefs also remain essential for the vault’s support and influence and thus for its goal of protecting biodiversity.

Backup for a global network

Several hundred million seeds from thousands of species of agricultural plants live inside the Global Seed Vault. They come from 80 nations and are tucked away in special metallic pouches that keep them dry.

The vault is designed to prolong their dormancy at zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) in three ice-covered caverns inside a sandstone mountain. The air is so cold inside that when I entered the vault, my eyelashes and the inside of my nose froze.

The Global Seed Vault is owned by Norway and run by the Nordic Genetic Resources Centre. It was created under a U.N. treaty governing over 1,700 seed banks, where seeds are stored away from farms, to serve as what the U.N. calls “the ultimate insurance policy for the world’s food supply.”

This network enables nations, nongovernmental organizations, scientists and farmers to save and exchange seeds for research, breeding and replanting. The vault is the backup collection for all of these seed banks, storing their duplicate seeds at no charge to them.
The seed vault’s cultural meaning

The vault’s Arctic location and striking appearance contribute to both its public appeal and its controversies.

Svalbard is often described as a remote, frozen wasteland. For conspiracy theorists, early visits to the Global Seed Vault by billionaires such as Bill Gates and George Soros, and representatives from Google and Monsanto, signaled that the vault had a secret purpose or benefited global elites.

In fact, however, the archipelago of Svalbard has daily flights to other Norwegian cities. Its cosmopolitan capital, Longyearbyen, is home to 2,700 people from 50 countries, drawn by ecotourism and scientific research – hardly a well-hidden site for covert activities.

The vault’s entrance features a striking installation by Norwegian artist Dyveke Sanne. An illuminated kaleidoscope of mirrors, this iconic artwork glows in the long Arctic night and draws many tourists.

Because of its mission to preserve seeds through potential disasters, media regularly describe the Global Seed Vault as the “doomsday vault,” or a “modern Noah’s Ark.” Singled out based on its location, appearance and associations with Biblical myths such as the Flood, the Garden of Eden and the apocalypse, the vault has acquired a public meaning unlike that of any other seed bank.
The politics of seed conservation

One consequence is that the vault often serves as a lightning rod for critics who view seed conservation as the latest stage in a long history of Europeans removing natural resources from developing nations. But these critiques don’t really reflect how the Global Seed Vault works.

The vault and its sister seed banks don’t diminish cultivation of seeds grown by farmers in fields. The two methods complement one another, and seed depositors retain ownership of their seeds.

Another misleading criticism argues that storing seeds at Svalbard prevents these plants from adapting to climate change and could render them useless in a warmer future. But storing seeds in a dormant state actually mirrors plants’ own survival strategy.

Dormancy is the mysterious plant behavior that “protects against an unpredictable future,” according to biologist Anthony Trewavas. Plants are experts in coping with climate unpredictability by essentially hibernating.

Seed dormancy allows plants to hedge their bets on the future; the Global Seed Vault extends this state for decades or longer. While varieties in the field may become extinct, their banked seeds live to fight another day.
Storing more than seeds

In 2017, a delegation of Quechua farmers from the Peruvian Andes traveled to Svalbard to deposit seeds of their sacred potato varieties in the vault. In songs and prayers, they said goodbye to the seeds as their “loved ones” and “endangered children.” “We’re not just leaving genes, but also a family,” one farmer told Svalbard officials.

The farmers said the vault would protect what they called their “Indigenous biocultural heritage” – an interweaving of scientific and cultural value, and of plants and people, that for the farmers evoked the sacred.

People from around the world have sought to attach their art to the Global Seed Vault for a similar reason. In 2018, the Svalbard Seed Cultures Ark began depositing artworks that attach stories to seeds in a nearby mine.

Pope Francis sent an envoy with a handmade copy of a book reflecting on the pope’s message of hope to the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Japanese sculptor Mitsuaki Tanabe created a 9-meter-long steel grain of rice for the vault’s opening and was permitted to place a miniature version inside.

