This study examines the relationship between liberal democracy and climate performance. In the econometric analysis conducted using the panel ARDL model, the long-term effects of liberal democracy, climate change performance, urban population, and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) on carbon emissions (CO 2 ) are analyzed based on OECD member countries. We find that an increase in the level of liberal democracy increases carbon emissions in the long term, while improved climate performance significantly reduces emissions. It means that liberal democracy not only generates a “demand for climate mitigation” but also a “demand for climate-insensitive economic growth and urbanization.” If the institutional capacity for climate mitigation cannot balance these demands, an increase in carbon emissions will be inevitable. In this context, we argue that relationship between liberal democracy and climate change performance is not linear, but “conditional”. Liberal democracies can only succeed in climate mitigation when a certain institutional capacity threshold is exceeded. This capacity can be increased with the following concrete policy recommendations for OECD countries: To base carbon reduction targets on permanent/legislative rather than temporary/political grounds, to strengthen emission monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and to encourage investments in renewable energy. To expand investments in electric public transport and low-carbon transportation systems, and develop energy-efficient building standards. To focus not only on the rate of growth but also on the carbon intensity and energy structure of that growth.
Events such as the climate crisis, developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the COVID-19 pandemic, compel interaction between researchers and journalists to inform citizens and increase public understanding of science. This literature review provides an in-depth analysis of publications about the changing relationship between researchers and journalists. The analysis is based on two main trends which impact science-media interactions, changing media landscapes and medialisation of science. We find that the roles of both researchers and journalists have diversified in response to increased competition and increased time pressure for the science journalism profession. The combination of the two trends may cause journalists to increasingly depend on strategic communication from researchers and public relations departments of scientific organizations, which could reduce the quality of science journalism. Additional research is recommended, in particular regarding how journalists and researchers can ensure science journalism of good quality with an emphasis on analysing understudied countries and recent developments in generative AI.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational settings is rapidly growing. The wide impact of AI in education draws the attention of school stakeholders to start incorporating it into teaching and learning. Although there are several AI literatures in education and other fields, empirical studies in school settings are overlooked. This study aimed to develop a research framework by identifying readiness factors for AI incorporation at the school level. With this aim, the study explored popular theories such as diffusion of innovation (DOI), reason action theory (RAT), technology acceptance model (TAM), and technology-organization-environment (TOE) to develop an AI incorporation framework. The factors drawn from the theoretical foundations have been recommended for guiding the subsequent formulation of hypotheses. A survey method is proposed to test and validate the research framework. Finally, it proposes the plans and expected outcomes of the study.
This paper explores the roles of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals in AI policymaking, addressing the urgent need for informed governance in emerging technologies. With AI's complex sociotechnical impacts, STEM expertise is crucial for balancing benefits and mitigating risks like bias and privacy concerns. Despite their potential influence, the specific contributions of STEM professionals in AI policy remain underexplored. To address this gap, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 STEM professionals who have both educational and professional experience in STEM and policy, and have actively participated in AI policymaking. The data revealed two primary role groups: (1) advisors, gatekeepers, and influencers, who leverage their expertise in STEM and policy to guide stakeholders and actively influence policy decisions, and (2) facilitators and brokers, who facilitate connections and manage the flow of information between stakeholders. This typology highlights the varied contributions of STEM professionals to AI governance and policy development.
This article argues, using a case study on Elsevier's business, that despite its many merits, the Open Science Movement has not succeeded in lowering the margins of for-profit academic publishing. Accordingly, regulations other than the ones suggested by the movement should be introduced to regulate this business. In conclusion, some reasons in favour of one proposal are briefly reviewed.
The article examines the superimposition of the language of political theory on AI. This refers to values that are moralistic to the extend that they suggest what AI ought to be, more open, transparent, secure, fair, trustworthy and so on. Firstly, theoretical observations are made about the STS of the 80 s and early 90s: on Winner and Latour as social contract theorists. By extension STS can be seen as a relatively consistent approach to social contract theorizing, whether as Winner's technical constitution, Latour's nonmodern constitution, or otherwise. Secondly, the approach is applied to AI, which is to say that a variety of cases will be discussed that are selected for how they invoke the social contract, in terms of the conventional concepts like legitimacy, security, property, truth, freedom and so on. Included are ChatGPT, OpenAI, Sovereign AI, Constitutional AI, among others. The aim of the paper is, therefore, methodological; establish proximity to cases but remain detached from the hype that surrounds AI. What this requires is a broader perspective on the relation of STS to political theory (part 1) and its application (part 2) to a variety of claims on what makes AI responsible (as in responsible AI) rather than disruptive, open (as in Open AI) rather than opaque, “human-centric” rather than being excessively about nonhumans.
