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Your social media feed is built to agree with you. What if it didn’t?

A new study from the University of Rochester found that social media algorithms can reinforce echo chambers, but introducing randomness can help reduce this effect. By exposing users to a broader range of perspectives, algorithms can weaken feedback loops and promote more open-minded views.

Researchers find possible cause for increasing polarization

Increasing polarization and growing social connections have led researchers to discover a fundamental explanation. A study published in PNAS found that more close friends and denser social networks can lead to increased conflict and societal polarization.

ERC Starting Grants for Maria Eichlseder and Fariba Karimi

Researchers Maria Eichlseder and Fariba Karimi will study keyless encryption and AI's impact on online social networks to promote fair algorithms. Their projects aim to address open problems in cryptographic systems and quantify intersectional inequality.

New study shows the power of social connections to predict hit songs

Researchers at the Complexity Science Hub analyzed friendships and listening habits to find social networks are a crucial predictor of song popularity. The study showed that individuals with strong influence and large friend circles accelerate a song's popularity, making social connections a key factor in music trends.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

A better way of measuring homophily

Researchers have developed a new method to measure homophily in social networks, which can accurately capture biases within group interactions. The study found that traditional methods may produce misleading results, particularly in networks with unequal groups and asymmetric mixing.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Predicting human group sizes with physics

Researchers at Complexity Science Hub developed a model using physics principles to predict group sizes in humans. By analyzing social stress and homophily, they found that group sizes can be predicted with relatively small information, revealing new insights into human behavior.

Physicists unify sociological theories that explain social stability

Researchers from the Complexity Science Hub Vienna propose that homophily, or interacting with like-minded individuals, automatically leads to social balance and stability. They demonstrate this using data from the Massive Multiplayer Online Game Pardus, where players tend to form friendships with those who share similar characteristics.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

The Trojan-Horse mechanism: How networks reduce gender segregation

Researchers at Linköping University found that network-based recruitment can reduce segregation levels by encouraging individuals to form ties with those of different genders. This 'Trojan-horse mechanism' suggests that networks can counteract the segregating impact of mobility events, leading to desegregating moves.

Online mirrors: Video bloggers and viewers share emotions

Researchers from Tilburg University studied over 2000 YouTube vlogs and found that people mirror the emotions of those they see online. They also seek out others with similar outlooks and moods, a phenomenon known as homophily. This emotional contagion can be seen in both immediate and sustained reactions.

How social networking sites may discriminate against women

A study by Columbia University researchers found that social networking site Instagram's recommendation algorithms amplify homophily, making women less visible and reducing their popularity. The algorithms, which turn loose on a network with homophily, effectively make women less visible.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Celebs spawn copycat suicides, study confirms

A new study by Queen Mary University of London finds that celebrity suicides can trigger copycat suicides due to increased media coverage. The research suggests that restricting media reports on celebrity suicides is crucial to prevent such pandemics.