Scientific Consensus Research Articles

Imagining Global Climate Solutions: Reflections on <em>The Ministry for the Future</em> and <em>Eleutheria</em>

Even though a scientific consensus has been building for many decades that the climate emergency is real, and despite many protests and conferences demanding action, global climate solutions remain elusive. What are the main sticking points to making climate progress, and how might they be overcome? This article draws on two novels to imagine possible solutions: The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson and Eleutheria by Allegra Hyde. Both envision effective social change over the next few decades. Themes and pathways include influencing public opinion, new religious movements, politics at global scale, tweaking the global economic system, geoengineering, and the various roles that people from all walks of life can play—especially young people—to deliver climate solutions. Not least, a common theme is how love can save the world.

Novel foods, food enzymes, and food additives derived from food by-products of plant or animal origin: principles and overview of the EFSA safety assessment.

The European Union (EU) is committed to transitioning toward a circular economy model, with food waste being one of the areas to be targeted. To close the loop of food waste generated during food processing and discarded at the retail or consumption phases, research and innovation parties proposed to valorize agro-food by-products to produce novel foods and food improvement agents (food additives, food enzymes, and food flavorings). In the EU, the authorization of such novel foods and food improvement agents is governed by different regulatory frameworks. A centralized safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the prerequisite for their authorization through the so-called Union Lists. Up to December 2023, EFSA published 45 scientific opinions on the safety of novel foods, food enzymes, and food additives derived from by-products of plant and animal origin. The current study illustrates examples of these by-products for the production of novel foods or food improvement agents and the data requirements behind their respective safety assessments conducted by EFSA. In this review, applications on novel foods, food enzymes, and food additives received by EFSA were screened and analyzed to find the common scientific requirements and differences in terms of the safety evaluation of such products. Various by-products (i.e., corncobs, coffee husks, spent grains of barley and rice, grape pomace, pumpkin peels, bovine whey, eggshells, shrimp heads, and animal organs or tissues) were described in the applications as being processed (extraction, physical treatments, and chemical and enzymatic reactions) to obtain novel foods and food improvement agents. The heterogeneity and complexity of these products emphasize the challenge of their safety assessment, depending on the characteristics of each product. However, as this study shows, the scientific requirements underpinning their safety do not differ substantially in the different regulated product areas considered, with similar information needed to assess their safety in terms of identity, production process, compositional characterization, proposed/intended uses and exposure assessment, toxicological information, and allergenicity data. Additional nutritional information and data on the history of use are required in the case of novel foods.

AS AN OBJECT OF THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION OF SOCIAL ADAPTATION PROCESSES

Based on the relevance of the processes of adaptation of orphans and children left without parental care to society, the processes of adaptation of orphans and children left without parental care to society were studied as an object of theoretical consideration, focusing on the research and scientific work of several scientists. Conclusions and suggestions were made at the end of the article with scientific opinions about the conditions of adaptation.

IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN MATHEMATICS

In this article, scientific opinions about the importance of innovative technologies in mathematics are presented and their role in improving the methodological work of mathematics education is revealed. Interactive strategies of mathematics education based on modern pedagogical technologies facilitate the educational process, clarify it, and cover a wide community. intended.

The concept of polis religion: content, historical-religious argumentation, criticism

This article is devoted to a review analysis of the theory of polis religion in relation to ancient Greek culture. The article examines both arguments supporting this concept and critical opinions questioning it. The subject of the study is the concept of polis religion, the object is historio-graphical literature dealing with the comprehension and formation of ideas about the concept. In the first section you can find a review of the arguments in favor of polis religion, the work of leading experts in the field of ancient history and the history of religion involved in the analysis. The key theses that substantiate the existence and importance of the polis religion for the life of the city-states of Ancient Greece (polis) are highlighted. The role of religion in the political life of the Greek policy is discussed, as well as its influence of religious institutions on social structures. In the second section, the focus shifts to criticism of the concept of polis religion. The works of historians who question the universality and unambiguity of this theory are presented. Critics point to the diversity of religious practices and beliefs in different policies, the presence of individual cults and personal religious beliefs that do not always meet policy standards. The final section summarizes the results of the study. In this part of the article, the author seeks to offer a balanced view of polis religion, recognizing both the importance of this concept and the limitations of its use. A consensus point of view is formulated, which takes into account both supporters and critics of this concept. The scientific consensus on the theory at the moment can be formulated as follows: the concept of polis religion can be preserved only in its weak formulation.

