Archaeologists discover historical link between inequality and sustainability
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2025 11:08 ET (1-May-2025 15:08 GMT/UTC)
Inequality has been linked to human sustainability for over 10,000 years, according to new findings by archaeologists.
Wealth inequality began shaping human societies more than 10,000 years ago, long before the rise of ancient empires or the invention of writing. That’s according to a new study led by Washington State University archaeologist Tim Kohler that challenges traditional views that disparities in wealth emerged suddenly with large civilizations like Egypt or Mesopotamia. The research is part of a special issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, co-edited by Kohler and Amy Bogaard, an archaeologist at Oxford University in England.
Researchers at Washington State University have developed a new forecasting model that helps companies more accurately estimate how many customers are interested in a product—even when key data is missing. Published in the journal Production and Operations Management, the study introduces a mathematical modeling method that enables businesses to estimate customer interest beyond just completed transactions and traditional forecasting techniques. The approach offers a more precise way to understand demand, optimize operations and improve decision-making.
A new study suggests that perceived stress and depression factor into the relationship between insomnia and hazardous drinking – perhaps not a surprise. But because the relationship between insomnia and heavy drinking goes in both directions, the influence of stress or depression depends on which condition came first, the analysis found.
Global disparities exist in the burden of cervical cancer. Only 11 out of the 185 countries and regions reported an age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) lower than the World Health Organization’s target as established by the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. Human Development Index (HDI) was negatively correlated with ASIR and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) of cervical cancer. The disease's burden is marked by clear socioeconomic disparities, underscoring the need to develop and evaluate targeted cervical cancer prevention and control strategies for specific regions.