Seeds sleeping in Svalbard are far from their home soil, but each one is enveloped in an invisible web of the microbes and fungi that traveled with it. These microbiomes are still interacting with each seed in ways scientists are just beginning to understand.

I see the Global Seed Vault as a lively and fragile place, powered not by money or technology but by the strange power of seeds. The World Food Prize once again highlights their vital promise.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Adriana Craciun, Boston University

Read more:


Fewer crops are feeding more people worldwide – and that’s not good


A sharing economy for plants: Seed libraries are sprouting up


Colonialism has shaped scientific plant collections around the world – here’s why that matters

Sea angels and devils: could plankton unlock the secrets of human biology?

Brianna Randall
Tue 5 November 2024 
THE GUARDIAN

Different plankton found off Greenland and California, including Sapphirina and an unidentified siphonophore species related to hydrozoan jellies.Photograph: Leonid Moroz/University of Florida

Off the west coast of Greenland, a 17-metre (56ft) aluminium sailing boat creeps through a narrow, rocky fjord in the Arctic twilight. The research team onboard, still bleary-eyed from the rough nine-day passage across the Labrador Sea, lower nets to collect plankton. This is the first time anyone has sequenced the DNA of the tiny marine creatures that live here.

Watching the nets with palpable excitement is Prof Leonid Moroz, a neuroscientist at the University of Florida’s Whitney marine lab. “This is what the world looked like when life began,” he tells his friend, Peter Molnar, the expedition leader with whom he co-founded the Ocean Genome Atlas Project (Ogap).

Moroz gestures toward Greenland’s glaciated valleys. The rapid warming here is replicating conditions from 600m years ago, when complex life forms began appearing. “We’re sailing through deep biological time right now,” he says.

Moroz and Molnar’s mission is to classify, observe, sequence and map 80% of the sea’s smallest creatures to learn more about ourselves, and the health of the planet.

Plankton and humans do not have much in common at first glance. But studying marine organisms has led to breakthrough understandings about our own brains and bodies. Observing the electrical discharges of jellyfish taught us how to restart the heart. Sea slugs showed us how memories form. Squid taught us how signals spread between different parts of the brain. Horseshoe crabs demonstrated how visual receptors work.

An unusual aspect of Moroz and Molnar’s research trips is that they are unlocking plankton’s secrets onboard sailing boats rather than engine-powered vessels – and they are not alone in this endeavour.

“Large oceanographic vessels can cost $100,000 [£77,000] a day, which can quickly bankrupt your research organisation,” says Chris Bowler, an oceanographer with France’s National Centre for Scientific Research and a scientific adviser to the Tara Ocean Foundation.

For the past two years he has collected plankton samples for the Microbiomes Mission, a research initiative to study micro-organisms in the ocean, onboard a 33-metre schooner. “Working from a sailboat is 50 times cheaper,” Bowler says.

That cost saving also allows researchers the luxury of time, which is imperative for finding the genetic commonalities and patterns that will reveal answers about human health. Bowler says it is important to analyse and observe these microscopic organisms interacting with each other and the world around them. That cannot happen in a lab back on land because the organisms are too fragile.

Low-carbon, readily available and easier to manoeuvre near to shore, sailing boats also “don’t vibrate, so you can do really precise work aboard”, says Molnar, who has captained Ogap voyages over more than 9,000 nautical miles.

The reason that microscopic marine life can teach us about our own development is convergent evolution. This is when unrelated organisms arrive at the same solution to a problem, such as how birds, beetles, butterflies and bats all adapted to fly, but did so at different times and in slightly different ways. Overlapping solutions provide common building blocks for everything from how to fold a protein to how to form a brain.

“Every organism that lives here today is a logbook of every single adaptation that made it successful,” Moroz says. “The brain is one of the most complicated structures in the universe. Yet 70% of our knowledge about how the brain works is thanks to marine creatures. Without them, many of today’s medicines would simply not exist.”



