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As Picard on ‘Star Trek’, Patrick Stewart Influenced Generations of Scientists

Stewart’s iconic “Star Trek” character inspired astronomers and astronauts in countless ways: “You were the captain of my childhood,” one astrophysicist said.

© CBS, via Getty Images

Patrick Stewart in 1990 as Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
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Manosphere and online misogyny should be treated as public health issues, say UK experts

Report calls for an effort to tackle harms in similar way to obesity and smoking, and stresses need to ‘offer boys something better’

The manosphere and online misogyny should be treated by the government as a public health issue, in the same way as obesity or smoking, experts have said.

Writing in the Lancet, the authors of a new report argue that a coordinated response is needed, involving governments, schools, health services and community organisations, similar to the public-health response to tobacco use and ultra-processed food.

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© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

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Manosphere and online misogyny should be treated as public health issues, say UK experts

Report calls for an effort to tackle harms in similar way to obesity and smoking, and stresses need to ‘offer boys something better’

The manosphere and online misogyny should be treated by the government as a public health issue, in the same way as obesity or smoking, experts have said.

Writing in the Lancet, the authors of a new report argue that a coordinated response is needed, involving governments, schools, health services and community organisations, similar to the public-health response to tobacco use and ultra-processed food.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

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Meta discussed ‘whisper strategy’ against social media critic Jonathan Haidt, files show

Court documents reveal staff considered ways to ‘get academic community to disavow’ influential US author

Meta staff discussed deploying a “whisper strategy” to undermine the influential US academic whose work has inspired a global social media crackdown, according to court documents.

Employees at the parent group of Facebook and Instagram sought to discredit Jonathan Haidt, the social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, a book that helped tip the debate about online safety towards more stringent measures such as the under-16 ban in Australia.

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© Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

© Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

© Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

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Meta discussed ‘whisper strategy’ against social media critic Jonathan Haidt, files show

Court documents reveal staff considered ways to ‘get academic community to disavow’ influential US author

Meta staff discussed deploying a “whisper strategy” to undermine the influential US academic whose work has inspired a global social media crackdown, according to court documents.

Employees at the parent group of Facebook and Instagram sought to discredit Jonathan Haidt, the social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, a book that helped tip the debate about online safety towards more stringent measures such as the under-16 ban in Australia.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

© Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

© Photograph: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

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UK social media ban may lock out more than 100,000 teenagers without ID

Watchdog says under-16 ban may affect older teenagers without passport or licence, and that ‘motivated children’ will skirt restrictions

More than 100,000 British teenagers risk being locked out of social media if they do not have a passport or driving licence when an under-16 ban is introduced next year.

Ofcom, the UK’s online watchdog, said about 150,000 16- to 17-year-olds do not own a passport or driving licence, which are likely to be needed to access age-restricted platforms.

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© Photograph: Peter Cripps/Alamy

© Photograph: Peter Cripps/Alamy

© Photograph: Peter Cripps/Alamy

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UK social media ban may lock out more than 100,000 teenagers without ID

Watchdog says under-16 ban may affect older teenagers without passport or licence, and that ‘motivated children’ will skirt restrictions

More than 100,000 British teenagers risk being locked out of social media if they do not have a passport or driving licence when an under-16 ban is introduced next year.

Ofcom, the UK’s online watchdog, said about 150,000 16- to 17-year-olds do not own a passport or driving licence, which are likely to be needed to access age-restricted platforms.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Peter Cripps/Alamy

© Photograph: Peter Cripps/Alamy

© Photograph: Peter Cripps/Alamy

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Campaign for California’s Billionaire Tax Pins Its Hopes on Influencers and Social Media

Supporters of a California wealth tax are short on cash and are relying on cheaper campaign methods to get their word out.

© Minh Connors for The New York Times

Ifeanyi Ifediba usually creates videos about sports, anime and campus life. But he recently agreed to make a political ad to support the billionaire tax.
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A three-year-old soccer prodigy went viral. The adults have already let him down

From Ms Rachel to Roc Nation, the internet embraced a Florida toddler. Police records reviewed by the Guardian complicate the story – and raise troubling questions

There is real tragedy in this week’s story of the three-year-old Florida boy whose parents claimed he was so good at soccer that police were called to do what opposing defenders couldn’t. But it doesn’t lie where the outrage cycle wants you to think. It’s broader, implicates more people, and to me, is far more depressing.

