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Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Apr-2026 22:17 ET (24-Apr-2026 02:17 GMT/UTC)

FDA ‘healthy’ label boosts sales of healthier snacks and commands price premium, study finds

Oregon State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

“Healthy” food labels increased consumer selections of healthier snacks and consumers were willing to pay a premium for such labeled products, according to new research.

Journal: Food Quality and Preference

AI can give as good as it gets ... or better: The moral dilemma of combative chatbots

Lancaster University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

AI systems ‘can learn to seek revenge’ because they are able to grasp reciprocating verbal violence when exposed to conflict, new research from Lancaster University shows.

In short, AI can give as good as it gets and, eventually, go one step further.

Published in the journal of Pragmatics, the study ‘Can ChatGPT reciprocate impoliteness? The Al moral dilemma’, is authored by Dr Vittorio Tantucci and Prof Jonathan Culpeper, both from Lancaster University.

Journal: Journal of Pragmatics
Funder: Lancaster University

Bullying, state policy, and mental health symptoms in gender-diverse youths

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this cohort study, being bullied and unsupportive legislation were associated with greater and increasing rates of psychotic-like experiences in gender-diverse youths. This study’s findings suggest that mental health in gender-diverse youths could benefit from supportive environments and policies that reduce bullying and avoid perpetuating stigma.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Study finds high school journalism leading the way in financial literacy, even if business isn't part of curriculum

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers led by the University of Kansas conducted interviews with leaders of 29 high school journalism programs. They sought to find out about the business side of programs and found that they are often leading in financial literacy through default, as students need to learn about things like ad sales and budgets. However, finances are a significant source of stress for advisors and students would benefit from more direct financial education as part of high school journalism, the authors argue.

Journal: Journalism & Mass Communication Educator

Millions suffering needlessly with curable hepatitis C, new analysis reveals

University of Virginia Health System
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Millions of Americans are still battling potentially deadly hepatitis C even though they could be cured with antiviral drugs they are not receiving, a new analysis reveals. The alarming trend threatens both many Americans’ health and federal goals to eliminate the disease in the United States.

Funder: Arnold Venture

New paper presents the eLTER Framework of Standard Observations for long-term, integrated environmental monitoring

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in Earth’s Future introduces the eLTER Framework of Standard Observations (eLTER SO) - a structured, harmonized system designed to support consistent long-term environmental observation across Europe. The paper, "Achieving harmonized and integrated long-term environmental observation of essential ecosystem variables - The eLTER Framework of Standard Observations", explains how the eLTER Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI) is improving the comparability and coordination of environmental data across diverse ecosystems and research fields. By providing common standards, the framework improves data interoperability and supports collaboration across the environmental research community. It offers a foundation for future work in areas such as ecosystem modeling, sustainability assessments, and evidence-based environmental policy.

Journal: Earth s Future
Funder: European Commission, Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL

AI works best with humans – not instead of them

University of East London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new academic study says the most effective use of artificial intelligence may be to strengthen human thinking and decision-making, rather than replace it.

Journal: Journal of Knowledge Management

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