Perceiving AI as a 'job killer' negatively influences attitudes towards democracy
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2026 16:16 ET (1-May-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)
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When people perceive artificial intelligence as replacing human labor, trust in democracy and political participation decline.
A research team from the Visual Perception and Cognition Laboratory and the Cognitive Neurotechnology Unit at Toyohashi University of Technology investigated how the movements of autonomous mobile robots influence human emotional responses during passing encounters in virtual reality (VR) environments. The study found that when the robot moved monotonously in a straight path, participants initially exhibited increased arousal and skin conductance responses, which gradually diminished over repeated trials—indicating habituation. In contrast, when the robot’s motion included unpredictable pauses and restarts, both arousal and skin conductance responses remained elevated throughout the experiment, suggesting a lack of habituation and a greater tendency for participants to experience discomfort. These findings highlight the importance of predictability in robot behavior as a critical factor affecting human comfort in shared spaces. The results of this study were published online in the International Journal of Social Robotics on January 19, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-025-01341-3
A new study by UCLA and Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s Center for Health Research demonstrates a health care approach matching treatment intensity to individual risk levels can significantly reduce self-harm and depression among at-risk adolescents and young adults while improving patient satisfaction with care.
Only 2% of U.S. homes rely on wood as their primary heating source, but residential wood burning accounts for 22% of fine particulate matter in winter air, a new study finds. The researchers estimate 8,600 premature deaths per year are associated with wood-burning fireplaces, furnaces and stoves. People of color burn less wood yet disproportionately experience higher exposure rates.
The University of East London (UEL) is leading a major new neuroscience research project in partnership with The Queen’s Reading Room, founded by Her Majesty Queen Camilla, and The Bentley Foundation. Headed by Professor Sam Wass, Director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth (ISEY) at UEL, the laboratory-controlled study will examine the psychological and physiological impact of shared reading and book clubs, exploring how reading together can reduce stress, strengthen social bonds and improve mental wellbeing.
Building on The Queen’s Reading Room’s groundbreaking 2024 study which found that just five minutes of reading can reduce stress by nearly 20% and lower loneliness by up to 70%, the research will apply rigorous neuroscientific methods to understand the wider health and social benefits of communal reading.