Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · 16h

There's a gender gap in adolescent mental health and it's not OK - too many girls are suffering alone. Zui Narita et al summarise the evidence in @nathumbehav.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41... @knowlesg42.bsky.social

The silent crisis in girls’ mental health - Nature Human Behaviour

Nature Human Behaviour - The silent crisis in girls’ mental health

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · 21h

Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.

Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · 18d

Does socioeconomic status predict health or happiness?

A study of 70k people across 11 countries finds relative income predicts happiness, education predicts health 💲😃🎓🩺

www.nature.com/articles/s41... @nathumbehav.nature.com

The social ladder to wellbeing - Nature Human Behaviour

What aspects of socioeconomic status predict health and happiness? In an ecological momentary assessment study with more than 70,000 people, Newman et al. find that income is linked to happiness but g...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · Aug 8

🎨 How we see style

A new study shows our brains are tuned to recognise style, like Monet’s brushstrokes, separately from content. Style is not just art, it is perception.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#SciComm #Cognition 🧪

The psychophysics of style - Nature Human Behaviour

Drawing on methods from psychophysics across ten experiments, Boger and Firestone examine the cognitive and computational foundations of style perception. Their findings suggest that this capacity is ...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Abdel Abdellaoui @dr-appie.bsky.social · Sep 8

Some people call it a minefield. Others call it dangerous, even irresponsible. I call it the most promising field in life sciences.

My love letter to social science genetics: communities.springernature.com/posts/a-love...

A Love Letter to Social Science Genetics

Some people call social science genetics a minefield. Others call it dangerous, even irresponsible. I call it the most promising field in life sciences.

communities.springernature.com

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Aug 15

When we search for scientific papers, we often rely on an algorithm - but do we miss important work?

In this Correspondence, Zackary Dunivin and @psmaldino.bsky.social warn that current algorithms exacerbate disparities in science, and make the case for greater user control. rdcu.be/eASFa

User control of search algorithms would improve science

Nature Human Behaviour - User control of search algorithms would improve science

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Aug 12

How do you come up with a really good research question?

Megan Peters @ucirvine.bsky.social writes about her process, offering some great tips (and traps to avoid!)

rdcu.be/eAmL2

How to develop good research questions

Nature Human Behaviour - Designing good research questions goes well beyond the standard definitions of clarity, focus and tractability, and even beyond ‘novelty’ in the strictest...

rdcu.be

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · Aug 6

80 years on from Hiroshima bombing, risks of nuclear war are the highest they’ve been in decades.
We need new science leaders to engage with policymakers & the public to create a shared knowledge-intensive understanding of the calamitous consequences of nuclear war 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Scientists can help stop a slide to nuclear war — don’t shut them out again

It has taken the United Nations nearly 40 years to commission another study on the effects of nuclear conflict. Better late than never.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Nature Human Behaviour @nathumbehav.nature.com · Jul 23

How the four-day working week could affect health - Nature Human Behaviour

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Nature Plants @natplants.nature.com · Jul 22

New Editorial: "The human factor" rdcu.be/exe7t

From this month, we will be publishing pieces specifically focused on the personal side of research. And the first is:

Q&A with Aster Gebrekirstos: "Creating resilience through agroforestry" rdcu.be/exl7A

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jul 7

If you visit Hong Kong, it's well worth taking a boat to Lantau to see the feral buffalo - they are incredible 🐃🐃🐃

(Last year I was so lucky to visit them together with the team behind this brilliant work!)

Alan McElligott @amcell.bsky.social · Jul 7

Where the feral buffalo roam in Hong Kong | www.eurekalert.org/news-release... led by @debottam1991.bsky.social Well Done Team! www.hkbuffaloresearch.org

Where the feral buffalo roam in Hong Kong

Most people associate Hong Kong with skyscrapers and shopping malls, but a small population of feral water buffalo calls the marshlands of South Lantau Island home. And they’re sparking a mix of...

www.eurekalert.org

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · Jun 23

The #SCIMaP team announces a major update: an analysis of the economic impacts of the White House's NIH FY26 budget.

Bottom-line, we estimate $46B in total economic loss, 202K lost jobs, and impacts in communities nationwide.

Interactive map and shareable report:
scienceimpacts.org/fy26

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Economic loss due to NIH budget cuts by congressional district, scienceimpacts.org/fy26

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Tatsuya Amano @tatsuya-amano.bsky.social · Jun 17

Erik Sulidra proudly presented his work in Bahasa Indonesia. Everyone understood his presentation—whether in English, Japanese, or other languages—with Wordly's live AI translation. A moment when we broke #languagebarriers at #ICCB2025.

Erik Sulidra presented his work in Bahasa Indonesia

Audience used Wordly's AI translation to understand his talk

Wordly's translation from Bahasa Indonesia to English

Wordly's translation from Bahasa Indonesia to Japanese

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 9

And here's a key quote:

"To paraphrase the well-loved fictional character Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, we may wish that we were not here to see such times, but it is up to us to decide what to do with the time that we have." ❤️✊

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 9

In this important piece, @nicolecrust.bsky.social urges us all to support trainee/ECR scientists in the US right now.

