Editor's note
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Cybercriminals use sophisticated technology to rake in millions of dollars in scammed and stolen money across the globe, and cost their victims millions more to clean up the messes they leave behind. When police try to break up these online rings, they find a whole set of obstacles that are different from crimefighting in the physical world. Cybersecurity researchers Frank Cilluffo and Alec Nadeau, along with Europol Director Rob Wainwright, reviewed the multinational effort to take down a massive cybercrime network. What they learned
is both surprising and immediately useful.
From your weight to the time to the millions of dollars made from scams, numbers drive nearly every decision in our modern world. But you may be surprised to learn that numbers aren’t common across the human experience. Anthropologist Caleb Everett dives deep into the handful of cultures that don’t have any words for numbers – and what these numberless people can teach us about ourselves.
And in Washington, the threat of a government shutdown this week receded a bit after President Trump backed away from his insistence that the federal budget include funding for his border wall. He still plans to plow ahead with the proposed barrier, so we assembled a list of essential reads from our archive to explain the issues at stake.
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Jeff Inglis
Editor, Science + Technology
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Top story
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Police must join forces across international borders to take on modern cybercriminals.
wutzkohphoto/Shutterstock.com
Frank J. Cilluffo, George Washington University; Alec Nadeau, George Washington University; Rob Wainwright, University of Exeter
Cybercriminals are using cloud-based services, much like regular businesses. A new study reveals important lessons for the future of fighting cybercrime.
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A Pirahã family.
Caleb Everett
Caleb Everett, University of Miami
From the Amazon to Nicaragua, there are humans who never learn numbers. What can these anumeric cultures teach us about ourselves?
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Science + Technology
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Heather Akin, University of Pennsylvania; Bruce W. Hardy, Temple University; Dietram A. Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Popular programming that focuses on science tends to not actually be all that popular. Bringing in new audiences who aren't already up to speed on science topics is a challenge.
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Economy + Business
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Patricia Smith, University of Michigan
An extensive amount of research has shown a direct link between air quality and fetal and infant health. Cleaner air has saved lives – and money.
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Bryan Keogh, The Conversation
While Trump appears to have backed away, for now, from a showdown over funding his proposed barrier between the U.S. and Mexico, the idea isn't going away anytime soon. Our experts offer a primer.
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Trending on Site
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Bella DePaulo, University of California, Santa Barbara
Single people are often thought of as insecure, self-centered and sad. But one social scientist spent the past 20 years studying them – and found that they're a boon to communities across the country.
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Nicholas Dodman, Tufts University
Twitter recently blew up with posts wondering about the feline fascination with taped squares on the ground. An animal behavior expert explains it's not magic that draws Fluffy to the #CatSquare.
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Christopher Brown, University of Texas at Austin
Kindergarteners are under tremendous pressure – doing as many as 15 academic activities in a day, with a shorter recess time. What is the long-term impact?
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