Much current opinion suggests that humor as a communication tool in science communication is useful beyond the mere amusement value it provides. This study aimed to test if humor inserts in two popular science articles increased the retention of information and receptiveness to science among Portuguese undergraduate students. These articles and positive, non-aggressive humor inserts were created by the first author of the current article who has previous practical experience with science-related comedy. A sample of 226 students was randomly divided in two groups, with half reading humorous versions of the two articles and the other half reading control versions without humor. Retention of information and receptiveness were assessed through questionnaires, and comparisons were done using statistical tests. Results of the research showed that the increase in retention of information and interest with humor inserts in popular articles directed at science education was not statistically significant, thus suggesting little advantage in its use. The findings are discussed about the use of humor in popular science articles and the potential distracting qualities of humor in science communication and education.
The field of education is in disarray due to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). There is a lot of disagreement in the education community over its value. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of AI in education (AIED) was taken up as the study's objective in such a scattered condition. The research was directed by a single research question. The SWOT theoretical framework serves as the foundation for this study. The corpus of published literature was gathered from the Google Scholar database. Data shows that the use of AI in teaching and learning, as well as higher education, and early childhood education are areas where prior research has excelled (strengths). The structural/functional features of AI and its ethical applications are its main shortcomings (weaknesses) in AIED. There will likely be opportunities in teaching and learning, higher education, and other AI applications. The researcher’ attention is drawn to the ethical use of AI and its administrative ramifications (threats). A broad SWOT analysis of AIED was developed as a study output to help educational stakeholders and providers of AI services make well-informed decisions towards strategic management of education in harnessing the potentials of AIED. Lastly, suggestions have been extended for future approaches to the research challenge.
In recent years, the AI industry has shown growing interest in addressing challenges associated with ageing. A wide range of devices and digital artefacts have been developed to support the health needs of older adults, enhance their mobility, and improve the conditions of older workers. However, discourse on ageing in the broader tech industry—and, by extension, in AI—often adopts a paternalistic stance and relies on harmful tropes about older users. In this paper, we analyse corporate communications in the AI industry about ageing, on the premise that discourse shapes how technologies are designed. The analysis was conducted between January and July 2024, focusing on global companies that develop AI technologies for healthcare, mobility, and recruitment relevant in the European context. We found that dominant narratives about older people legitimise techno-solutionism. By framing older adults as a societal burden and overlooking their well-being, these narratives make technological “fixes” appear socially acceptable even when they offer insufficient support.
This paper revisits nanotechnology as a once-speculative field that attracted significant interest from science and technology studies (STS) scholars during its promissory phase, yet has received comparatively little attention now that it is partially institutionalised and entangled in the everyday practices of research and innovation. We approach nanotechnology as a compelling case that now offers the opportunity to study what becomes of technoscientific promises after the hype fades. Drawing on sociological, qualitative, in-depth interviews with 34 scientists working in university-based nanoscience, we examine how the promissory horizons of nanotechnology confront the structural realities of academic science today and identify four key themes: (1) the persistence of idealised visions of science and its societal role; (2) the complexities of university–industry entanglements; (3) growing pressures to commercialise; and (4) limited, often administrative, engagement with ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI). Together, these themes reveal how promissory understandings of what science ‘is’ and what science ‘does’ exist in tension with the realities of everyday institutional practices. We argue that revisiting nano through the lens of STS highlights how speculative ideals become sedimented in routine practice and underscores the need for sustained attention to the afterlives of technoscientific promises across emerging and established domains
Recent years have seen substantial interest in, and experiments with, public participation in environmental and scientific research and decision-making. In this paper we explore a case of such citizen participation, a co-creation project that aimed to bring together citizens, researchers, and artists to bring about sustainable futures. Drawing on recent theories of the nature of expertise, we argue for the importance of understanding it as involving practices of care, attachment, and affect. In investigating how expertise is performed and negotiated within this case, we find that expertise is distributed across the project, including in the work of organising it. This organisational work, in particular, often involves engagement with the moral imperatives of participation and with embodied and relational skills necessary to it. The analysis thus contributes to discussion of the ways in which different forms of expertise may be present in citizen participation in science, and to understanding the kinds of skills that are necessary for successfully supporting such participation.
