“Prebunking” strengthens a person’s awareness of the manipulative tactics that characterize misinformation.
An online game called “Go Viral!” teaches players how misinformation works, as they try to win by making fake news go viral.
Researchers find that prebunking games and infographics can help people spot manipulative, untrustworthy information.
“While fact-checking is vital work, it can come too late,” says Professor Sander van der Linden, Director of the Social Decision-Making Lab at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. “Trying to debunk misinformation after it spreads is often a difficult if not impossible task.”
However, research suggests that individuals can be “vaccinated” against the susceptibility to misinformation, preventing it from taking root in the first place.
10: Give It Away
One of the easiest ways to find a new use for your mattress and keep it out of a landfill is to give it away. You d be surprised how many people might be in the market for a free mattress. Speak with your friends, co-workers, nieces or nephews headed to college, recent graduates or even post a message on a community board at your apartment or condo complex, or on a website like Nextdoor or Freecycle. The list of possible recipients is endless. Offer your free, gently used mattress in return for the new owner picking it up from your home.
Written by James Kingsland on May 4, 2021 Fact checked by Rita Ponce, Ph.D.
A new study in fruit flies investigates fascinating cancer pathways. Aitor Diago/Getty Images
For a cell to give rise to a tumor, genes that promote replication must be switched on, while genes that promote cell death must be switched off.
Some cancer genes, or oncogenes, appear to have a built-in “fail-safe mechanism” by which they promote cell growth and cell death through different molecular pathways.
In a recent study using fruit flies, researchers showed that depriving flies of an essential amino acid can turn off an oncogene’s growth pathway while keeping its death pathway switched on.