Reducing Transmission of Airborne Respiratory Pathogens: A New Beginning as the COVID-19 Emergency Ends.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new evidence-based strategies have emerged for reducing transmission of respiratory infections through management of indoor air. This paper reviews critical advances that could reduce the burden of disease from inhaled pathogens and describes challenges in their implementation. Proven strategies include assuring sufficient ventilation, air cleaning by filtration, and air disinfection by germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light. Layered intervention strategies are needed to maximize risk reduction. Case studies demonstrate how to implement these tools while also revealing barriers to implementation. Future needs include standards designed with infection resilience and equity in mind, buildings optimized for infection resilience among other drivers, new approaches and technologies to improve ventilation, scientific consensus on the amount of ventilation needed to achieve a desired level of risk, methods for evaluating new air-cleaning technologies, studies of their long-term health effects, workforce training on ventilation systems, easier access to federal funds, demonstration projects in schools, and communication with the public about the importance of indoor air quality and actions people can take to improve it. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13878.

ASPECTS OF THE CRIME OF BRIBERY IN CONTRAST TO SIMILAR CRIME

This article examines similar and different aspects of the necessary elements of the criminal offense of mediation in bribery, such as bribery, bribery, participation in bribery, bribery, fraud, bribery in commercial activities, bribery of a public servant. analyzed. In addition, the scientific and theoretical opinions of legal scholars were studied and proposals were made in this regard.

Confronting scientific racism in psychology: Lessons from evolutionary biology and genetics.

Although the American Psychological Association has taken a strong antiracism stance, scientific racism continues to be published in psychology journals and scholarly books. Recent articles claim that the folk categories of race are genetically meaningful divisions and that evolved genetic differences among races and nations are important for explaining immutable differences in cognitive ability, educational attainment, crime, sexual behavior, and wealth; all claims that are opposed by a strong scientific consensus to the contrary. These claims remain a serious source of harm through the naturalization of inequality and through support for the work of racial extremists. Contemporary "racial hereditarian research" claims to rest on modern genetics and evolutionary biology and to draw on their methods, such as genome-wide association studies. These new arguments fail to meet the evidentiary and ethical standards of these disciplines for the study of human variation. If psychology adopted standards from genetics and evolutionary biology, the current racial hereditarian work would be ineligible for publication. Actions that the American Psychological Association can take to deal with scientific racism are described. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Fundamental theoretical conflicts in the science of critical thinking

Introduction. The article explores the reasons for the lack of scientific consensus on critical thinking. Despite the fact that this concept has become one of the key ones for modern culture, it has not been properly defined, and organizational decisions remain controversial. In this article, we propose to focus not on the gaps in our knowledge of critical thinking, but on finding the reasons for what exactly prevents consensus on these issues. The purpose of the article is to establish fundamental uncertainties and theoretical conflicts in the science of critical thinking that prevent the solution of terminological and organizational aspects of the problem. Materials and Methods. The study is theoretical in nature and is based on an agnological approach to the analysis of expert ignorance (R. Proctor, S. Feirstein, etc.). This approach combines traditional methods of logical and philosophical analysis, but is used when the purpose of the study is not to fill the gap in knowledge, but to find explanations why exactly we do not know what we do not know. In order to achieve this goal, the subjects of scholarly debates regarding critical thinking were identified and the prerequisites on which conflicting concepts are based were analyzed. Results. The study found that the existing organizational debates about how critical thinking should be taught in educational institutions are derived from discussions at a fundamental level. The authors conclude that modern research on critical thinking, despite its apparent thematic proximity to each other, actually reflects different, yet incompatible approaches to nature, psychological mechanisms and standards of critical thinking. Conclusions. The research led to the conclusion that reaching consensus on practical issues, such as the way to organize critical thinking training, requires prior resolution of fundamental theoretical conflicts about the nature, psychological mechanisms and socio-cultural standards of critical thinking.