The brain is one of the universe’s most complicated structures. Yet 70% of our knowledge about how it works is thanks to marine creatures

Leonid Moroz

The reason he studies plankton is because their “logbook” is the longest – some single-celled marine organisms have been around for more than 3bn years. That means they have more tricks up their metaphorical sleeves than we do.

“Some groups of these marine species do not age, never develop cancers and they can fully regenerate when damaged. They are able to perform many tasks better than us,” Moroz says.

One way to take human medicine to the next level is to take our cues from these organisms. But first, we have to identify them. Ogap’s lofty mission would not have been possible 10 years ago; rapid technological advances have reduced the size of equipment, while satellite communications and AI have shrunk the timeframe for analysing results from months to minutes.

In Greenland, for example, Ogap kept marine organisms alive for several days on their sailing boat while sequencing their DNA during different stages of life. “We were able to watch them reproduce, decay, then repair themselves, even die, all while taking high-resolution video,” Molnar says.

The team then uploaded the data via Starlink to universities where scientists used AI to look for pattern recognition in the organisms’ DNA. “Literally within an hour, we would have results back on the sailboat,” Molnar says. “This type of work was simply science fiction 10 years ago.”

While the technology is new, using sailing boats to explore is a millennia-old human endeavour.

“There’s a long history of sailing to answer scientific questions,” says David Conover, the owner of ArcticEarth, the sailing boat Ogap used for its Greenland expedition. From Captain Cook’s anthropological discoveries in the Pacific to Darwin’s groundbreaking observations on natural selection onboard the Beagle, sailing boats have afforded many types of researchers the luxury of getting to far-flung parts of the world to deeply engage with their surroundings.

“The more time you can afford to be at sea, the more open you are to discovery,” Conover says.

Related: ‘A huge loss’: is it the end for the ship that helped us understand life on Earth?

The key now is to observe the cornucopia of unknown marine organisms before they disappear for ever. “By the time you finish your coffee tomorrow morning, between 20 and 100 species will have vanished for ever, including the wonderful solutions they were offered by nature, which is a huge loss for biomedical science,” Moroz says.

To continue documenting the wonders of tiny single-celled sea creatures, Ogap will head next to Patagonia, at the tip of South America. Eventually, Ogap’s genomic atlas will be digitised and made freely available, providing a baseline of marine biodiversity as well as valuable insights for the development of new medicines.

“Every day is a surprise,” Moroz says. “That is the finest part of all of these voyages – the level of excitement, of discovery. It’s so rich. It’s nonstop.”

Inland Taipan: Most Venomous Snake in the World

Nicole Antonio
Mon 4 November 2024 




Today, we're diving into the world of the most venomous snake on the planet: the inland taipan. This slithery predator isn't just the most dangerous in terms of venom strength; it's also a highly specialized creature that has adapted to life in some of the harshest environments on Earth.

But even though its venom is deadly, the inland taipan is also a pretty shy snake that prefers to stay far away from humans.

In fact, encounters with these Australian snakes are rare, which is good news because inland taipan snake venom is so potent that one bite could deliver enough toxins to kill over 100 humans.

Physical Characteristics

The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), also called the small-scaled snake, has a body that can range in color from a dull olive green to dark brown or tan, depending on the season. Its color changes with the time of year to help regulate its body temperature: darker colors in the winter to absorb heat and lighter colors in the summer to reflect it.

The Aussie snake typically measures around 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.5 meters) in length, and its slender build allows it to move quickly and stealthily.

Like other venomous snakes, the inland taipan has sharp fangs used to inject its incredibly potent venom into prey. Unlike snakes that have multiple lines of defense, the inland taipan's primary tool is its venom.

Inland taipan venom is made up of complex toxins that can paralyze muscles, cause internal bleeding and lead to organ failure.

