A new conceptual review by researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and James Cook University, Singapore, suggests that stress, loneliness and constant comparison may be linked to a mismatch between human instincts and modern environments.

The science magazine of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is now also available as a website at bfr2go.de. This allows readers to access the articles in BfR2GO even more easily and conveniently on smartphones and tablet computers – and to share them effortlessly via messaging services or social media platforms. “With bfr2go.de, our background articles and interviews will reach even more readers in the future, helping us inform the public about key issues in consumer health protection,” says BfR President Andreas Hensel. While the magazine was previously only available online as a PDF, the articles on the new website can now also be read in a format optimised for mobile devices.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that while artificial intelligence can spin increasingly convincing stories, its characters may still lack one of the qualities that make human-written fiction memorable: mystery. 

Compulsive smartphone habits in older adults can be linked to a higher risk of depression, according to a study led by a Rutgers researcher. 

Researchers said their findings raised concerns that technology widely promoted to build connections can instead deepen late-life isolation: While mobile devices can be invaluable lifelines, their impact on mental health depends heavily on the way people use them. A critical distinction, the researchers said, is whether someone uses technology to actively engage with the world or to withdraw. 

“It comes down to purposeful interaction versus compulsive escapism,” said Chien-Chung Huang, a professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work and a senior author of the study. “The same device can bridge the gap to loved ones and community or serve as a wall to shut them out.”