This article explores how predictions about future nanotechnological and neuropharmaceutical applications to medicine further anti-ageing discourse in the present. Products of both research areas enable physiological augmentation, with uses way beyond accepted traditional goals of medicine. But most “nanodreams” have not come to fruition, yet; as such, much popular scientific writing about nanotechnology is “thoroughly science-fictional” in how it imagines its future. Projections about these technologies contribute to devaluing the ageing experience and neglecting the need to address challenges of ageing in the present. To make these points, this article will read two speculative texts alongside one another: a piece of creative science fiction and a predictive popular science account. Ray Kurzweil’s How to Create a Mind propagates brain–computer interfaces, and Jeffrey Moore’s The Memory Artists deals with neuropharmaceuticals. Such parallel reading risks conflating different genres, narrative forms and contexts, obfuscating the purpose and possibilities of either genre. But it helps illustrate how ideas of an augmented human species have begun structuring social belief systems that shine through creative writing that joins in pitching, rather than effectively critiquing, these technologies as holding the fountain of youth.

Generative A.I. deepfake images, videos, and other content, overtaking social media apps and other digital content, commonly referred to as A.I. slop, are creating a media ecosystem defined by content chaos. The decisions of big tech companies to program algorithms that favor, and reward in monetary terms, overly emotionally triggering material continue to amplify information pollution. As a climate media scholar, the author argues that popularizing information pollution terminology, which labels generative A.I. slop as contaminating social media apps and platforms, would focus attention on the social and political harms. This content fuels disinformation campaigns and is diminishing public trust. In addition, labeling A.I. slop with a pollution metaphor brings into the lens more readily the environmental harms of generative artificial intelligence. Examples discussed include the cratered monetary value of AI-generated art, the A.I. agent-only social network Moltbook, misinformation and disinformation following extreme weather disasters, and a creative direct action by anti-data center activists in Quilicura, Chile.

In this paper, I argue against certain positive epistemic norms, that is, norms that state sufficient conditions for being obligated to believe something. In particular, I argue against positive epistemic norms where the sufficient conditions involve being in a position to know. Such norms face two kinds of problems: they make demands that exceed our cognitive capacity, and they yield obligations and permissions to believe that seem irrational.

“Global net zero” refers to a scientifically informed target of balancing greenhouse gas emissions globally to limit the adverse impacts of climate change, as well as to a politically determined international goal with a 2050 deadline. Amid a proliferation of state and nonstate commitments to the goal, research on the politics of net zero remains limited. Numerous scholars have conceptualized this goal as an international norm. This article challenges this conceptualization, arguing that net zero is more appropriately understood as an aspiration. I show how this conceptualization elucidates important climate governance challenges and helps to set more accurate expectations about the effectiveness of standards and enforcement mechanisms for achieving the goal. I argue that the case of net zero undermines conjectures in current theorizing on aspiration in international politics, especially the expectation that actors will not face social consequences for failing to achieve international aspirational goals provided they make at least some progress. This expectation relies on assumptions about aggregate welfare improvement without giving full consideration to how goal setting facilitates potentially cost-inducing blame shifting.

Liouville field theory has long been a cornerstone of two-dimensional quantum field theory and quantum gravity, which has attracted much recent attention in the mathematics literature. Timelike Liouville field theory is a version of Liouville field theory where the kinetic term in the action appears with a negative sign, which makes it closer to a theory of quantum gravity than ordinary (spacelike) Liouville field theory. Making sense of this “wrong sign” requires a theory of Gaussian random variables with negative variance. Such a theory is developed in this paper, and is used to prove the timelike DOZZ formula for the $3$-point correlation function when the parameters satisfy the so-called “charge neutrality condition.” Expressions are derived also for the k-point correlation functions for all $k\ge 3$, and it is shown that these functions approach the correct semiclassical limits as the coupling constant is sent to zero.

We show that, for a finite spectrum $X$, Spanier–Whitehead duality induces an isomorphism between the cohomological and homological Atiyah–Hirzebruch spectral sequences. As an application, it follows that Poincaré duality for a Poincaré duality complex that is oriented over a ring spectrum $\mathcal{R}$ induces an isomorphism between the two spectral sequences.

Parental differential treatment is associated with higher levels of psychopathology symptoms in children. Both higher overall levels of differential treatment (absolute/magnitude of differential treatment) and consistently favoring one child over another (relative differential treatment) are associated with risk in children. This study enhances understanding of parental differential treatment using a genetically informed twin design that clarifies child- and parent-driven effects. Participants included 632 twin pairs (Mage = 7.6 years, SD = 0.94; 96% White, 44% Rural) and parents. Parental differential treatment was assessed using an observed card game interaction and reports from mothers, fathers, and children. Twin modeling indicated heritable influences on parental hostility (h2 = .34 for females, .06 for males) and intrusiveness (h2 = .51 across the sample), suggesting that children’s heritable traits elicit parenting. Observed intrusiveness differences predicted ADHD. Absolute and relative differences in maternal discipline predicted externalizing, internalizing, and ADHD symptoms, with a similar but less strong pattern for paternal discipline. However, absolute differences in paternal affection and paternal partiality proved especially important for children’s psychopathology. Findings show children’s behavior can elicit maladaptive differences in parenting, informing interventions.

