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Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-May-2026 18:16 ET (23-May-2026 22:16 GMT/UTC)

Why voting ‘neither’ could harm American democracy

University of Notre Dame
Peer-Reviewed Publication

If you were to ask democracy scholars what they consider the greatest threat to American democracy, you might assume it is voters who support undemocratic practices or policies. But the real answer may surprise you: These voters are not the main problem. According to a recent study from the University of Notre Dame, voters who are comfortable living in the middle — neither agreeing nor disagreeing when asked about substantive issues relevant to upholding democracy — might be the largest group to blame for democratic decline in the United States.

Journal: Nature Human Behaviour
Funder: Rooney Democracy Institute

University of Illinois researchers develop dynamic framework to monitor tillage practices from space

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Conservation tillage practices, such as no-till and reduced till, are critical for sustainable agriculture, and they are gradually becoming popular with farmers across the Midwest. Monitoring tillage usage can provide insights into soil health, water levels, and nutrient loss, as well as guide management and policy decisions. A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team has developed a dynamic framework that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to detect tillage practices over large areas and long time periods. The team discusses their methodology and findings in a new paper.

Journal: Remote Sensing of Environment
Funder: National Institute of Food and Agriculture

SETI Institute launches Discovery and Futures Lab to explore the human dimensions of life beyond earth

SETI Institute
Business Announcement

April 21, 2026, Mountain View, CA -- The SETI Institute announced the launch of the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to understanding the global scientific, philosophical, and societal dimensions of discovering life beyond Earth.

The Discovery and Futures Lab’s mission is to anticipate and explore humanity’s responses to the discovery of life beyond Earth by connecting science with other kinds of research. It unites experts in astrobiology, SETI, social science, ethics, law, communication research, futures studies, and more to examine implications and guide preparedness.

"I'm incredibly excited to be a part of the Discovery and Futures Lab at the SETI Institute,” said Lucian Walkowicz, Co-Director of the Lab. “I see this effort as part of the SETI Institute's longstanding commitment to responsible science, and I hope it will be a transformative research accelerator for how we understand and communicate about the discovery process in the search for life."

FDA ‘healthy’ label boosts sales of healthier snacks and commands price premium, study finds

Oregon State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

“Healthy” food labels increased consumer selections of healthier snacks and consumers were willing to pay a premium for such labeled products, according to new research.

Journal: Food Quality and Preference

AI can give as good as it gets ... or better: The moral dilemma of combative chatbots

Lancaster University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

AI systems ‘can learn to seek revenge’ because they are able to grasp reciprocating verbal violence when exposed to conflict, new research from Lancaster University shows.

In short, AI can give as good as it gets and, eventually, go one step further.

Published in the journal of Pragmatics, the study ‘Can ChatGPT reciprocate impoliteness? The Al moral dilemma’, is authored by Dr Vittorio Tantucci and Prof Jonathan Culpeper, both from Lancaster University.

Journal: Journal of Pragmatics
Funder: Lancaster University

Bullying, state policy, and mental health symptoms in gender-diverse youths

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this cohort study, being bullied and unsupportive legislation were associated with greater and increasing rates of psychotic-like experiences in gender-diverse youths. This study’s findings suggest that mental health in gender-diverse youths could benefit from supportive environments and policies that reduce bullying and avoid perpetuating stigma.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Study finds high school journalism leading the way in financial literacy, even if business isn't part of curriculum

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers led by the University of Kansas conducted interviews with leaders of 29 high school journalism programs. They sought to find out about the business side of programs and found that they are often leading in financial literacy through default, as students need to learn about things like ad sales and budgets. However, finances are a significant source of stress for advisors and students would benefit from more direct financial education as part of high school journalism, the authors argue.

Journal: Journalism & Mass Communication Educator

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