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Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Apr-2026 09:16 ET (25-Apr-2026 13:16 GMT/UTC)

Why heat deaths occur during low-level alerts - new UK study

University of East London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from the University of East London explores why many heat-related deaths in England occur during lower-level alerts, highlighting gaps in awareness, understanding and response to heat-health warnings.

Journal: Energy Research & Social Science

ADHD and chronic pain, an overlooked connection

University of Tokyo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study, led by researchers from the University of Tokyo, involving nearly 1,000 patients in Japan suggests that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related traits may be associated with and may contribute to chronic pain. The connection seems solid but indirect: ADHD-related traits appear to impact how people perceive pain through increased anxiety, depression and negative thought patterns. This research presents potential avenues for new tailored treatments and rehabilitation for those with ADHD and chronic pain.

Journal: Scientific Reports
Funder: Health and Labor Sciences Research Grants

Tolls saved Britain from pothole hell in the Industrial Revolution, diaries reveal

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The ‘turnpike’ toll road system deserves far more credit for improving roads in eighteenth-century England and Wales, a new study argues. Analysis of nearly 100 travellers’ diaries reveals that turnpiking improved comfort and reduced danger on the roads, as well as speeding up wheeled vehicle journeys.

Journal: Explorations in Economic History

Family environment shapes life outcomes across generations

Karolinska Institutet
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Adopted children who have grown up in more favourable family environments than their siblings are at lower risk of mental health issues, criminality and social problems – benefits that, in some cases, extend to the next generation. These are the findings of a new study of Swedish siblings published in The BMJ.

Journal: The BMJ

Improving early home environment linked to lasting health and social gains

BMJ Group
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A large Swedish study published in The BMJ today suggests that an improved early home environment can have lasting positive effects across generations. Children of parents with psychiatric or behavioural issues who were adopted before age 10 into families with better home environments, showed improved adult psychosocial outcomes, including fewer criminal convictions and higher educational achievements, than their unadopted siblings.

Journal: The BMJ
Funder: Swedish Research Council, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Svenska Läkaresällskapet, Stiftelsen Söderström-Königska and Brain Foundation

Liquid biochar fertilizers boost crop yields while improving soil sustainability, study finds

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study has found that innovative liquid biochar-based fertilizers can significantly increase crop yields, improve nutrient efficiency, and deliver strong economic returns, offering a promising pathway toward more sustainable agriculture.

Journal: Biochar

Could glass be dethroned as wine’s top packaging? Researchers unbox consumer perceptions of wine packaging

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Agricultural economists and food scientists with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture teamed up for a study surveying multiple generations on their thoughts of wine packaging. The study, published in the journal Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, shows that, in general, there is a perception that quality wine comes in glass bottles but “that perception can change slowly as new and innovative packaging for wine becomes available,” said Renee Threlfall, one of the study’s authors and a research scientist in enology and viticulture. The study suggests that providing sustainability information about packaging can influence how much consumers are willing to pay, with both positive and negative results for alternative packaging.

Journal: Cleaner and Responsible Consumption

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