The growing prominence of ChatGPT has sparked interest in its potential to improve both the quality and productivity of academic writing. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding how research scholars perceive and engage with ChatGPT in the context of academic research writing. The primary objective was to assess scholars’ views on ChatGPT's efficiency, usefulness, and effectiveness in academic research writing, while also identifying possible improvements to better align with the scholars’ needs. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was adopted, beginning with a quantitative phase and was subsequently followed by a qualitative phase involving semi-structured interviews. A sample of 317 research scholars drawn from diverse Indian higher education institutions. The findings reveal that research scholars generally perceive ChatGPT as moderately effective and useful in academic writing, though their perceptions of its usefulness vary. Although the overall user experience, certain ethical concerns were identified. Qualitative analysis showed that ChatGPT has the potential to enhance research writing, streamline processes, facilitate scholarly interactions, and support research writing challenges. However, areas needing improvement were also highlighted, including comprehensive topic coverage, cultural sensitivity, multilingual capabilities, and personalized support.
The sciences have historically secured social trust and authority through widely comprehensible performances of trustworthiness and of predictive and technological power. However, shifts in the structure and operations of the sciences; in the sociotechnical environment where public knowledge is constructed and contested; in the political goals of the sciences; and in the audiences to whom the sciences aim to speak have collectively left the sciences lacking public credibility concomitant to their public aspirations in areas like climate change and COVID-19 vaccination. As an alternative to pining for a science-dominated past that never was, I investigate the performances by which the sciences have achieved public credibility in the past and by which they might do so in the present and future. I articulate a contemporary set of performances by which the sciences may be able to demonstrate their value to broad sectors of society, emphasizing humility, responsiveness to public values and concerns, openness of interest, and situated rather than general utility. I hope that, by pursuing such performances, scientific institutions could rebuild, and, indeed, merit the broad-based trust to which they aspire.
The Internet presents a great challenge for families that want a safe digital environment for their children, yet few studies have been performed of facilitators and barriers to the processes by which parents mediate Internet use. Our study reviews the literature indexed in WoS, Scopus, and ERIC since 2000 and identifies factors related to children, parents, and cultural differences due to context. It also performs a qualitative study with at-risk families in southern Spain using focus group technique. Our findings show that parents primarily perceive barriers, emphasizing lack of control over their children's Internet access and usage. Negative beliefs about Internet use also contribute to these challenges. There is a critical need to design programs that give families tailored tools and resources. Addressing educational needs in this context remains a significant challenge for both research and practice. To enhance children's digital safety, it is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers to collaborate actively. Future research efforts should aim to develop more effective strategies in this direction.
Advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, are increasingly common, but often come with significant tradeoffs and effects which may elude initial observations. Among these, the term “soft impacts” has come to signify the qualitative implications of a technological device or intervention. How can these sorts of effects be addressed, and what role do they have in the development phases of emerging technologies? In this paper, we outline our interdisciplinary Responsible Robotics project, which harnesses and builds upon an embedded ethics framework. We describe the embedded ethics approach, summarize some of its challenges, and highlight a key benefit. In short, by addressing the so-called “soft impacts” of technology, embedded ethics may stand to benefit not only the users of emerging systems, but also the developers. Although confirming this with a great degree of confidence will call for substantive longitudinal studies, we believe the aims and current roll-out of the embedded ethics approach provide grounds for optimism concerning the intended benefits described here. Accordingly, the mere prospect of increasing social and ethical sensitivity in development settings can serve to encourage a wider adoption of embedded ethics programs worldwide.
