The Conversation - New look at old fossil sparks mystery

Jerry Springer and the history of that [bleeping] bleep sound

Matthew Jordan, Penn State

As ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ climbed the ratings ladder, the censorship bleep, which masked the slew of insults lobbed by warring guests, became a star of the show.

Math teachers hold a bias against girls when the teachers think gender equality has been achieved

Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, University of Southern California; Ian Thacker, The University of Texas at San Antonio; Joseph Cimpian, New York University

Teachers judged the same math work differently based on whether the work was associated with male or female names.

Body lotions, mothballs, cleaning fluids and other widely used products contain known toxic chemicals, study finds

Robin Dodson, Boston University; Megan R. Schwarzman, University of California, Berkeley; Ruthann Rudel, Northeastern University

Manufacturers don’t usually have to disclose what’s in products like shampoo and household cleaners, but a new study finds that these products can contain hazardous ingredients.

The thinking error that makes people susceptible to climate change denial

Jeremy P. Shapiro, Case Western Reserve University

A psychologist explains how opponents of climate policies use a common thinking error to manipulate the public – and why people are so susceptible.

Rejected Oklahoma plea for death penalty commutation highlights clemency’s changing role in US death penalty system

Austin Sarat, Amherst College

Despite support for clemency from Oklahoma’s top prosecutor, a death row inmate appears set to die on May 18.

Why do mass shooters kill? It’s about more than having a grievance

Arie Kruglanski, University of Maryland

Is there ever a satisfactory answer to questions about what motivated a mass shooter? There is, but it’s not what you think.

Why stagflation is an economic nightmare – and may already be here

Veronika Dolar, SUNY Old Westbury

The US economy is cooling, yet inflation remains elevated, a combo that suggests stagflation might be right around the corner.

Twitter played a role in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank – new research

Tony Cookson, University of Colorado Boulder; Christoph Schiller, Arizona State University

Social media provides both a forum for communication and a public signal about what a bank’s customers believe. That means Twitter can facilitate coordination in real time.

Are some human rights more important than others? Religious freedom advocates often put it first

Laura E. Alexander, University of Nebraska Omaha

Religious freedom has grown more important in US foreign policy – but does that come at the expense of promoting other human rights?

Ring for the King: the long history of England’s bellringing tradition

Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill wants to ‘rehabilitate’ LGBTIQ+ people – African psychologists warn of its dangers

How encrypted Victorian newspaper personal ads shaped fiction like Sherlock and Enola Holmes