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Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Oct-2026 17:17 ET (23-Oct-2026 21:17 GMT/UTC)

Dementia will cost the U.S. $818 billion this year

University of Southern California
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Often-overlooked costs, including diminished quality of life and informal care provided by loved ones, account for most of dementia's staggering economic toll.

This is how fair climate action works: Findings for 88 countries with 5 billion people

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) now sheds light, for the first time, on the carbon intensity of household consumption across much of the world – and thus on the distributional impact of climate policy, which, after all, makes carbon more expensive. The greatest differences are not between rich and poor, but within income groups: key factors include car ownership, place of residence and energy use. The study provides guidance on how to socially balance the fight against global heating. Published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management (JEEM), it is supplemented by an interactive online carbon price calculator.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

AACR releases Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026

American Association for Cancer Research
Reports and Proceedings

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) today released its Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026, a comprehensive analysis of the unequal burden of cancer in the United States. First published in 2020, this biennial report highlights the progress being made against cancer disparities while also raising awareness of the disproportionate toll that cancer continues to exact on racial and ethnic minority groups and other medically underserved populations, including sexual and gender minorities and residents of rural areas and persistent-poverty regions.

Edible agents with perceptible minds: A robotic tool for exploring human-food interactions

The University of Electro-Communications
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Japanese researchers have developed an edible agent capable of social interaction through vocalizations and movement, and examined mind perception of the edible agent. In an online survey with 1,094 participants, different vocalizations and behaviors modulated mind perception of the edible agent, while no significant relationship was observed between mind perception and either reluctance to eat or guilt. This study offers a new experimental tool for investigating human perception in human-food interaction and the psychological and ethical aspects of eating.

Journal: PLOS One
Funder: JSPS KAKENHI

UN Secretary-General launches AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, calling on AI companies to disclose carbon, water and land footprints

United Nations University
Reports and Proceedings

At the London Climate Action Week, UN chief launches AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, calling on AI companies to disclose their environmental footprints and adopt renewable energym after a UN University report highlights the AI's massive electricity demand and environmental impacts

Americans hungry for information, policies around ultra-processed foods, study shows

College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Peer-Reviewed Publication

If your social media feed has suddenly filled with content about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), you’re far from alone. Since Health and Human Services tasked federal agencies last year with developing UPF guidelines, the buzz has been hard to miss. Yet, despite widespread attention, federal guidelines have not yet materialized and Americans are unsure how to make healthy choices for their families.

Journal: PLOS One

Study finds estrogen-based hormone therapies could protect brain health in older women

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the University of Kansas have shown a link between reproductive hormone exposure throughout life and brain health in 459 women aged 65 to 80. They discovered older women who had used hormonal birth control in young adulthood were more likely to have larger volumes in brain regions vital to memory, cognition and information processing.

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