Based on the past year’s traffic stats to the Humanities Indicators web site, the submitted article takes a question-based approach to answer what Americans seem most interested in learning about the humanities. Using infographics and short summary paragraphs, the report walks through key data points about the current state of the humanities using the most recent available data from the federal government or surveys conducted by the project.

Contemporary definitions of delusions highlight their resistance to conflicting evidence as the core feature. However, most etiological models of delusions have focused on delusion formation rather than maintenance and we lack a coherent understanding of why delusions persist. We conducted a systematic literature search of models on delusion maintenance, extracted their core postulates, point to explanatory gaps, and derive an integrated framework. We identified 74 published accounts that include postulated mechanisms of delusion maintenance. We classified the models into six core perspectives that informed them: Bayesian inference (17 models), associative learning theory (6 models), neurobiological (11 models), cognitive–behavioral (23 models), motivational (7 models), and social (6 models). Most models highlight a mechanistic role of avoidance and operant learning, converging on the idea that a delusional explanation is reinforced. Another repeatedly suggested mechanism is that the delusional belief, once formed, influences the way further information is processed. In addition, most models propose a key role of individual deficits and biases. The proposed factors can be combined in temporal progression, including early risk factors and resulting vulnerability, the common proposed mechanism of formation (i.e. search for explanation of ambiguous experiences), and the short- and long-term consequences of the delusional explanation along with feedback loops. By considering numerous factors and their interactions, the integrative model provides a considerably more compelling account of why delusions persist than any single perspective alone. It can help to identify novel directions for research and intervention, such as addressing short-term benefits of delusion maintenance.

Indonesia’s rapid digital transformation generates massive economic opportunities while posing new regulatory challenges. This study examines how Indonesia’s digital economy is governed through key regulatory domains: electronic commerce, data governance, and digital taxation, and assesses their impact on inclusive growth. The research utilizes an integrated theoretical lens, Institutional Theory and Digital Divide Theory, to analyze how formal rules and on-the-ground access to technology together shape outcomes. The research employs a multimethod approach, to understand how different regulatory models influence market participation, business compliance, and digital inclusion. The findings reveal significant regional disparities in internet access and digital business adoption, with rural and remote areas lagging behind urban centers. Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises face disproportionate compliance burdens under current regulations, a gap partly addressed through cooperative initiatives like the Indonesia–Japan Track 1.5 Public–Private Partnership. A key insight is the complex impact of data localization policies: while strengthening digital sovereignty and user privacy, strict localization requirements can raise operational costs and deter foreign investment. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for improving regulatory implementation, expanding digital infrastructure and literacy, and fostering international cooperation to ensure Indonesia’s digital economy regulations promote equitable growth across its diverse archipelago.

The Voting Rights Act (1965) protects minority voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice, namely co-ethnic candidates. Historically, these protections were enforced through preclearance, which required federal approval of voting changes to prevent retrogression. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby v. Holder (2013) eliminated preclearance, raising concerns about its impact. Existing research largely focuses on minority voter registration and turnout, often concluding that the ruling’s effects are less severe than expected. But is this too narrow a lens to view the implications of this Supreme Court ruling? This study shifts attention to minority descriptive representation, analyzing how Shelby v. Holder affected the number of Latinos elected to local offices. Using a Synthetic Difference-in-Differences approach and data from the National Association of Latino Elected Officials directory, I find that the ruling is associated with a decline in Latino descriptive representation. These findings highlight the need to consider representation beyond turnout and registration when evaluating policy impacts on minority voting rights.

The Timor green pigeon Treron psittaceus, endemic to Timor, Rote, and adjacent satellite islands (eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste), is declining because of severe hunting pressure and forest conversion. During 2002–2025, we conducted > 1,400 field days of surveys throughout the species’ range. Prior to 2000, most records were from Indonesian West Timor. Since 2000, most records (93%) and nearly all individuals (98%) have been observed in Timor-Leste, primarily within Lautem District. The scarcity of recent records throughout much of the species’ range, including Camplong (last record 1991), Bipolo forest (last record 1999), elsewhere in West Timor (last record 2005) and Rote (four records of 1–2 birds during 2004–2013), suggests that only a small, declining population persists. The population in Indonesia is possibly nearly extinct (and probably functionally so), and that in Timor-Leste is predicted to be lower than current estimates suggest. We conservatively estimate the global population to be 100–500 individuals distributed across eight sites, and consider it plausible that the population size lies towards the lower end of this estimate. A population of > 50 birds is likely restricted to a single site, Nino Konis Santana National Park, underscoring the species’ precarious status. We advocate for a reassessment as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Effective action plans are required in both Indonesia and Timor-Leste. In Lautem, community-based conservation efforts will be crucial to reduce hunting pressure. Further surveys should focus on Mount Timau (West Timor), and Lautem, Manatuto and Manufahi Districts (Timor-Leste).