Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Feb. 8, 2024
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Three Ways to Stop the Spread of False Information Online
False and misleading information is rampant online. And in an election year, Americans will face a deluge of inaccurate, incomplete, or manipulated content.
Research shows that older generations are less likely to recognize and prevent the flow of misinformation. This is especially important because older Americans are more likely than younger people to vote, so their skills in identifying false or misleading content can affect democratic processes.
A new RAND tool provides some valuable tips for this group (and anyone consuming information online):
- Read across sources. Corroborate evidence through multiple websites or sources rather than readily believing information from a single source.
- Resist emotional manipulation. Emotionally charged content travels fast. Take time to reflect and think critically about what you're reading before you like, share, or comment.
- Take personal responsibility. Remember that everyone plays a crucial role in stopping the spread of false and misleading content.
Employing these strategies can help reduce the impact of bad information during the election cycle, create a more informed society, and, ultimately, protect democracy.
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Providing Life-Saving Care for Child Diarrhea
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death for children in low- and middle-income countries. Nearly all such deaths could be prevented with oral rehydration salts, so what's stopping practitioners from prescribing them? According to a new study led by RAND's Zachary Wagner, health care providers often avoid prescribing rehydration salts because they think that caregivers want something different for their child. But when patients expressed a preference for this treatment, prescribing increased by 27 percentage points. This highlights the importance of providers' perceptions and points to potential changes that could help save children's lives
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How to Rein in the Risks of Robotaxis
Robotaxis and other driverless vehicles could one day improve road safety and mobility. But how should city and state agencies deal with the risks they pose today? According to Hye Min Park of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and RAND's Fabian Villalobos, a research method called decisionmaking under deep uncertainty may be key. It could help regulators and autonomous vehicle companies determine which warning signs to monitor. This method can also be used to measure proxies for risk when no data are available. Such approaches can help guide key decisions about autonomous vehicle safety.
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** RAND Recommends
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- RAND's Alexandra Stark was quoted in the New York Times about the situation in Yemen: "Even if the U.N.-led [peace] process does move forward, it would likely lead to essentially an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis that doesn't solve the underlying conflict between the Houthis and the anti-Houthi forces."
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- Vox highlighted a recent RAND report that examines the U.S.-China rivalry in a "neomedieval" era. "The situation we're in now actually has a lot more features in common with the pre-1800 world than the recent past," said lead author Timothy Heath.
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- The Marines are retaining women at significantly higher rates than men. This could reflect a "self-selection bias," RAND's Kyleanne Hunter, a Marine combat veteran, told Marine Corps Times. "Are the women who join women who would be more likely to stay in, because they've already had to go through higher barriers to entry?"
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** Events
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America's Opioid Problems: How Additional Approaches Can Stem the Tide
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 (Online)
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