Different Subspecies

While the inland taipan is unique in its venom potency, it has a close relative in the coastal taipan, which also belongs to the taipan family. Found closer to the coastlines of Australia and parts of New Guinea, the other taipan isn't quite as venomous as its inland cousin but still delivers a highly potent bite capable of causing fatal envenomation.

Both of these taipans rank among the world's most dangerous land snakes, with the coastal species known for being faster and more aggressive in defensive situations, compared to its more reclusive inland relative.

A Third Taipan?

Additionally, there is some discussion among researchers about the existence of a third taipan species, the western taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis).

Discovered more recently and far less-studied, this elusive snake inhabits extremely remote desert areas and has been observed only a handful of times. While its venom hasn't been studied as extensively, it is believed to share the highly venomous traits typical of the taipan family.

Although all these taipans possess deadly venom and share similar characteristics, the inland taipan is in a league of its own in terms of the sheer toxicity of its bite.
Social Habits

If you're imagining this fierce snake slithering around, hunting in a pack, think again.

 The inland taipan is a solitary animal.

Like most venomous snakes, it doesn't need any backup when it comes to securing a meal. These snakes are highly efficient hunters, relying on their speed, stealth and venom to catch prey quickly and quietly.

Australia's inland taipan is usually active during the day, searching for its next meal or basking in the sun to regulate its body temperature.

But despite its formidable abilities, this snake is incredibly shy around humans and other large animals. If given the chance, it will always try to escape rather than engage in a fight.

Diet

This snake primarily feeds on small mammals, especially rodents like rats and mice. Its toxic venom is perfectly adapted for this diet: paralyzing and killing its prey almost instantly, reducing the risk of injury to the snake during the hunt.

The inland taipan is so efficient in its hunting strategy that it has little competition from other predators. Its venom acts quickly and ensures that its prey is subdued before it has a chance to fight back.

Environment

The inland taipan lives in some of the most remote and harsh environments of Australia.

Specifically, you'll find this snake in the arid and semiarid regions of central Australia, including areas like the Channel Country. It prefers clay or cracking-soil plains, where it can take refuge in deep cracks in the ground to escape the extreme temperatures.

Unlike some other intensely venomous snakes — such as the hook-nosed sea snake — the inland taipan is a purely terrestrial creature. It is perfectly suited for the dry, tough landscapes it calls home, making it a master of survival in one of the most unforgiving habitats on the planet.

Life Cycle

The life cycle of an inland taipan follows the typical pattern for snakes.

Inland taipans typically breed in the late spring to early summer (October to December). Males will compete for the opportunity to mate with females, engaging in combat rituals with other males. Once a female chooses a mate, they will engage in mating, after which the female will carry fertilized eggs.

After mating, females will lay clutches of around 10 to 20 eggs in deep crevices or abandoned animal burrows. These eggs take several months to hatch, with the young taipans emerging fully independent and ready to hunt.

A baby inland taipan's venom is just as potent as its adult counterpart's, making these younglings formidable from the moment they hatch. They grow quickly, reaching maturity in just a couple of years.

In the wild, they can live up to 10 to 15 years if they manage to avoid predators and the harsh environmental conditions of the outback.

Conservation Status

While the inland taipan might sound like a dangerous creature, it's actually a species that doesn't pose much threat to humans due to its remote habitat. Encounters are rare, and there are few recorded cases of inland taipan bite victims.

However, those unlucky enough to be bitten experience extremely painful symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure. Taipan snake venoms are some of the most lethal in the animal kingdom, easily surpassing even deadly sea snake venoms.

Luckily, there's antivenom available, which is critical for anyone who's bitten by this venomous snake.

While not currently considered endangered, the inland taipan faces the same environmental pressures that many animals do, including habitat loss and climate change. The good news is that its remote location has helped protect it from major human interference for now.

With the help of researchers like the late, great Venomous Snake Martin and toxicologists studying the potential benefits of snake venoms, we're continuing to learn more about these incredible animals and the life-saving potential of their toxins.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was edited and fact-checked by a HowStuffWorks editor.

