Tis the season for SAD, snacks, snoozes and sex

+ which diseases take priority in drug development, and why US Edition - Today's top story: Winter brings more than just ugly sweaters – here's how the season can affect your mind and behavior [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 December 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Efforts to protect schools from cybercrime fall short]( - [Artificial light lures migrating birds into cities]( - [Marketing and the Boston Tea Party]( Lead story Winter officially begins next week. But around here in Boston, I’m already feeling these cold, short, dark days. It’s enough to put you in a bit of a mood. And it’s not just my imagination, according to psychology researchers Michael Varnum at Arizona State and Ian Hohm at the University of British Columbia. Winter brings seasonal changes that really can mess with your outlook and behavior. “Some of winter’s effects have been tied to cultural norms and practices,” they write, “while others likely reflect our bodies’ innate biological responses to changing meteorological and ecological conditions.” Depressed mood, an urge to hibernate or eat every holiday treat in sight, a more generous spirit, better concentration, even a heightened sex drive – [researchers have documented them all in winter](. But teasing out what’s behind these seasonal swings is an ongoing challenge. One last note: we’re starting to test out a new service to let you get some of our headlines via text. If you’d like to try it, [sign up here](. [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]([]]( Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you]( Short winter days can influence your brain chemistry. Schon/Moment via Getty Images [Winter brings more than just ugly sweaters – here’s how the season can affect your mind and behavior]( Michael Varnum, Arizona State University; Ian Hohm, University of British Columbia Some of winter’s effects have been tied to cultural norms and practices, while others likely reflect our bodies’ innate biological responses to shorter days and colder weather. Education - [Why federal efforts to protect schools from cybersecurity threats fall short]( Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina – Greensboro Cybercriminals target schools because they’re uniquely vulnerable. A cybersecurity expert explores whether a new White House initiative will be enough to deter bad actors. Environment + Energy - [Artificial light lures migrating birds into cities, where they face a gauntlet of threats]( Carolyn S. Burt, Colorado State University; Kyle Horton, Colorado State University Migrating birds need stopover locations en route where they can rest and feed. A new study shows that artificial light draws them away from sites they would normally use and into risky zones. Politics + Society - - [Israel can and will ignore US appeals to minimize casualties in Gaza]( Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Conflict has escalated between Joe Biden and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over the conduct of the Israel-Hamas war. But a national security veteran says the US has little leverage over Israel. - [Is Hamas the same as ISIS, the Islamic State group? No − and yes]( Brian Glyn Williams, UMass Dartmouth A scholar of the Islamic State group says Hamas has undergone a radical ISIS-inspired transformation that has not yet gotten widespread public attention. - [In the worst of America’s Jim Crow era, Black intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois found inspiration and hope in national parks]( Thomas S. Bremer, Rhodes College Though progressive politics at the turn of the 20th century called for the protection of America’s national parks, it did so for the enjoyment of white people. Economy + Business - [4 business lessons from the Boston Tea Party]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Two and a half centuries later, some things haven’t changed. Science + Technology - [When authoritative sources hold onto bad data: A legal scholar explains the need for government databases to retract information]( Janet Freilich, Fordham University Theranos was dissolved years ago, and its CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, is in prison, but the company’s patents based on bad science live on – a stark example of the persistence of faulty information. - [Drinking during holidays and special occasions could affect how you parent your kids]( Bridget Freisthler, The Ohio State University Even parents who don’t drink much throughout the year may have a few extra eggnogs at a Christmas party or beers while watching the Super Bowl. And that has implications for how they treat their kids. - [Lighting a fire using friction requires an understanding of some physics principles − but there are ways to make the process easier]( Bradley Duncan, University of Dayton You may have seen contestants on reality shows like “Survivor” make fire using friction, but do you know the physics behind the process? Health + Medicine - [CRISPR and other new technologies open doors for drug development, but which diseases get prioritized? It comes down to money and science]( C. Michael White, University of Connecticut Drug development takes a great deal of time, money and effort. While future profits play a big factor in which diseases gets prioritized, advocacy and research incentives can also tilt the scale. International - [Release of Alberto Fujimori in Peru rekindles fears of backsliding on human rights]( Ñusta Carranza Ko, University of Baltimore The former Peruvian strongman appeared frail as he left prison. But his influence on politics remains strong. Podcast 🎙️ - [American universities in the spotlight over reaction to Israel-Gaza war]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation The first of two episodes of The Conversation Weekly podcast exploring how the Israel-Gaza war is affecting life at universities. Trending on site - [What’s the point of giving gifts? An anthropologist explains this ancient part of being human]( - [How QR codes work and what makes them dangerous – a computer scientist explains]( - [Before he was House speaker, Mike Johnson represented a creationist museum in court. Here’s what that episode reveals about his politics]( Today's graphic 📈 [Whether parents report drinking varies from a typical baseline on some special occasions. The vibe of the day appeared to influence aggressive parenting more than just whether parents were drinking.]( From the story, [Drinking during holidays and special occasions could affect how you parent your kids]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon](• [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](