Science News

Researchers found that Twitter bots, in a community of 300 Twitter users, increased follows by 43 percent over a control group composed only of humans. In other words, normal patterns of human-to-human communication were amplified—new introductions were made between users and those users started communicating. Imagine if bots were able to connect human communities across artificial boundaries where the stigma of fraternization is often the major impediment to a more constructive and empathetic conversation.

The less people know about important complex issues such as the economy, energy consumption and the environment, the more they want to avoid becoming well-informed, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.