Original article: Inland Taipan: Most Venomous Snake in the World

Copyright © 2024 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company

 Strange new frog species smaller than fingernail discovered

Vishwam Sankaran
Mon 4 November 2024 

Strange new frog species smaller than fingernail discovered


Scientists have discovered a strange new toad species smaller than a fingernail in a rainforest in northeast Brazil, shedding more light on the rich diversity of life forms in the region.

The species reaches less than 1cm in length as adults and has been named Brachycephalus dacnis after the conservation NGO Project Dacnis behind the discovery.

Researchers studying similar small-sized “flea toads” found this species to be particularly interesting due to its diminutive size as one of the smallest known vertebrate animals.

“Despite being among the smallest frogs globally (the second smallest amphibian species), it exhibits skeletal traits typical of larger frogs,” scientists wrote.

“During its evolution, it underwent what we biologists call miniaturization, which involves loss, reduction and/or fusion of bones, as well as fewer digits and absence of other parts of their anatomy,” said Luís Felipe Toledo, a co-author of the study, published in the journal PeerJ.

The species is very similar in appearance to another in the area – B hermogenesi – which also has the same yellowish-brown skin, lives in leaf litter, and emerges as tiny frogs from their eggs and not as tadpoles.

However, they were alerted to the existence of this new species by its distinct calls.

Then DNA analysis confirmed that B dacnis was indeed a new species.

“In the present study, we describe a new species of Brachycephalus, one of the smallest vertebrates known,” scientists wrote.

“There may have been specimens belonging to the new species among those that served as a basis for describing B hermogenesi in 1998,” Dr Toledo said.

In the description of the new species, scientists have also included information about its skeleton, internal organs, molecular data along with details of its vocalisations.

These details are necessary to distinguish them from others more precisely as many species are cryptic and cannot be differentiated by external anatomy only.

“Our description underscores how discoveries within the megadiverse fauna of the Atlantic Forest – a rich biodiversity hotspot – can provide insights into vertebrate body size,” researchers said.

“The diversity of these miniature frogs may be far greater than we think. Hence the importance of describing as many traits and features as possible, to expedite the description process and get to work on conservation as quickly as possible,” Dr Toledo said.

 

Misinformation really does spread like a virus, suggest mathematical models drawn from epidemiology

Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge 

 David Robert Grimes, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Public Health & Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin

Tue 5 November 2024 

Shyntartanya / Shutterstock

We’re increasingly aware of how misinformation can influence elections. About 73% of Americans report seeing misleading election news, and about half struggle to discern what is true or false.

When it comes to misinformation, “going viral” appears to be more than a simple catchphrase. Scientists have found a close analogy between the spread of misinformation and the spread of viruses. In fact, how misinformation gets around can be effectively described using mathematical models designed to simulate the spread of pathogens.

Concerns about misinformation are widely held, with a recent UN survey suggesting that 85% of people worldwide are worried about it.


These concerns are well founded. Foreign disinformation has grown in sophistication and scope since the 2016 US election. The 2024 election cycle has seen dangerous conspiracy theories about “weather manipulation” undermining proper management of hurricanes, fake news about immigrants eating pets inciting violence against the Haitian community, and misleading election conspiracy theories amplified by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

Recent studies have employed mathematical models drawn from epidemiology (the study of how diseases occur in the population and why). These models were originally developed to study the spread of viruses, but can be effectively used to study the diffusion of misinformation across social networks.

One class of epidemiological models that works for misinformation is known as the susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model. These simulate the dynamics between susceptible (S), infected (I), and recovered or resistant individuals (R).

These models are generated from a series of differential equations (which help mathematicians understand rates of change) and readily apply to the spread of misinformation. For instance, on social media, false information is propagated from individual to individual, some of whom become infected, some of whom remain immune. Others serve as asymptomatic vectors (carriers of disease), spreading misinformation without knowing or being adversely affected by it.

