Chatbots lend a surprisingly soothing ear

+ how Chaucer put romance into Valentine's Day US Edition - Today's top story: COVID-19 has made Americans lonelier than ever – here’s how AI can help [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 February 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair If you needed someone to talk to and no one was around, would you turn to a chatbot? And if you did, would it really help take the edge off your loneliness? The isolation of the pandemic has made these questions urgent for millions of people. It turns out that people have been sharing their feelings with virtual friends and digital therapists for decades. University of Florida doctoral student Laken Brooks takes a look at the [effects of these lopsided dialogues](. Also today: - [What young Republicans think of Trump’s foreign policy]( - [A new film rekindles debate on the torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay]( - [50 factors that decide whether people break up or stay in a relationship]( Eric Smalley Science and Technology Editor AIs are no substitute for human contact, but they can diminish loneliness. AP Photo/Frank Augstein [COVID-19 has made Americans lonelier than ever – here’s how AI can help]( Laken Brooks, University of Florida AI chatbots can provide mental health support for people who are isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health - [How the Affordable Care Act can keep people out of prison]( Erkmen G. Aslim, Grand Valley State University ; Carlos Ignacio Navarro, Texas A&M University; Han Yu Many people who are incarcerated have problems with substance abuse, which often may have led to their incarceration. A lack of health insurance often impedes their ability to get treatment. Politics + Society - [Young Republicans split from Trump and GOP elders on US foreign policy: 3 charts]( Jonathan Schulman, Northwestern University 'America First' may not be long for this world. Surveys show many GOP members under 35 are closer to Democrats on China, trade and defense spending. - [‘The Mauritanian’ rekindles debate over Gitmo detainees’ torture – with 40 still held there]( Lisa Hajjar, University of California Santa Barbara The release of a new movie calls public attention to the US government's treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and what the detainees' future might be. - [US-educated foreign soldiers learn ‘democratic values,’ study shows – though America also trains future dictators]( Sandor Fabian, University of Central Florida The US Armed Forces run 14 programs in over 150 countries, providing education and training for roughly 70,000 foreign military personnel each year. What, if anything, are they learning? Education - [How US Education Secretary nominee Miguel Cardona can stop the teacher shortage]( Bob Spires, University of Richmond; Diane B Hirshberg, University of Alaska Anchorage; Doris A. Santoro, Bowdoin College; Richard L. Schwab, University of Connecticut Four experts weigh in on ways to replenish the US teacher workforce and curb burnout. Science + Technology - [How Apple and Google let your phone warn you if you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus while protecting your privacy]( Johannes Becker, Boston University; David Starobinski, Boston University Bluetooth wireless communication makes it possible to track when people have been exposed to people infected with the coronavirus. The right cryptography scheme keeps alerts about exposures private. - [Should I stay or should I go? Here are the relationship factors people ponder when deciding whether to break up]( Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., Monmouth University People have plenty of individual reasons to stick with or end a romantic relationship. But researchers have identified some common themes that influence this big decision. Economy + Business - [The $4 trillion economic cost of not vaccinating the entire world]( Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, University of Maryland The world's most advanced economies will incur half the total costs associated with a failure to vaccinate poorer nations, which could exceed $4 trillion if only half their citizens are inoculated. - [Investors swoon over Bumble’s IPO – but what exactly is an initial public offering?]( Jonathan T. Fluharty-Jaidee, West Virginia University A finance scholar explains what an IPO is, how it works and a new way companies are going public that's winning the hearts of WallStreetBets Redditors. Ethics + Religion - [For the birds? Hardly! Valentine’s Day was reimagined by chivalrous medieval poets for all to enjoy, respectfully]( Jennifer Wollock, Texas A&M University The view of Valentine's Day as a day for lovers can be traced back to two medieval poets who stood up for romance and the freedom to choose. Arts + Culture - [How the gay party scene short-circuited and became a moneymaking bonanza]( Christopher T. Conner, University of Missouri-Columbia A decadent New Year's Eve bash held in the throes of the pandemic is a symptom of a larger problem in the gay community. From our International Editions - [Breaking the science glass ceiling: four African women share what it took]( Natasha Joseph, The Conversation; Ogechi Ekeanyanwu, The Conversation; Wale Fatade, The Conversation Less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women. The biases and perceptions that keep women and girls out of STEM must be tackled. - [Why Myanmar is rising up in collective fury after a military coup – The Conversation Weekly podcast]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation Plus we talk to an American virologist testing wild animals for COVID-19. Listen to episode 2 of The Conversation Weekly podcast. - [4 things about mRNA COVID vaccines researchers still want to find out]( Archa Fox, University of Western Australia; Harry Al-Wassiti, Monash University Researchers are already working to improve the current crop of mRNA vaccines. Hopefully this will help them become more practical and affordable for the entire world, not just first-world countries. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451