The Top Science News

Insights from Balto’s genes; a tech start-up founder’s personality matters; modern water on Mars; and more. Plus: when are we OK with getting bribed? [View in browser]( | [Become a member]( May 2, 2023   Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here](. Good Morning! Here’s the top science news—plus this week’s One Question with social psychologist [Nils Köbis]( [READ NAUTILUS](   DISCOVERIES The Top Science News This Week   [Comparative Genomics of Balto, a Famous Historic Dog, Captures Lost Diversity of 1920s Sled Dogs]( Balto’s genes were healthier than modern sled dogs’ and probably better adapted to the Alaskan cold. [Science→](   [Founder Personality and Entrepreneurial Outcomes: A Large-Scale Field Study of Technology Startups]( When is it good to be open and agreeable? [PNAS→](   [Body Odor Disgust Sensitivity Is Associated with Xenophobia: Evidence from Nine Countries Across Five Continents]( Prejudice might be rooted in our senses. [Royal Society Open Science→](   [Modern Water at Low Latitudes on Mars: Potential Evidence from Dune Surfaces]( The warmer parts of the Red Planet might be wetter than we thought. [Science Advances→](   [Psychedelics May Increase Entropy in the Brain's Vision Center]( Why do sleeping brains have less entropy? [New Scientist→](   [Medium-Sized Black Holes Eat Stars Like Messy Toddlers]( In its death, the star in this video becomes a mesmerizing cloudy spiral. [Science X on YouTube→](   [“The Godfather of A.I.” Leaves Google and Warns of Danger Ahead]( “Look at how A.I. was five years ago and how it is now. Take the difference and propagate it forwards. That’s scary.” [The New York Times→](   [Physicists Create the Fattest Schrödinger's Cat Ever]( We’re talking over a dozen micrograms. [Gizmodo→]( Experience the endless possibilities and deep human connections that science offers [SUBSCRIBE TODAY](   [ONE QUESTION]( [When Are We OK with Getting Bribed?]( INTERVIEW BY BRIAN GALLAGHER One question for [Nils Köbis](, a social psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, where he is a senior research scientist at the Center for Humans and Machines studying corruption, ethical behavior, social norms, and artificial intelligence.   There used to be this assumption in the corruption literature that bribery might be somewhat of a stable personality trait: Some people might be willing to bribe and be corrupt, and others not. That was applied also to entire countries and cultures. People assumed that, in some countries, bribery just doesn’t happen. In our [new study]( we show the opposite—that even people from countries that are considered to be relatively bribe- or corruption-free are quite willing to offer bribes when they are matched with people from countries that have a reputation for bribery. [Read the interview](   Related Nautilus Stories   [PSYCHOLOGY]( [Why Doing Good Makes It Easier to Be Bad]( Oscar Wilde wouldn’t have been surprised to hear of a series of recent scandals in the U.K. BY ABBAS PANJWANI [Continue reading →]( [PSYCHOLOGY]( [Why Anti-Corruption Strategies May Backfire]( How power and transparency affect efforts to stamp out bribery. BY MAX BEILBY [Continue reading →](   More in Psychology [Sugar Pill Nation]( Even when we know they’re “fake,” placebos can tame our emotional distress. BY SHAYLA LOVE [Continue reading →]( [To Supercharge Learning, Look to Play]( Play and art engage all of our senses and enhance attention. BY SUSAN MAGSAMEN & IVY ROSS [Continue reading →](   P.S. The polymath Leonardo da Vinci died on this day in 1519. He embodied the idea that artists and scientists are both inspired to know what’s true. Kevin Berger [wrote]( that da Vinci’s “explorations of engineering, anatomy, geology, and botany, were not separate endeavors from his art, his painting, and sculpture.” For the Renaissance man, Walter Isaacson wrote in his biography, these endeavors were all part of “knowing everything there was to know about the world, including how we fit into it.”   Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher   BECOME A SUBSCRIBER [Not Your Average Science Magazine]( [Nautilus](takes you into the depths of science and spotlights the ripples in our lives and culture. With each issue, readers gain an in-depth understanding of science and philosophy through multifaceted narratives as told by distinguished scientists and writers. [Subscribe now]( and experience the endless possibilities and deep human connections that science offers. [Join Today]( Thanks for reading. [Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, [browse our archive]( of past print issues, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 NautilusNext, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from nautil.us. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext 360 W 36th Street, 7S, New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? Click here to [unsubscribe](.