Politics

A study has found that a higher sensitivity to pain may increase the likelihood that someone will be sympathetic to opposing political views, and may even cause a Trump supporter to vote for Biden and a Biden supporter to vote for Trump.

Most psychedelic advocates picture a future where the drug war is over and people are free to use a number of currently illicit substances but exactly how we get to that utopian future is the source of great acrimony in a previously unified community.

A five-year trial in Iceland exploring the effects of a shorter working week is reporting positive outcomes. The results suggest cutting just four or five hours from a work week can lead to increases in worker well-being and improvements in productivity.

A study has found a CIA plot to capture Osama Bin Laden led to significant drops in vaccination rates in Pakistan. The plot, a fake vaccination campaign designed to capture children’s DNA samples, was used in anti-vaccine propaganda in the following years.

Results from the first year of a small basic income trial in California show those receiving monthly unconditional payments report increased rates of employment and improved mental health. Full results of the 24 month trial will be released next year.

In the largest ever academic study into belief in conspiracy theories, a team from the University of Cambridge polled people in nine countries to reveal how mainstream certain fringe conspiratorial views have become in recent years.