Surprising Science — February 21, 2014

Study: Online Trolls Are Sadists

A team of Canadian scientists have confirmed what Internet users already know: trolls are sadists and suffer from other personality disorders. In the wild worldwide web, where anyone can be anonymous and spout off anything they please, sadists and narcissists like to take full of advantage. They enjoy harassing and hurting others through cyber bullying, a serious problem that can lead victims to suicide. As Daniel Honan wrote for Big Think, it’s time that we married the freedom of the Internet with an intolerance for sadistic behavior online. To read more about the study, Internet crime author Nate Anderson breaks it down for Ars Technica.

Image credit: Jens Rost/Flickr

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, 'reductio ad absurdum' shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A wooden sign indicating "assisted migration rep 2" in a pine forest under a clear blue sky.

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Historical map illustration depicting a planned city layout with a circular central area and radiating streets.

Strange Maps

Ohio’s Circleville ditched the grid system. Then it got squared.

A small Ohio town tried to escape America’s addiction to rectangular grids. It didn’t last long.

Bullet Cluster separation mass gravity x-ray lensing

Starts With A Bang

Flagship NASA space telescope faces a penny-pinching death

NASA's only flagship X-ray telescope ever, Chandra, still works and has no planned successor. So why does the President want to kill it?

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