Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Filtered by: Social Sciences
The social cost of carbon has increased over time
A new paper shows that high-quality estimates of the social cost of carbon, and thus of the optimal intensity of climate policy, have increased over the last two decades.
Unintended consequences of lockdowns, COVID-19 and the Shadow Pandemic in India
Violence against women is a problem worldwide, with economic costs ranging from 1% to 4% of global GDP. Our study shows that domestic violence and cybercrime complaints increased, while rape and sexual assault complaints decreased, in districts with the most stringent Covid-19 lockdowns in India.
What’s in a Name? The Perils of Using Name-Based Recognition Software
When we started, we thought this data quality check might end up as a paragraph in some methods section or appendix – we certainly did not expect it to become its own paper in Nature Human Behavior. And yet it did.
Exploring the Mind in Space: The Importance of Psychological Research for Long-Duration Missions
Blog post written by Francesco Pagnini, Dietrich Manzey, Elisabeth Rosnet, Denise Ferravante, Olivier White, and Nathan Smith, with the assistance of Angelique Van Ombergen
Economic inequality and discontent in European cities
Why do people exhibit different levels of discontent with life? Contrary to mainstream economics, economic prosperity is poorly associated with people wellbeing, mainly in cities where job opportunities and amenities are the highest. Resolving this paradox is useful for improving societal wellbeing.
One lesson from COVID-19: Achieving equitable vaccines distribution globally
A more equitable global distribution of vaccines can benefit the world, while a multilateral benefit-sharing instrument needs to be developed to remove some of the disincentives for early equitable vaccine distribution globally.