You may have seen the video by now. Here was a toddler with fabulous soccer talent, running end-to-end and scoring goal after goal against opponents who have seemingly just found their feet. The cameraman, later identified as the child’s father, loudly and proudly cheers his son on. Way to go, kid.

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© Photograph: Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images

© Photograph: Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images

© Photograph: Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images

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Defence backed claim that social media footage of public servants could invite bullying

Official’s controversial September request for Senate hearing footage to not be shared on social media has been heavily criticised

The secretary of the defence department approved a senior official’s controversial idea to tell a Senate hearing that footage of public servants giving evidence should not be shared on social media because it could invite online bullying and raise national security concerns.

Emails obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information reveal deputy secretary Celia Perkins’ planned request to the parliamentary inquiry was flagged with the offices of deputy prime minister Richard Marles and assistant defence minister Peter Khalil, and received the backing of department secretary Meghan Quinn.

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© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

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As Trump Faces Down the Midterms, a Grim Mood Takes Over the White House

The White House has been rocked by turnover and anxiety over the midterms. The president, who is tightening his inner circle, has lashed out at critics, held meandering rallies and feasted on a diet of news clips and “A.I. slop,” as one aide put it.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump after a campaign rally in Mississippi on Monday.
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How André Janones Helped Turbocharge Lula’s Comeback in Brazil’s Election

With street talk and tactics from the far-right’s playbook, André Janones used a WhatsApp channel to help organize millions of Brazilians online.

© Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

The Brazilian congressman André Janones created a digital “army” by setting up WhatsApp groups and posting on Instagram, which helped mobilized the vote for the reelection of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
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Bone of contention: why dog trainers are at war

It’s the canine equivalent of gentle v tough parenting – and there is no sign of a ceasefire. So what is the correct way to get man’s best friend to behave?

Name: Dog training wars.

Age: Puppy to 14 months, and beyond.

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© Photograph: Chalabala/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: Chalabala/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: Chalabala/Getty Images/iStockphoto

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‘Ferritin face’: are social media claims about iron deficiency fact – or fiction?

Experts say symptoms such as dark circles under the eyes, grey skin, cracked lips and hair loss can be a warning sign – but there are other factors too

TikTok is rife with influencers warning of “ferritin face”, a term they use to describe the pallor, dark circles, dry skin, and hair loss claimed to indicate low iron stores. But is this based on fact or fiction, and when is it time to head to the GP?

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© Photograph: Alamy/PA

© Photograph: Alamy/PA

© Photograph: Alamy/PA

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‘Ferritin face’: are social media claims about iron deficiency fact – or fiction?

Experts say symptoms such as dark circles under the eyes, grey skin, cracked lips and hair loss can be a warning sign – but there are other factors too

TikTok is rife with influencers warning of “ferritin face”, a term they use to describe the pallor, dark circles, dry skin, and hair loss claimed to indicate low iron stores. But is this based on fact or fiction, and when is it time to head to the GP?

Continue reading...

© Photograph: AegeanBlue/Getty Images

© Photograph: AegeanBlue/Getty Images

© Photograph: AegeanBlue/Getty Images

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Sardinian restaurants ban families from using phones at the table

Fifteen establishments join trial scheme to encourage parents and children to talk while dining out

A group of restaurants in Sardinia are banning families from using smartphones and other devices at the table in a quest to encourage conversation.

The initiative, called A tavola senza schermi or At the table without screens, is being spearheaded by Anna Cau, the children’s ombudsman for the Italian island. It is part of a campaign to curtail excessive screen use among children and inspire interaction during meals.

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© Photograph: Awakening/Getty Images

© Photograph: Awakening/Getty Images

© Photograph: Awakening/Getty Images

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How Lula’s Social Media Campaign Helped Him Win Brazil’s Election

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won another term on Sunday, with the help of a seismic social media campaign that convinced Brazilians to reject his rival.

© Rodrigo Paiva/Getty Images

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s army of supporters, mobilized over a WhatsApp chat group, delivered an unexpected victory over Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing challenger.
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