How? By working as hard as we can to restore awe (about science!), stability and certainty for the next generation.

rdcu.be/ep9gi

We need to fight for the next generation of US researchers

Nature Human Behaviour - Federal funding of science has been cut, and trainee scientists in the USA face an unstable and uncertain future. Nicole Rust explains how and why we should act to support...

rdcu.be

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 9

The US is a global leader in science - but recent policies restrict academic freedom.

In this thought-provoking piece grounded in global data, Frank Fernandez and Neal Hutchens explain why this will have significant consequences for innovation & scientific breakthroughs.

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Restrictions on US academic freedom affect science everywhere

Nature Human Behaviour - Restrictions on US academic freedom affect science everywhere

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · Jun 9

My new piece in Nature Human Behavior: "We need to fight for the next generation of US researchers"

All trainees need 3 things to thrive. In the US, those things have been ripped away. Let's brainstorm and fight to get them back.

(share link):
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We need to fight for the next generation of US researchers

Nature Human Behaviour - Federal funding of science has been cut, and trainee scientists in the USA face an unstable and uncertain future. Nicole Rust explains how and why we should act to support...

www.nature.com

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 6

What happens when a researcher switches to a new field?

A recent study in Nature suggests that a pivot to a new field isn't great for impact - but it's not clear why.

Read the paper here - rdcu.be/epFQd
And this great commentary - www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The pivot penalty in research

Nature - An analysis of millions of scientific papers and patents reveals a ‘pivot penalty’ when researchers shift direction, with the impact of studies decreasing rapidly the further...

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 5

As a Chinese international student during the first Trump administration, Qian Di was accused of research misconduct for his work on air quality, and eventually chose to return to China.

In this piece he reflects on his experiences, and the continued impacts of hostile US policies.

rdcu.be/epAMd

Navigating anti-science policies in environmental public health

Nature Human Behaviour - Qian Di talks about what it was like doing public health research as a Chinese scientist in the USA during the first Trump administration. His experiences foreshadow...

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 2

Cuts to NIH indirect costs will have significant negative consequences across the United States, write @asinclair.bsky.social @joshuasweitz.bsky.social &al. for @nathumbehav.nature.com

Their interactive platform SCIMaP visualises these impacts: scienceimpacts.org

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NIH indirect cost cuts will affect the economy and employment

Nature Human Behaviour - NIH indirect cost cuts will affect the economy and employment

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 2

"Although dissent carries risks, it's riskier to stay silent", writes @petergleick.bsky.social in this World View for @nathumbehav.nature.com

rdcu.be/eo3J6

More US scientists must speak out

Nature Human Behaviour - The Trump administration has launched an extraordinary and dangerous attack on US science. Climate and water scientist Peter Gleick calls on scientists who are able and...

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · Jun 2

Thank you @essgn.bsky.social and everyone at ESSGN this year for a brilliant conference! I was grateful to be there and learnt so much.

Perline Demange @perlinedemange.bsky.social · May 23

“Social science genetics will continue as a field but your publications will stay” @libertyruth.bsky.social told us her wishes and advice as an NHB editor.
-> Talk about your limitations, use correlation terminology when not testing causation, document your ethical considerations, write FAQs

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · May 13

"For me, the answer now lies in refusal, the withdrawal of participation from systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging."

Today I am resigning from the National Science Board and the Library of Congress Scholars Council.

I wrote about my decision in TIME.

time.com/7285045/resi...

Why I’m Resigning from the NSF and Library of Congress

I cannot participate in systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging.

time.com

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Reposted by Charlotte Payne

Luisa Fassi @fassiluisa.bsky.social · May 6

After 3 years in the making, our Registered Report is out in @nathumbehav.nature.com!

We analyse nationally representative UK data from 3,340 adolescents (aged 11–19) to examine how social media use differs between those with and without mental health conditions. 🧵

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Social media use in adolescents with and without mental health conditions - Nature Human Behaviour

Using a nationally representative UK sample of adolescents with clinical-level mental health symptoms, this Registered Report examined differences in social media use. The results suggest that adolesc...

www.nature.com

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Charlotte Payne @libertyruth.bsky.social · May 2

How should we measure well-being? What does it mean for a person to flourish in life?

This new Perspective offers a great overview of scientific approaches to measuring well-being, and a compelling case for multidimensional measurement.

Nature Human Behaviour @nathumbehav.nature.com · Apr 30

VanderWeele and Johnson examine unidimensional vs. multidimensional approaches to well-being, assessing their conceptual, empirical, and policy implications
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Multidimensional versus unidimensional approaches to well-being - Nature Human Behaviour

VanderWeele and Johnson examine unidimensional versus multidimensional approaches to well-being, assessing their conceptual, empirical and policy implications. The authors argue for a multidimensional...

www.nature.com

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