Independent voters are 'highly prized and highly elusive'

+ consumers complain differently when they think company cares US Edition - Today's top story: Independent voters are few in number, influential in close elections – and hard for campaigns to reach [View in browser]( US Edition | 11 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [How to avoid getting sick this summer]( - [Are Biden and Trump too old to be president?]( - [Great Lakes ice loss is altering local food web]( Lead story Everybody talking about November’s presidential election is talking about independent voters. What do they think about the candidates? Will they show up to the polls to cast their votes? Who – or what – can convince them to vote for one person or the other? That’s where Julio Borquez comes in. A political science professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, he studies independent voters and finds that being a [political independent is its own identity]( – much as being a Republican or Democrat has become a key element of people’s identities in recent years. Borquez explains that the same attributes that make them desirable for candidates also make them very hard for campaigns to reach. [ [Give today to support our work and you'll get a downloadable ebook on the future of work](. ] Jeff Inglis Politics + Society Editor Independents may be difficult for campaigns to connect with. fcscafeine/iStock via Getty Images Plus [Independent voters are few in number, influential in close elections – and hard for campaigns to reach]( Julio Borquez, University of Michigan Both the Biden and Trump campaigns will work to mobilize their bases and maximize turnout among their supporters. But those votes alone will probably not be enough to ensure victory. Health + Medicine - [Biden and Trump may forget names or personal details, but here is what really matters in assessing whether they’re cognitively up for the job]( Leo Gugerty, Clemson University Decision-making abilities are critical to a president’s performance. - [Summertime can be germy: A microbiologist explains how to avoid getting sick at the barbecue, in the pool or on the trail]( Bill Sullivan, Indiana University Common summer activities can expose you to a host of infectious diseases. But there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself from pathogens ranging from E. coli to T. gondii. - [PFAS are toxic ‘forever chemicals’ that linger in our air, water, soil and bodies – here’s how to keep them out of your drinking water]( Jessica Ray, University of Washington Tap water is just one of the ways people are exposed to PFAS. Ethics + Religion - [Are older adults more vulnerable to scams? What psychologists have learned about who’s most susceptible, and when]( Natalie C. Ebner, University of Florida; Didem Pehlivanoglu, University of Florida Many factors shape an individual’s risk for falling prey to deception, including where and how they are targeted. Environment + Energy - [Losing winter ice is changing the Great Lakes food web – here’s how light is shaping life underwater]( Steven Wilhelm, University of Tennessee; Brittany Zepernick, University of Tennessee; Robert Michael McKay, University of Windsor In winter 2023-24, the Great Lakes’ ice cover was near record lows, peaking at just 16%. Researchers explain how diminishing ice could have consequences for fisheries, and how species are evolving. - [Coral reef recovery could get a boost from an unlikely source: Sea cucumbers, the janitors of the seafloor]( Mark Hay, Georgia Institute of Technology Sea cucumbers have been overharvested for centuries. At the same time, coral reefs have declined as well. Research suggests that saving the former may help restore the latter. Economy + Business - [Complaints are different when customers think a company cares]( Vivek Astvansh, McGill University; Anshu Suri, University College Dublin; Hoorsana Damavandi, University of Tennessee Warmth matters more than competence in some areas of business, new marketing research shows. Science + Technology - [Community broadband provides a local solution for a global problem]( Michael Lithgow, Athabasca University; Esther Jang, University of Washington; Katherine Gillieson, Emily Carr University The internet is increasingly necessary to participate in everyday life. Empowering communities to build and maintain their own broadband networks can provide much-needed access. Podcast - [Does magic really exist? The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast]( Eloise Stevens, The Conversation Phenomena like the Northern Lights and rainbows can seem magical – even to physicists like Partha Chowdhury who study them. Trending on site - [Eye exercises to improve sight – is there any science behind them? An ophthalmologist explains why you shouldn’t buy the hype]( - [American slavery wasn’t just a white man’s business − new research shows how white women profited, too]( - [Records of Pompeii’s survivors have been found – and archaeologists are starting to understand how they rebuilt their lives]( Today's graphic 📈 [Annual land and sea surface temperature anomalies each year compared to the 20th century average show ocean temperatures respond more slowly but are also rising.]( From the story, [The warming ocean is leaving coastal economies in hot water]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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