Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Cities are getting hotter: 'Thermal Justice' offers a fairer way to adapt

Researchers propose 'Thermal Justice' framework to address heat-related inequalities, combining emergency measures with structural changes. The framework prioritizes exposed residents, accessible cooling, and worker protection during heatwaves, while retrofitting housing and expanding green infrastructure between heatwaves.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Climate Change·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateAug 19, 2026

Refugees reveal how community shapes success in Canada

A University of Toronto study explores the experiences of 42 older Hungarian and Vietnamese refugees, finding that strong social connections, supportive communities, and opportunities for belonging played a crucial role in their success. The research highlights the importance of policies that strengthen community connections and suppor...

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalArchives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus·DateAug 6, 2026

UC3M study analyzes crime rates by nationality and debunks its link to immigration

A UC3M study finds that crime rates are not linked to immigration status, but rather to demographic factors such as age and gender. The research also highlights the need to standardize crime rates to make valid comparisons and concludes that regularization policies can be effective security tools.

SourceUniversidad Carlos III de Madrid·JournalRevista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJul 2, 2026

Only 38% of the world's population expected to live in large cities by 2100, study challenges current forecasts

A new study estimates that by 2100, only 38% of the world's population will live in large cities, with 450 million fewer people projected to reside in cities over a century than current trends suggest. Urban growth slows as countries urbanize, with smaller cities growing faster than larger ones initially.

SourceComplexity Science Hub·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 29, 2026

Study finds landback returns of Indigenous lands happening across country, can lead public planning

A study by University of Kansas researchers found that landback returns of Indigenous lands are occurring rapidly across the country. The findings show that over 75 distinct tribal nations have received lands, with private landowners, nonprofits, and corporations being among the most frequent returners.

SourceUniversity of Kansas·JournalFrontiers in Sustainable Resource Management·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 16, 2026

Nature draws more tourists to the Canary Islands than previously believed

A social media analysis by the University of Helsinki reveals that nature has an important role to play in tourism beyond the beaches, with 25% of photos taken in conservation areas and a third in natural settings. This finding suggests that Central and Southern Europeans tend to focus more on nature than British or Nordic visitors.

SourceUniversity of Helsinki·JournalPeople and Nature·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 6, 2026

Too hot to handle? Study explores how heat is reshaping US population shifts

A new study from Florida Atlantic University challenges the narrative that rising temperatures will drive Americans away, finding that heat alone isn't driving large-scale out-migration. Instead, population shifts are shaped more by economic opportunity, housing affordability and local quality of life than climate conditions.

SourceFlorida Atlantic University·JournalSustainability·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 16, 2026

Rewriting our understanding of early hominin dispersal to Eurasia

A team of geoscientists and anthropologists has reconstructed a more precise timeline of H. erectus arrival in China, confirming the presence of the species at Yunxian, China 1.7 million years ago. The revised timeline challenges long-held assumptions about early human dispersal and raises questions about alternative species that may h...

SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 18, 2026

Push and pull in models of human migration

Researchers incorporated factors like conflicts, natural hazards, and income inequality into human migration models, improving accuracy for South Sudan and US commuting patterns. The updated model outperforms a standard radiation model in predicting migrations.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateJan 20, 2026

Emphasizing immigrants’ deservingness shifts attitudes

A study conducted during the 2024 French elections found that information about immigrants' deservingness traits, such as motivation to work and learn French, reduces negative beliefs about immigration. The intervention also produced modest reductions in opposition to immigration, with effects persisting one week after the intervention.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateDec 23, 2025

Environmental variability and migration promote the evolution of cooperation among humans: A simulation-based analysis

This study investigates how environmental variability and human migration influence the evolution of cooperation among humans. Simulation results reveal that cooperation is more likely to evolve when these factors are sufficiently high, hindering non-cooperative groups and encouraging cooperative groups.

SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalChaos Solitons & Fractals·DateDec 11, 2025

EU ambiguity on Western Sahara frozen conflict is a “glaring source” of vulnerability for Sahrawis, study shows

A new study by Dr Irene Fernández-Molina from the University of Exeter reveals that EU legal ambiguity on the Western Sahara conflict is a significant disadvantage for the Polisario Front and its Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The study highlights how lawfare has been successfully used to challenge these ambiguities, leading to accu...

International community must reverse cuts to Rohingya humanitarian aid, study says

A new study says the international community must reverse cuts to Rohingya humanitarian aid and work with Dhaka authorities to improve conditions in refugee camps. The research emphasizes that both options – returning to Myanmar or remaining in camps – amount to social death, highlighting the urgent need for action.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalThird World Quarterly·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateAug 7, 2025

New study sheds light on the effectiveness of measures to solve the 'migration crisis'

A new study by IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca analyzed the effects of the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement on irregular migration and mortality in the Mediterranean. The research found that the deal led to a surge in lives lost at sea, particularly on the Central Mediterranean route, with nearly double the death rate after the agreement.

SourceIMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca·JournalHumanities and Social Sciences Communications·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 24, 2025

The Roman massacre that never happened according to a new study of an iconic archaeological site

A new study by Bournemouth University reveals that the 'war-cemetery' at Maiden Castle did not die in a single event, but rather experienced lethal violence spanning multiple generations. The findings question the traditional narrative of Roman conquest and highlight the need for reevaluation of other archaeological cemeteries.

SourceBournemouth University·JournalOxford Journal of Archaeology·TypeImaging analysis·DateMay 23, 2025

Climate change and prehistoric human populations: Eastward shift of settlement areas at the end of the last ice age

A new study reveals significant shifts in prehistoric hunter-gatherer populations in Europe due to climate changes at the end of the last Ice Age. The population declined by half, but some areas in central Europe showed stability or even an increase in population size, indicating human migration towards the east.

SourceUniversity of Cologne·JournalPLOS One·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 3, 2025

Black immigrants attract white residents to neighborhoods

A study by Ohio State University researcher Nima Dahir found that Black immigrants can act as a buffer between Black and white residents, increasing the white population in neighborhoods with a high native-born Black presence. The influx of Black immigrants led to a decrease in native-born Black residents and an increase in non-Hispani...

SourceOhio State University·JournalRSF The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJan 22, 2025

Viking colonizers of Iceland and nearby Faroe Islands had very different origins, study finds

A recent study found that Viking colonizers of the Faroe Islands and Iceland came from different Scandinavian populations. The researchers analyzed genetic samples from 139 men and compared them to samples from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland, revealing a 'founder effect' that persists in today's male populations.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Genetics·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 25, 2024

Multi-layered site in Tajikistan's Zeravshan Valley uncovered, offering new insights into human expansion

Archaeologists have uncovered a multi-layered archaeological site in the Zeravshan Valley, central Tajikistan, revealing crucial evidence of early human migration and development. The site, known as Soii Havzak, dates back to various periods between 20,000 and 150,000 years ago and offers valuable clues to ancient climate and environment.

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalAntiquity·TypeObservational study·DateNov 4, 2024

Gentrification can leave residents feeling powerless and alienated in their own neighborhood, research shows

A new study reveals gentrification's complex impact on residential communities in Seoul, Korea, finding that state-led urban change can lead to emotional displacement of residents. Meanwhile, property-led redevelopment has resulted in direct displacement and replacement of industrial clusters with high-rise residential construction.

SourceXi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University·JournalThe Developing Economies·TypeObservational study·DateNov 1, 2024