The next technological disruption in the banking and financial services sector involves the introduction of a central bank digital currency - or a CBDC. What is a CBDC? In the U.S., a CDBC is defined as a digital liability of the U.S. Federal Reserve System that is widely available to the general public. In this article, the benefits of instituting a CBDC in the U.S. will be assessed, followed by the public and private sector challenges of such technology adoption identified and discussed along economic, political, privacy, and security parameters. The final section of the article develops the research agenda, i.e., the questions that need to be addressed in the development of a potential policy framework, charged with ensuring that, if a CBDC is adopted by the U.S. Federal Reserve, there will be an effective public regulation regime implemented that effectively addresses the identified economic, political, privacy, and security concerns.
Artificial Intelligence, at the forefront of innovation and intelligence, is redefining the pace of life and work, notably within education. This study investigates the determinants influencing Gen Z's behavioral intentions (BI) to integrate AI-powered tools within Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) by extending the UTAUT2 model with four additional constructs: trustworthiness, personal innovativeness, perceived task excellence, and perceived privacy concern. The data gathered from 430 respondents within Indian HEIs through an online survey following purposive sampling was meticulously analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach in AMOS. The findings validate the applicability of the UTAUT2 model for understanding AI tool integration in the Indian context, with an explanatory power of 34.2%. The study highlights the beneficial impact of hedonic motivation, perceived task excellence, facilitating conditions, and performance expectancy on Gen Z's intention to integrate AI tools. Additionally, the study suggests recommendations for future research and outlines implications based on these findings.
Given the invisible complexities of new food technologies, citizens oftentimes rely on the media and heuristics to form their judgments. Thus, citizens are at risk of believing in misconceptions that undermine technology acceptance and consequently hinder innovative solutions to global problems. The present study examined whether agreeing with widely spread misconceptions about biotechnologically produced food (BTF) predicts more negative attitudes among citizens. Three common misconceptions were identified: BTF is believed to be (a) unhealthy and unsafe, (b) unsustainable, and (c) unnatural - despite scientific consensus that BTF are not worse than conventional food. Descriptive statistics of a pre-registered, large-scale online-survey ( N = 2,925) conducted in November 2022 revealed that misconceptions are still widely spread. Multiple block-wise linear regression analysis showed that believing in misconceptions plays a dominant role in citizens’ attitudes about such innovative technologies and therefore contribute to public skepticism. Science communicators should develop diligent communication strategies to address these misconceptions, as reducing them would enable more people to participate in a well-prepared fashion in discourses about how BTF can be integrated in future governance frameworks that foster sustainable, socially fair food supply and consumption.
Studies on the effective use of social media for academic purposes are not new, but limited studies exist on undergraduate students’ perceived social media use. Anchored on Grounded Theory, this study explored undergraduate student perception of social media use at two universities in the Philippines and the Kyrgyz Republic. Results show that undergraduates use social media for communication, education, awareness of current events, entertainment, self-expression, doing and engaging in business, and as a source of motivation and inspiration. Moreover, the perceived negative impact of social media use includes a negative impact on health, productivity, psychological and mental health, socialization, and information veracity. Slight differences between the two groups were noted. A reflection on the opportunities and threats of social media use deduced from the findings vis-à-vis the literature are provided.
Mobile phones, particularly smartphones, have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Technological advancements and the availability of high-speed internet services have culminated in an enormous rise in the number of mobile phone users. Nowadays, as a result of constant advancements in mobile phone technology and other factors, a portion of consumers use more than one mobile phone. On the other hand, the actual lifespan of a mobile phone has reached nearly 4 years. As a result, mobile phone waste as a component of electronic waste has increased significantly over the last decade. From an environmental point of view, various carcinogenic chemical components may be released from mobile phones during the informal recycling process, drastically polluting our environment. According to our survey, while the majority of educated mobile phone users in Kolkata are aware of the adverse effects of electronic waste (e-waste), they typically choose less expensive and easier disposal solutions since they are not concerned about the recycling of mobile phones or e-waste. This study primarily highlighted mobile phone disposal behaviours in Kolkata, India. After reviewing the results of our questionnaire, we noticed numerous actual problems with customers’ disposal patterns for their obsolete mobile phones. In this article, we attempt to depict the current problem of e-waste generated from mobile phones in Kolkata.