These models are incredibly useful because they allow us to predict and simulate population dynamics and to come up with measures such as the basic reproduction (R0) number – the average number of cases generated by an “infected” individual.

As a result, there has been growing interest in applying such epidemiological approaches to our information ecosystem. Most social media platforms have an estimated R0 greater than 1, indicating that the platforms have potential for the epidemic-like spread of misinformation.
Looking for solutions

Mathematical modelling typically either involves what’s called phenomenological research (where researchers describe observed patterns) or mechanistic work (which involves making predictions based on known relationships). These models are especially useful because they allow us to explore how possible interventions may help reduce the spread of misinformation on social networks.

We can illustrate this basic process with a simple illustrative model shown in the graph below, which allows us to explore how a system might evolve under a variety of hypothetical assumptions, which can then be verified.

Prominent social media figures with large followings can become “superspreaders” of election disinformation, blasting falsehoods to potentially hundreds of millions of people. This reflects the current situation where election officials report being outmatched in their attempts to fact-check minformation.

In our model, if we conservatively assume that people just have a 10% chance of infection after exposure, debunking misinformation only has a small effect, according to studies. Under the 10% chance of infection scenario, the population infected by election misinformation grows rapidly (orange line, left panel).
Psychological ‘vaccination’

The viral spread analogy for misinformation is fitting precisely because it allows scientists to simulate ways to counter its spread. These interventions include an approach called “psychological inoculation”, also known as prebunking.

This is where researchers preemptively introduce, and then refute, a falsehood so that people gain future immunity to misinformation. It’s similar to vaccination, where people are introduced to a (weakened) dose of the virus to prime their immune systems to future exposure.

For example, a recent study used AI chatbots to come up with prebunks against common election fraud myths. This involved warning people in advance that political actors might manipulate their opinion with sensational stories, such as the false claim that “massive overnight vote dumps are flipping the election”, along with key tips on how to spot such misleading rumours. These ‘inoculations’ can be integrated into population models of the spread of misinformation.

You can see in our graph that if prebunking is not employed, it takes much longer for people to build up immunity to misinformation (left panel, orange line). The right panel illustrates how, if prebunking is deployed at scale, it can contain the number of people who are disinformed (orange line).

The point of these models is not to make the problem sound scary or suggest that people are gullible disease vectors. But there is clear evidence that some fake news stories do spread like a simple contagion, infecting users immediately.

Meanwhile, other stories behave more like a complex contagion, where people require repeated exposure to misleading sources of information before they become “infected”.

The fact that individual susceptibility to misinformation can vary does not detract from the usefulness of approaches drawn from epidemiology. For example, the models can be adjusted depending on how hard or difficult it is for misinformation to “infect” different sub-populations.

Although thinking of people in this way might be psychologically uncomfortable for some, most misinformation is diffused by small numbers of influential superspreaders, just as happens with viruses.

Taking an epidemiological approach to the study of fake news allows us to predict its spread and model the effectiveness of interventions such as prebunking.

Some recent work validated the viral approach using social media dynamics from the 2020 US presidential election. The study found that a combination of interventions can be effective in reducing the spread of misinformation.

Models are never perfect. But if we want to stop the spread of misinformation, we need to understand it in order to effectively counter its societal harms.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Sander van der Linden has engaged in consultancy for and received research funding from Google, the EU Commission, United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), Alfred Landecker Foundation, Omidyar Network India, the American Psychological Association, the Centers for Disease Control, UK Government, Meta, and the Gates Foundation. He also receives book royalties from HarperCollins.

David Robert Grimes receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, and has received payments for advising on cancer screening and health modelling from The National Screening service of Ireland. He receives book royalties from Simon & Schuster UK, and The Experiment (New York); and has received honoraria for talks and consultancy worldwide.

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Laurie Anderson - Language Is A Virus From Outer Space (1986) full 7" single

UK

When are the November Tube strikes? Two days of action to still take place despite RMT breakthrough

Amelia Neath
Sun 3 November 2024 

When are the November Tube strikes? Two days of action to still take place despite RMT breakthrough


London Underground strikes planned by the train drivers’ union Aslef will still go ahead, however, the RMT union announced on Friday afternoon their strike action will be suspended.

