Climate policy models usually assume people hold accurate beliefs about climate damages. A new study builds disinformation into a climate–economy model and finds that informed democratic majorities can deliver stronger carbon taxes than a politically constrained planner, but this advantage collapses abruptly once disinformation tips the majority. Late and persistent disinformation yields the most severe warming, while counter-disinformation efforts can largely restore effective policy.

A new study led by Flinders University finds both autistic and non-autistic suspects may be judged more harshly if any idiosyncratic behaviours in interviews stray beyond what observers consider as normal.

The research also undermines the widely held perspective – referred to as the ‘double empathy hypothesis’ – that autistic people can better ‘read’ differing intentions and motivations in other autistic people, more than non-autistic people can.