Changing Society

Observing nature can help us feel less pain. Now, for the first time, brain scans confirm what we subjectively feel, and point to why our perception of pain might change. Surprisingly, even virtual nature distracts our attention away from processing pain at a basic neurophysiological level. The researchers hope that this will also draw attention to how important nature is for our health and why we should protect it.

Science (and scientists) are increasingly confronted with criticism and the political dimension of their work. However, history suggests that not all criticism is the same. Some movements that have challenged scientific authority have ultimately driven social and scientific change. Should we revisit them today?

Under the Kyoto Protocol, countries must report their greenhouse gas emissions, including one of the most potent greenhouse gases: Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), used mainly as an insulator in the electrical industry. But the numbers don’t add up. A team of meteorologists has now published both global and regional SF6 emissions, confirming the discrepancies.

European researchers are creating an online tool that maps the entire ocean. Will it lead to more science-based diplomatic negotiations or just perpetuate existing problems? A political science perspective.

Literature cannot stop climate change, says ECH Member Eva Horn, a literary and cultural studies scholar at the University of Vienna. Yet, it can teach us much about how climate has always shaped human perception. We talked to her about insights from a humanities perspective.

Science has shown that a global approach is needed to stop plastic pollution. An international team, including environmental psychologist Sabine Pahl from the University of Vienna, sees the upcoming UN negotiations in South Korea (Nov 2024) as a historic chance for joint action. Their recent review in Science stresses the urgency of a global treaty to curb plastic pollution.