When enough is enough: Introducing sufficiency corridors to put techno-economism in its place

Today's ecological crises are entwined with inequality dynamics, yet prevailing techno-economic approaches in climate research and policy fall short in addressing the ecological crisis as distributional crisis. Recognising the limitations of techno-economism, focused on markets (price adjustments) and technology (efficiency gains), this contribution introduces sufficiency corridors as a concept, research field, and policy approach. Sufficiency corridors represent the space between a floor of meeting needs and a ceiling of ungeneralisable excess, i.e. within the sufficiency corridor everyone has enough (to satisfy needs) while no one has too much (to endanger planetary boundaries and need satisfaction). Establishing such corridors entails a process over time that continuously narrows the gap between floors and ceilings, lifting the former and pushing down the latter by strengthening forms of consumption and production that contribute to need satisfaction while shrinking those that do not. The article discusses the profound implications of this approach for how societal reality is reproduced and/or changed, highlighting the need for decisions that eliminate options between and within sectors and in the realms of consumption and production. After addressing questions of decision-making and the potential to realise corridors, the contribution concludes that the growing scientific consensus to complement techno-economic approaches with sufficiency measures remains inadequate. Instead, the possibility of a transformation by design hinges on embedding techno-economism within and subordinating it to a sufficiency framework.

Paganism as a Political Problem: Levinas’s Understanding of Judaism in the 1930s

In response to the rise of neopagan fascist political theologies in Europe in the 1930s, the young Emmanuel Levinas developed a novel conception of the theopolitical role of Judaism. The existing scholarly consensus maintains that (1) Levinas responded to the rise of pagan Hitlerism by opposing it to a Jewish conception of transcendence and (2) this putative contrast involved a critique of Heidegger’s thought, which Levinas identified with pagan Hitlerism. By focusing on under-examined occasional pieces Levinas wrote in the 1930s, I offer a significantly revised understanding of Levinas’s position in the 1930s. The argument shows how Levinas describes Judaism as a way of ‘being riveted’ that does not resort to transcendence, as does the Greco-Christian West, but rather affirms the immanence of existence while breaking with its disposition to paganism. This places Levinas’s conception of Judaism on the same plane as paganism and within the terms of Heidegger’s philosophy. From this perspective, a new way of understanding Levinas’s theopolitical view of Judaism as “the anti-paganism par excellence” takes shape.

A two-year review of cocaine findings in impaired driving investigations in Ontario, Canada.

Drug-impaired driving is an increasing public safety concern across Canada, particularly due to the demonstrated increase in use of recreational drugs such as cocaine. Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant drug; however, it can impair an individual's driving ability in both the stimulant and crash phases. Despite the scientific consensus regarding cocaine's potential for driving impairment, there is relatively little information available regarding blood concentrations and associated observations of impairment in suspected impaired drivers. Retrospective data analysis was performed to evaluate suspected impaired driving cases in which cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine were detected alone, or in combination with other drugs, in blood and urine samples submitted to the Toxicology Section of the Centre of Forensic Sciences with incident dates between 2021 and 2022. Cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine were detected in 46% (blood) and 66% (urine) of the total impaired driving samples submitted. In 41 cases where cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine were the only drug finding in blood, concentrations of cocaine and benzoylecgonine ranged from 0.0073 to 0.26 mg/L (mean 0.096 mg/L) and 0.13 to 5.3 mg/L (mean 2.1 mg/L), respectively. Driving observations reported by the arresting officer in cases where cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine were the only drug finding in blood and urine included the driver being involved in a collision, the vehicle leaving the roadway, erratic driving and the driver being asleep at the wheel; observations of drug impairment reported by the drug recognition expert at the time of driver evaluation included abnormal speech patterns, poor balance/incoordination, abnormal body movements and the individual falling asleep. The results provide concentrations of cocaine and benzoylecgonine observed in suspected impaired drivers, insight into observations that may be associated with prior cocaine use and additional information to inform on the effects of cocaine on driving.

Regulation of the institute of concepts in the active criminal procedure code of Ukraine