After a period of strike-free travel on the London Underground, two transport unions announced a series of walkouts in November.

Yet after negotiations with London Underground, RMT announced it would no longer be going ahead with the strikes that were planned to start on Friday evening.

The London Underground will be disrupted as two unions call for strikes (Getty Images)

However, for those who commute within London, and others who frequently use Transport for London’s (TfL) Tube system, planning your journeys ahead of time may be essential as the strikes are still predicted to impact much of the capital’s transport network.

Aslef and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) both announced strikes last month over a pay dispute and subsequent “inadequate” pay offers during negotiations.

While a series of strikes on the underground were announced and then cancelled this year, the last strike to affect the entire Tube network was in March 2023 over pensions and working conditions, grinding London transport to a halt as traffic jams spread across the city and buses, trams, the Overground, DLR and the Elizabeth line became increasingly busier.

This time around, TfL said the action taken by the unions was “disappointing” but after RMT decided to cancel their strikes, they are hoping Aslef will also call off their planned industrial action.

Here’s everything we know about the strikes and what they will mean for TfL passengers.
Why are there strikes?

Both train unions said their members were striking due to a dispute over pay, as well as other issues such as long hours and other workers’ reliefs such as paid meals.

RMT said they were prompted to take strike action after rejecting a pay deal, which they deemed as “wholly inadequate” that leaves a large number of staff excluded from collective bargaining, which is negotiations between employees and employers.

After “repeatedly urging” London Underground to offer a new deal to cover collective bargaining, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said they have been left with no choice but to take strike action, but remained open to further negotiations.

However, in a statement on Friday afternoon, RMT announced: “Following intense negotiations with London Underground management and a significantly improved offer, we have suspended the strikes scheduled to start this evening.

“London Underground have sensibly abandoned their proposed changes to pay structures which now means all our members will receive the same value in any pay award.

“Further discussions will take place next week regarding the pay offer but progress has been made which would not have been possible without the fortitude and industrial strength of our 10,000 members on London Underground.”

Claire Mann, Transport for London’s chief operating officer, said they were “pleased” that RMT’s strikes were called off, and said further talks with the union will continue.

As for Aslef, whose members voted by over 98 per cent in favour of strike action, they are seeking a new pay agreement with London Underground.

The union said the previous offer of a 3.8 per cent pay rise and a variable lump sum would mean Tube drivers would be underpaid compared to other TfL drivers while working longer hours.

Aslef’s district organiser, Finn Brennan, said they have been “forced” into taking action because London Underground management will apparently not sit down properly and negotiate with them.

Mr Brennan said on Wednesday to the London Standard that there had been “no movement” from TfL in response to its demands for improving Tube driver conditions.

“The Aslef strikes are still on.”
When are the strikes?

Now RMT has cancelled their strikes, TfL has advised on how passengers may be affected during the remaining strike action carried out by Aslef.

7 November: No Tube services expected.

12 November: Severe disruption on the Tube, with little to no service expected. Any services that run are expected to start late and finish early.

Mann said: “We will continue to work closely with all our trade unions, and urge Aslef to also call off its planned action next week. If it goes ahead, customers should check before they travel as during their strikes on 7 and 12 November, there will be little-to-no service.”

Which Tube lines will be affected?

TfL indicates that the London Underground network will be affected.

There are no strikes planned on other TfL services. However, some DLR, London Overground (including the Night Overground) and the Elizabeth line services may not stop at certain stations with Tube lines. This is due to possible station closures.

TfL says that other transport services will be extremely busy and journeys may be delayed.

Roads are also predicted to be extremely busy.



