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University of Texas at Austin


Digital targeting creeps out customers

Researchers find that personalized digital marketing can evoke a powerful emotional response, leading consumers to feel uncomfortable and less likely to make purchases. To mitigate this 'creepiness,' brands can focus on prevention by designing personalization practices that minimize ambiguity and avoid signals of intrusive surveillance.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalPsychology and Marketing·DateMar 2, 2026

Too much transparency can hurt financial markets

Researchers found that less transparency in bond markets can lead to better economic outcomes, as it imposes discipline on players and makes institutions more selective about bonds they buy. This is in contrast to the 2008 global financial crisis, which was triggered by too much public information and looser credit.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalJournal of Economic Theory·DateFeb 25, 2026

When blackouts occur during heat waves, Austin homes pose major risk

A new study assesses indoor heat vulnerability for each single-family home in Austin, finding that 85% of homes would pose significant risk to an elderly person during a power outage. The city can now take a methodical approach to mitigating risk through cooling centers and home weatherization programs.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalBuilding and Environment·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 10, 2026

More banks mean higher costs for borrowers

Research from the University of Texas at Austin reveals that increased bank competition can result in higher interest rates for borrowers. With more banks competing for loans, each additional bank is associated with a 7 basis point increase in interest rates. This is due to the 'winner's curse' effect, where lenders become risk-averse ...

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalJournal of Finance·DateFeb 10, 2026

History offers warning on dollar and deficits

A new study warns that the U.S. government's fiscal capacity depends on the dominance of the U.S. dollar, and potential losses for bondholders could be significant if another currency replaces it. Historically, countries with a strong currency have experienced economic downturns when their dominance wanes.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalJournal of Political Economy·DateJan 15, 2026

For knowledge scouts, broader isn’t better

New research from the University of Texas at Austin finds that knowledge scouts who work across multiple divisions are less effective in launching successful projects. The study highlights the challenges of managing knowledge scouts and recommends companies be more strategic in rotating them across projects and time.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalAcademy of Management Journal·DateDec 10, 2025

AI “digital twins” help patients make smarter decisions about knee surgery, study finds

A new study from researchers at Dell Medical School found that AI-powered tools can improve patient decision-making and outcomes for knee replacement surgery. Patients who used the digital twin tool reported higher decision quality, less regret, and better knee function compared to those who received educational materials alone.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalEClinicalMedicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateOct 30, 2025

For battered brands, consumers can be defenders

Researchers identified three types of online brand defenders: promoters (emotionally attached), justice promoters (fairness driven), and self-promoters (ego-driven). Companies can encourage promoters by acknowledging them, while justice promoters require a sense of fairness. Self-promoters are motivated by attention and rewards.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalJournal of Interactive Marketing·DateOct 29, 2025

Adjusted earnings don’t fool investors

Research analyzed over 70,000 quarterly earnings announcements from US public companies between 2003 and 2021. It found investors do factor in costs like stock-based compensation when making informed decisions. The study suggests the current accounting rules are working as intended.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalJournal of Accounting and Economics·DateOct 28, 2025

How can (A)I help you?

A new study by Yifan Yu offers guidance on how to deploy emotion AI in various scenarios, emphasizing the importance of balancing human involvement with AI's emotional detection capabilities. The analysis showed that emotion AI works best when integrated with human employees, and some scenarios are better handled by humans alone.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalManagement Science·DateOct 28, 2025

A new tool for healthcare gives better outbreak forecasts

A new approach, epimodulation, has been developed to improve epidemiological forecasting models by incorporating critical pieces of understanding into the models. This approach increased model accuracy by up to 55% during epidemic peaks for hospital admission forecasts without reducing accuracy at non-peak times.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 24, 2025

New gene-editing tech holds promise for treating complex genetic diseases

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a novel gene-editing method that can correct multiple disease-causing mutations simultaneously. This approach uses bacterial retrons to protect the microbes from viral infection and has shown promising results in correcting scoliosis-causing mutations in zebrafish embryos.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNature Biotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 23, 2025

Out-of-this-world ice geysers

New supercomputer simulations from the Texas Advanced Computing Center have found improved estimates of ice mass Enceladus is losing to space. The findings help with understanding and future robotic exploration of what's below the surface of the icy moon, which might harbor life.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalJournal of Geophysical Research Planets·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 30, 2025

So what should we call this – a grue jay?

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered a unique hybrid bird that combines characteristics of green and blue jays, sparking insights into the impact of climate change on biodiversity. The finding sheds light on how changes in weather patterns can lead to unexpected species interactions.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalEcology and Evolution·TypeObservational study·DateSep 18, 2025

Volcanic emissions of reactive sulfur gases may have shaped early mars climate, making it more hospitable to life

A new study suggests that volcanic activity on early Mars emitted sulfur gases, creating a greenhouse effect and making the planet's climate more hospitable to life. The research found high concentrations of chemically reduced forms of sulfur, which are highly reactive and could have induced a hazy environment.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalScience Advances·DateSep 11, 2025

Not all subsidiaries are treated equally

Researchers found that subsidiaries with operational alignment tend to have smaller gaps between control rights and financial rights, allowing parents to internalize profits. In contrast, partnerships with high risks and uncertainties often result in a wider gap, as seen in the GM-Chrysler partnership.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalStrategy Science·DateAug 28, 2025

Alternative carbon carrier technology could improve oil production — and carbon storage too

A new method for enhanced oil recovery proposed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin is showing promising results in modeling studies. Alternative carbon carriers are chemical compounds engineered to store larger quantities of carbon molecules in subsurface formations, optimizing greenhouse gas transportation, utilizatio...

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalEnergy & Fuels·DateAug 13, 2025

Only some emotions help posts go viral

A new study by Yifan Yu found that certain emotions, like anxiety and love, can make online content spread rapidly, while others, such as anger or sadness, tend to slow it down. The research also showed that demographic groups react differently to different emotional content.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateAug 11, 2025