Topic: Pnas

A 2014 study published in the PNAS regarding "emotional contagion" on Facebook is revisited, detailing how the platform manipulated news feeds to influence user moods. The experiment found that users exposed to more positive posts tended to post positive content, while negative feeds induced negative posts, though extreme positivity could backfire. The hosts note that Facebook's End User License Agreement (EULA) grants the company legal permission to conduct such psychological research without explicit real-time consent.

Dutch climatologist Siebren Drijfhout published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) regarding atmospheric blocking and sea-ice feedback. The model suggests a potential "mini ice age" or significant cooling period beginning around 2030 and lasting until 2070. The concept of "peer review" is debated, with comparisons made to the obsessive nature of Star Trek fans and the potential for insular validation within the scientific community.