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Misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war is flooding social media, making it hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Some of the early reporting about an explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip, for example, included unverified claims about responsibility. Newsrooms are having a difficult time trying to sift through all the information.
In general, during times of conflict, false information can be put out by different actors such as government or military officials, separatist groups or private citizens. However, consumers bear some ethical responsibility for what they consume.
University of Dayton’s Paul Morrow, who studies the ethics of viewing photos and videos of atrocities, writes about techniques that people can use to influence the images they receive.
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Social media is often used during times of conflict to spread fake news.
Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Paul Morrow, University of Dayton
A human rights scholar explains how social media users can take charge of what content comes into their feed and reduce the risk of receiving misinformation.
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Health + Medicine
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Trevor Thompson, University of Greenwich; Sofia Stathi, University of Greenwich
Undertreated pain can result in unnecessary suffering and a greater likelihood of long-term chronic pain.
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Education
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Frank S. Ravitch, Michigan State University
Does Louisiana’s requirement for public schools to post ‘In God We Trust’ in all classrooms violate the doctrine of separation of church and state? A legal scholar weighs in.
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Arts + Culture
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Michael Serazio, Boston College
With identity the most lucrative commodity social media platforms trade in, their fetishization of authenticity remains ironclad.
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Science + Technology
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Daniel Gervais, Vanderbilt University; John Nay, Stanford University
If a business is run by an AI and it causes you harm, could you sue the AI?
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Johann Rafelski, University of Arizona
Scientists have been searching Earth’s surface for superheavy elements too difficult to make in the lab, but now, many are looking to the skies instead.
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Politics + Society
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Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
No government wants to have to deal with a hostage crisis. A former US national security official explains that there is no winning without losing in such situations.
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Andrew Sperling, American University
Shortly after World War II, European Jews immigrated to American cities like Boston and were often met with violent antisemitism.
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