The scientific consensus is that vaccinations are neither causally nor statistically linked to autism. The US health authority CDC changed its official communication on this matter and instead emphasised a connection could not be scientifically ruled out. An international research team from Vienna, Erfurt, Hamburg, and Copenhagen, led by the University of Vienna, has now investigated the consequences of this. The results are clear: those who read the current statement were less willing to get vaccinated. Furthermore, this led to decreased trust in the health authority and encouraged the endorsement of science denialist thinking. The societal consequences of such communication are therefore manifold; the researchers call for new guidelines to ensure careful and evidence-based communication by health authorities. The findings have recently been published in the renowned journal Science.

In the new paper, “Toward a Science of Human–AI Teaming for Decision Making: A Complementarity Framework,” researchers present a framework for understanding and designing human–AI teams for decision making. Drawing on collective intelligence research, the framework focuses on reasoning, memory, and attention as core processes that can be distributed across people and AI systems. Published in PNAS Nexus, the work offers guidance for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to build human–AI teams that are effective, accountable, and aligned with human values.

A new study is raising questions about whether human endurance has biological limits shaped long before adulthood—possibly beginning at birth. 

New research reveals a hidden trade-off in corporate sustainability: companies that spend more on political lobbying tend to disclose less about their environmental and social performance – raising fresh concerns about the credibility of ESG reporting. “Firms disclose less while investing more in political influence. Understanding this relationship is crucial if we want ESG information to remain credible, useful, and relevant for investors, policymakers, and the public,” explains lead author and CMCC scientist Simone Taddeo.

While the world is a big place, humans are making greater and greater demands on the same areas of land. “This means that, unless we use the same land to serve multiple needs and coordinate this effort through planning, it is unlikely that we will have enough land for conservation, food and energy,” said Grace Wu, a professor in UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Studies Program.