news 2013

Scientists use social media - vacation photos from Flickr - to study how people use natural areas for tourism and recreation. Scientists affiliated with the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University have found a way to use photo-sharing site Flickr to measure where and when people are using natural areas for recreation and tourism.

A model of the spread of gossip on Twitter prior to the Higgs boson discovery announcement has been developed by University of Birmingham computer scientists, according to research published in the journal Nature today (18 October 2013). For the first time scientists have been able to analyse the dynamics of social media on a global scale before, during and after the announcement of a major scientific discovery.

Help us improve U of'T News! Your feedback is important to us. Fill out our 5 minute survey and tell us what features or content you like most. Your responses will help us improve the University of Toronto's news site. Depression is twice as likely in migraine sufferers, say researchers at the University of Toronto.

Researchers from four universities, including the University of Washington, estimate that nearly a half-million people died from causes attributable to the war in Iraq from 2003 through 2011. The results, from the first population-based survey since 2006 to estimate war-related deaths in Iraq and the first covering the conflict's full timespan, are published Oct.

Depression in pregnant women appears to increase the risk that their children are more likely to have depression when they are 18-years-old, according to a report led by University of Bristol researchers and published by   JAMA Psychiatry . Depression in late adolescence is a public health issue worldwide and identifying early-life risk factors would be important to guide prevention and intervention efforts, according to the study background.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Babies learn to anticipate touch in the womb Babies learn how to anticipate touch while in the womb, according to new research.

A flying radiation detector that could be used to help with nuclear decommissioning and clean-up at sites such as Fukushima and Sellafield was recently tested in a specially designed experimental area at the National Physics Laboratory, the only one of its kind in the UK.

AUSTIN, Texas — A new University of Texas at Austin study reveals that teens for whom puberty begins early and who have rapid pubertal development are at greater risk for experimenting with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana. The study, "Perceived Pubertal Timing and Recent Substance Use Among Adolescents: A Longitudinal Perspective," was conducted by public health researcher Jessica Duncan Cance and colleagues from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Muslim chaplains in a range of British public institutions are performing vital roles as problem-solvers, mediators and role models, a new book reveals. Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy examines the work of Muslim chaplains in universities and colleges, prisons, the armed forces, hospitals, airports, shopping malls and in the community, throughout England and Wales.

A common, chickadee-sized Australian bird is one of the most prolific cheaters in the avian world - and new research suggests that choices made by straying females may actually be keeping the species from diverging into two. The research, by Ph.D. candidate Daniel Baldassarre and Michael Webster, the Robert G. Engel Professor of Ornithology and director of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, was published online Oct.

A new landmark study estimates that University of Alberta alumni have collectively founded 70,258 organizations globally, creating more than 1.5 million jobs and generating annual revenues of $348.5 billion. By comparison, the annual gross domestic product of the province of Alberta is $306.7 billion.

AUSTIN, Texas — Anthropology researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have confirmed a direct link between upright two-legged (bipedal) walking and the position of the foramen magnum, a hole in the base of the skull that transmits the spinal cord. The study, published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Human Evolution , confirms a controversial finding made by anatomist Raymond Dart, who discovered the first known two-legged walking (bipedal) human ancestor, Australopithecus africanus .

Life Study - the latest  British birth cohort study which is being led by a team based at UCL's Institute of Child Health (ICH) - is now recruiting pregnant women, their partners, and mothers of babies who are aged six or 12 months for their pilot study. The pilot study will run at University College Hospital (UCH) between October and December this year and will test the questions and survey measures in volunteers before Life Study starts recruiting pregnant mothers, babies and families next year.

In the UK, family carers supporting their ill or disabled relatives save the country over £100billion a year in care costs - roughly the annual cost of the NHS. Family carers require support if they are to fulfil their roles compassionately, effectively and lastingly. Published today, a new study by the University sets out to understand what sustains a carer's role and what makes caring a positive and fulfilling experience.

AUSTIN, Texas — Replacing the ubiquitous social media "Like" button with a "Respect" button on news websites would be better for democracy, according to a new report from the Engaging News Project at The University of Texas at Austin. When given the option of a "Respect" button, more readers of online news click on comments from opposing political perspectives in comparison with the "Recommend" or "Like" buttons many sites have adopted from Facebook.

AUSTIN, Texas - A recently published study strongly suggests men succumb to sexual temptations more than women - for example, cheating on a partner - because they experience strong sexual impulses, not because they have weak self-control. Previous research has shown that men are more likely than women to pursue romantic partners that are "off limits." However, until now, the explanation for this sex difference was largely unexplored.

It is common for parents to influence mate choice - from arranged marriages to more subtle forms of persuasion - but they often disagree with their children about what makes a suitable partner. A new study has found an evolutionary explanation for why some parents try to control who their children pair up with.

Male birds that exhibit 'shy' social behaviour are much more likely to join flocks of birds with a similar personality than their 'bold' male counterparts, a new study has found. But shy birds also have fewer social partners than bold birds.

AUSTIN, Texas — Although rituals such as shaking hands or saying, "bless you" after a sneeze don't make practical sense, these arbitrary social conventions give people a sense of belonging in a particular social group. And according to a new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin, even preschool children are quick to conform to ritualistic behavior.

An international review led by the University of Melbourne has found children and young people experience poor mental health, depression and anxiety following experiences of racism. The first of its kind, the review showed 461 cases of links between racism and child and youth health outcomes. Lead researcher Dr Naomi Priest at the McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing at the University of Melbourne said the review demonstrated racism as an important factor influencing the health and wellbeing of children and youth.