A UCLA-led research team studying the Kia/Hyundai crime spree that started in 2020 predicts these cars will continue to be stolen through at least 2042. The researchers cite a combination of factors including a lack of anti-theft equipment in certain models, an increase in unstructured time during COVID, traditional print and cable news coverage that might have encouraged copycats, and viral “Kia Boys” videos that glorified joyrides and showed how easy the cars were to steal. The researchers encourage owners of vulnerable models to take advantage of manufacturer recalls and advise consumers looking for new cars should verify that engine immobilizers come as standard equipment.

People with social anxiety have amplified brain activity that improves learning under low demands but hinders learning under higher demands.

A new study has revealed how both reduced neural activity and reduced control of neural activity in the prefrontal area of the brain can disrupt the ability to adapt behaviour when circumstances change. 

In the late 1800s, newspapers ran alarming headlines about a dangerous new technology corrupting the nation’s youth. Books. Kids were sneaking off to libraries to read Horatio Alger, and parents were convinced it would ruin them. More than a century later, the medium has changed dramatically. But the fear, experts say, has not. The tension between panic and practicality was at the heart of a packed panel discussion Sept. 8 at UC Irvine, the third installment of the “Raising the Next Generation in the Age of AI” series. Co-presented by UCI’s School of Social Ecology, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, the Office of Research, the Connected Learning Lab, and CERES (Connecting the EdTech Research EcoSystem), the event brought together researchers, a tech industry leader and a youth advocate for a candid, research-grounded conversation about helping families navigate the challenges of raising children in an increasingly digital world.

Unusually warm periods could have a link to an increased risk of intimate partner violence against women, according to a new IIASA-led study covering 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings highlight how rising temperatures may compound existing risks of violence, with effects varying between demographic groups.