The article examines the issues related to the procedural institute of participation of concepts in criminal proceedings, its appearance, development and legislative regulation at different historical stages. It is noted that since its origin, this institution of procedural law has been observed as a guarantee of ensuring the rights and interests of participants of investigative actions against harassment by the investigating authorities. A number of procedural rules which contain information on the participation of concepts in pre-trial proceedings allow us to conclude that the institute of witnesses is present in the current Code of Criminal Procedure.
 The authors analyse the opinions of scientists on the viability of keeping the institute of concepts in the current CPC, due to the modern technical opportunities for objective and complete fixation of the course and results of the investigative action. The authors conclude that the legislator has a reasonable attitude to the use of the traditional institute of concepts and the use of modern technical devices for recording investigative actions. The authors note that keeping the institute of concepts in the current CPC of Ukraine requires further regulation. The classification of a concept as a participant in criminal proceedings requires appropriate modifications to the CPC and an independent article among other participants in criminal proceedings. It is proposed to define this participant in the process in the relevant provision, indicating his procedural status (list of rights and obligations), the range of persons who cannot be involved as witnesses, and the right of participants to the investigative action to challenge the concept.
 Based on the analysis of scientists’ opinions, doubts are expressed about the ability of concepts to create conditions for an objective and, moreover, proper proceeding of the investigative action, to ensure the legality of its performance. In most cases, witnesses are random persons who are not interested in the case. The author analyses the proposals of scientists regarding the competitive recruitment by local self- government authorities of individuals who are trustworthy and passing their lists to law enforcement authorities for the purpose of engaging concepts. The authors justify the proposals for further regulation of the institute of concepts.

Relationship of office abuse with other elements of the offense provided for in part 2 of article 191 of the Criminal code of Ukraine

Sometimes, in order to delineate very similar compositions of criminal offenses against property, it is necessary to compose 5,6,.. and 10-level logical constructions of an element of the composition of a criminal offense. Crimes against property are distinguished by their multiplicity of offenses and the multi-component nature of each element of the offense. This article is devoted to the qualification of offenses provided for in Part 2 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely the main element of their composition – the presence of abuse of office. The relevance of the raised issue was determined due to the presence of problems in law enforcement and due to a quantitative criterion, in particular, the number of registered criminal proceedings in 2023. Separate opinions of scientists regarding the influence and interrelationship of all elements of the composition of a criminal offense are highlighted. Attention is focused on the method of committing a criminal offense and the hypothesis of establishing its connections with other elements of the composition of a criminal offense is proposed. Each element of the objective side of the criminal offense was analyzed through the prism of the connection with «official abuse», as a result of which it was determined that the method of committing a criminal offense by abuse of an official position will take place only if there is a special legal (official) relationship between the subject of the offense and the object of the offense. Generalizations and comparisons were made for all three main types of criminal offenses provided for in Part 2 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely: misappropriation of property by abuse of official position; embezzlement of property by abuse of official position; acquisition of property by abuse of official position.

Summarizing the experience of early intervention in psychological and pedagogical support of families raising a child with special needs

The earliest possible start of comprehensive psychological and pedagogical support for a family raising a child with special educational needs plays an important role in optimizing the educational opportunities and socio-economic prospects of the child. This approach helps to improve the protection of the rights of the child and the rights of people with disabilities, as well as contributes to the qualitative affirmation of their position in society. The authors summarize various opinions of scientists and methods of early intervention in psychological and pedagogical support for families raising a child with special needs.

Eclipse and Wind Phenomenon in The Perspective of Hadith Aqidah

This paper examines how Hadiths about natural phenomena, especially eclipses and wind, can strengthen the aqidah of Muslims. The study of hadiths about eclipses and wind is reinforced by the interpretation of the Qur'an, the opinions of scholars, and some scientific opinions to prove its truth. This paper uses a qualitative method with the type of library research and data analysis techniques in the form of descriptive analytical. Thus, this paper concludes that the eclipse phenomenon in the hadith perspective is a sign of God's power that is not a myth and is not caused by someone's death. Meanwhile, the wind phenomenon contained in the hadith shows the power of God sent to His servants, regardless of whether the wind sent by God is a mercy or not. In this case, the appropriate attitude taught by the Prophet is to trust and pray for what Allah has determined. This conclusion indicates the existence of creedal values contained in the Hadith, namely the value of faith in the Last Day, the importance of prayer and supplication, the value of tawakal, and the value of ethics in speaking.

Substrate evaporation drives collective construction in termites.

