Social media: Reading between the lines
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Oct-2026 06:16 ET (25-Oct-2026 10:16 GMT/UTC)
UC Irvine researchers analyzed nearly 25,000 heat-related social media posts from across California to examine what factors predict people talking about coping with extreme heat or its effects on daily life.
People living in RVs, vans or boats appeared to face greater challenges during extreme heat while being less likely to discuss ways of coping with it.
The findings suggest that social media could complement traditional public health data and help officials develop more targeted heat warnings, outreach and prevention strategies for vulnerable communities.
A new study shows that 83% of people lost weight by following personalised nutritional insights, rather than going on a calorie counting or restrictive diet
New research shows that swimming in rivers and lakes is linked to a higher risk of stomach bugs and rashes.
Researchers found that people who swam in rivers and lakes were more than twice as likely to develop skin problems, while higher levels of bacteria linked to faecal pollution were associated with an increased risk of stomach bugs.
The findings come amid growing public concern over water quality and a boom in open-water swimming.
This study was carried out at freshwater bathing sites in Hungary, but the the results were consistent with a similar study in Germany and the team say they would expect to find similar results in the UK.
Portland State University has been awarded a $5.9 million National Science Foundation Accelerating Research Translation (ART) grant to accelerate the translation of PSU research from the lab into companies, products and partnerships that strengthen the Portland-metro and Oregon economies.
The three-year award — PSU’s largest NSF grant to date — arrives as the university’s research enterprise reaches new heights, with research expenditures rising from $74 million in fiscal year 2024 to $91 million in 2025 in fields with strong commercial potential, including artificial intelligence and computational intelligence, semiconductors and transportation and infrastructure. The ART grant is designed to close the gap between that research strength and the region's need for new companies, traded-sector jobs and industry investment.
"PSU's motto is ‘Let Knowledge Serve the City,’ and this award puts that commitment to work for our regional economy," said Ann Cudd, president of Portland State University. "Our researchers are producing discoveries with real commercial and civic value. This investment helps us turn more of that work into Oregon companies, Oregon jobs and Oregon solutions."