People who believe in conspiracy theories are more likely to support autocratic rule

Two studies—a survey spanning 19 countries and a longitudinal study in Chile—examined whether political conservatives typically have higher scores than liberals on well-being measures such as life satisfaction and happiness. After accounting for sociodemographic factors, conservatism was not linked to well-being in either study. The findings were recently published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Conservatives and liberals are two major political ideologies that differ in their views on government, society, and individual rights. Conservatives generally favor limited governm...

What if everything we experience in the world was nothing more than an elaborate simulated reality? The simulation hypothesis isn’t a novel idea and it’s enjoyed some mainstream appeal through movies like The Matrix and high-profile proponents like Elon Musk. Now a physicist working at the University of Portsmouth in the UK has published research in the AIP Advances journal that he says provides support to the strange theory. “I don't want to paraphrase Morpheus from The Matrix but he said 'what is real?'" the Associate Professor of Physics, Dr Melvin Vopson, said. "All the senses that we have...

However, at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, only around 800 people - almost all of them dual nationals and a few dozen wounded, have been allowed to flee. It is the only route out of Gaza that is sometimes open: all of Gaza's other border crossings, which are controlled by Israel, are closed. For those trapped inside the Gaza Strip conditions are also steadily worsening. The average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the United Nations had stockpiled in the region, yet the main refrain now being heard in the street is “Water, water,” the Gaza dire...