A new study shows that biochar, widely promoted as a climate-smart soil amendment, can significantly reshape the social lives of ants, with cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. The findings highlight both the promise and the risks of using biochar in large-scale land restoration.

US courts have ruled against platform providers for failing to protect children, and the debate over age restrictions for social media has gained momentum. An international group of experts from academia, children’s rights organizations and non-profit institutions is convinced that bans would be the wrong approach. In the journal Science they advocate for new strategies for the digital safety of children and youths aged 13 and older. Prof. Sandra Cortesi and Prof. Urs Gasser from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) explain when artificial intelligence could intervene on smartphones, what role peer groups can play and why children should be involved in shaping their digital education.

JMIR Publications today announced the release of a timely new article in its News and Perspectives section, examining the emerging risks of autonomous AI systems interacting within clinical environments.

From the 1970s onwards, Johnny & Associates became a dominant force in Japan’s entertainment industry despite longstanding sexual abuse allegations against its founder Johnny Kitagawa, which went largely unaddressed. In a new study, Professor Yukiko Nishikawa examines why this silence persisted, arguing it reflects a ‘conspiracy of silence’ sustained by media, institutional, and cultural dynamics. Her analysis highlights structural complicity and calls for systemic reforms to prevent similar failures in the future.