Termites build complex nests which are an impressive example of self-organization. We know that the coordinated actions involved in the construction of these nests by multiple individuals are primarily mediated by signals and cues embedded in the structure of the nest itself. However, to date there is still no scientific consensus about the nature of the stimuli that guide termite construction, and how they are sensed by termites. In order to address these questions, we studied the early building behavior of Coptotermes gestroi termites in artificial arenas, decorated with topographic cues to stimulate construction. Pellet collections were evenly distributed across the experimental setup, compatible with a collection mechanism that is not affected by local topography, but only by the distribution of termite occupancy (termites pick pellets at the positions where they are). Conversely, pellet depositions were concentrated at locations of high surface curvature and at the boundaries between different types of substrate. The single feature shared by all pellet deposition regions was that they correspond to local maxima in the evaporation flux. We can show analytically and we confirm experimentally that evaporation flux is directly proportional to the local curvature of nest surfaces. Taken together, our results indicate that surface curvature is sufficient to organize termite building activity and that termites likely sense curvature indirectly through substrate evaporation. Our findings reconcile the apparently discordant results of previous studies.

Substrate evaporation drives collective construction in termites

Termites build complex nests which are an impressive example of self-organization. We know that the coordinated actions involved in the construction of these nests by multiple individuals are primarily mediated by signals and cues embedded in the structure of the nest itself. However, to date there is still no scientific consensus about the nature of the stimuli that guide termite construction, and how they are sensed by termites. In order to address these questions, we studied the early building behavior of Coptotermes gestroi termites in artificial arenas, decorated with topographic cues to stimulate construction. Pellet collections were evenly distributed across the experimental setup, compatible with a collection mechanism that is not affected by local topography, but only by the distribution of termite occupancy (termites pick pellets at the positions where they are). Conversely, pellet depositions were concentrated at locations of high surface curvature and at the boundaries between different types of substrate. The single feature shared by all pellet deposition regions was that they correspond to local maxima in the evaporation flux. We can show analytically and we confirm experimentally that evaporation flux is directly proportional to the local curvature of nest surfaces. Taken together, our results indicate that surface curvature is sufficient to organize termite building activity and that termites likely sense curvature indirectly through substrate evaporation. Our findings reconcile the apparently discordant results of previous studies.

The Metaverse is the future research space for jurisprudence

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of the Metaverse as a future research space for jurisprudence. It has been established that the Metaverse is known as a special virtual space created by computer technologies, where users can interact with each other, between various digital objects and the digital environment thanks to the created avatars – virtual digital images. It has been determined that the Metaverse can be called a copy of the real world, but in a virtual space that combines modern technologies, virtual and augmented reality, three-dimensional graphics, artificial intelligence, social networks, as well as other advanced innovative technologies. The focus is on the fact that the hypothetical transfer of real life to the virtual world raises a large number of legal issues and creates a huge field for scientific research, in particular, in jurisprudence. It was found that legal problems that may arise in the future in the Metaverse should be solved by lawyers together with philosophers, technologists, experts, and scientists from other fields of science based on developed uniform standards and norms. The opinion of scientists regarding the creation of a single international legal framework for the regulation of the Metaverse due to the absence of borders in the Metaverse and non-belonging to a specific state is supported. It is stated that the process of developing a unified international legal framework for the regulation of the Metaverse is a very large, complex, and long-lasting work that requires taking into account the cultural, national, legal, and moral differences of different countries. Such a difficult task requires the approval and consent of states, international organizations, and societies. However, given the potential for active development of the Metaverse and its impact on society, these efforts can contribute to its effective and consistent regulation.

A COP28 Perspective: Does Chinese Investment and Fintech Help to Achieve the SDGs of African Economies?

Scientific consensus affirms human activity, particularly carbon emissions from market participants, drives global warming. Foreign investment, crucial for sustainability in developing nations, now faces scrutiny regarding its impact on environmental quality in emerging economies. This study examines the influence of Chinese Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) and fintech on environmental conditions in the top five Chinese-invested African economies, alongside factors such as energy consumption, economic performance, and unemployment affecting CO2 pollution. Quarterly data from 2006–2021 confirm cointegration among variables via panel unit root and cointegration tests. Panel ARDL method estimates coefficients for short and long-run effects. Our findings reveal: (1) A 1% increase in Chinese investment leads to a 0.56% decrease in CO2 emissions, supporting its positive environmental impact. (2) Fintech adoption also demonstrates a beneficial effect, with a 1% increase associated with a 0.18% reduction in CO2 levels. (3) Total energy consumption, as expected, has a detrimental impact, causing a 0.92% increase in CO2 emissions with a 1% rise. (4) Interestingly, economic growth fosters environmental sustainability, while unemployment correlates negatively with it. These findings suggest that targeted Chinese investments and fintech adoption can aid in mitigating CO2 pollution in African economies while balancing economic considerations.