A new study finds a sinister side to memes, pointing to their role in strengthening online communities of conspiracy theorists.

Dating key tectonic events in Japan's geological history has long been often challenging due to poor microfossil preservation from intense heat due to metamorphism. Researchers tackled this by using Re–Os isotope geochronology on Besshi-type volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (Makimine and Shimokawa deposits) associated with sediment-covered mid-ocean ridges. Their findings revealed the timing of ridge subduction—when one tectonic plate was forced beneath another—a process that shaped Japan's landscape and provided new insights into its geological evolution.

An Osaka Metropolitan University research team developed a new experimental game to explore whether people avoid witnessing selfish behavior to evade punishing others or simply to avoid confronting unfairness. The study found that avoidance is driven by both the desire to not acknowledge inequality and the wish to prevent confrontation, suggesting that altruistic punishment may be less common in real-life situations than previously believed.