Pub and restaurant chiefs urge transport union bosses not to ruin their Christmas

Jonathan Prynn
Tue 5 November 2024 

Rail passengers two days of disruption on the Tube over the next week (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)


More than 20 of London’s leading hospitality bosses have written to the Mayor and the leaders of the two main rail unions urging them to resolve the current dispute before ruining another Christmas for the battered industry.

The letter, coordinated by trade body UKHospitality’s boss Kate Nicholls sent the letter to Sadiq Khan, and RMT general secretaries Mick Lynch and his ASLEF counterpart Mick Whelan ahead of a planned stoppage of the network on Thursday and again next Tuesday.

Both the unions are in dispute with Transport for London over pay and conditions although the RMT suspended as planned wave of stoppages this week after a new offer from management. However the two ASLEF walkouts are still scheduled to go ahead, bringing the Tube network to a halt at the start of the build up to Christmas.

The letter is co-signed by 25 bosses including the chiefs of biggest pub groups – Fuller’s, Greene King, Punch Pubs, Stonegate Group and Young’s – and leading businesses including Côte Brasserie, Drake & Morgan, ETM Group, Hippodrome Casino, Tossed and Wasabi and City restaurant 1 Lombard Street.

The letter said: “Our request to you as leaders of your respective organisations is to conclude these negotiations swiftly, or risk permanent damage to the London economy. A strike at any time of year means hospitality businesses can lose 70% of that day’s income. But in this crucial period the effect is even worse, and a strike cancelled at the last moment will probably be too late to stop the negative impact.

“Bookings for large parties are already cancelled, or never made at all. Coverage in global media will mean some potential visitors to our city have decided not to risk a visit.

“Some hospitality businesses make up to 40% of their annual takings in the two months before Christmas. Losing income at this time of year can and does put the future of these businesses at risk, and with it, people’s jobs. We ask only that you swiftly conclude the negotiations before the impact on our businesses and our city becomes unacceptably high, threatening the livelihoods of those working in it.”

London had been hoping for the first Christmas not blighted by lockdowns, the cost of living crisis and transport strikes since 2017. The festive seasons of 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 were all marked by public transport disruption caused by industrial action.

Glasgow Life becomes accredited as a Living Wage employer

Craig Williams
Tue 5 November 2024 

Glasgow Life operates venues such as The Burrell Collection, The Mitchell Library and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (Image: Glasgow Life)


Glasgow Life is celebrating becoming an accredited Living Wage employer.

Its Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Glasgow Life, including regular workers employed through third-party suppliers, receive the real Living Wage.

Glasgow Life operates iconic venues such as The Burrell Collection, The Mitchell Library, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Scotstoun Stadium.

As well as being one of the biggest charities in Scotland, the charity is also one of the biggest employers in Glasgow, employing over 2,600 people across its facilities.

READ MORE: Glasgow Life appoints new Head of Museums and Collections

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life said: “Glasgow Life already pays the Living Wage but this accreditation is a very important step forward for our charity. As one of the biggest employers in Glasgow and one of the biggest charities in Scotland, it is vital that we demonstrate this commitment to supporting our colleagues through the accreditation.

"The value of the Living Wage, which is based on living costs, is clear and aligns with Glasgow City Council’s Fair Work ambitions and practices and Glasgow Life’s own mission to help improve the happiness, health and wealth of people in Glasgow.”

Employment Minister Tom Arthur said: “This will be a welcome boost for people working at Glasgow Life. Experience shows that adopting the real Living Wage can help recruitment and improve staff retention.

“Last year, the Scottish Government made it a requirement for all organisations receiving grant funding from a public body to pay the real Living Wage. This has enabled Scotland to have proportionately around five times more accredited Living Wage employers than the rest of the UK.”

Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland Manager at the Poverty Alliance said: “We are delighted that Glasgow Life has become an accredited Living Wage employer. They join a growing movement of more than 3750 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure workers have what they need.

“Employers recognise that the security of a real Living Wage can help create a happier, healthier and more motivated workforce and we hope to see many more employers join Glasgow Life in going further than the minimum.”