Reddit science
1Starting in 2027, low-income Americans on Medicaid must log 80 hours of work a month, and doctors will have to prove which patients are too sick to work. Experts writing in NEJM warn this means more paperwork, lower pay, struggling rural hospitals, and up to 10 million people losing health coverage.
- Starting January 2027, low-income adults on Medicaid must log 80 monthly hours of work, training, volunteering, or education to keep coverage. A New England Journal of Medicine Perspective warns these rules burden physicians with paperwork, pressure to document exemptions, and payment cuts, risking up to 10 million coverage losses and worse patient health.
Public health consequences
Commenters predict rising crime, homelessness, untreated chronic disease, rural hospital closures, and outbreaks, with costs shifting to emergency care and higher expenses later.Scarce jobs and paperwork
Many ask where the required jobs will come from amid existing job shortages, and worry about people with disabilities or work gaps. Others question how monthly verification will be enforced.Disability approval barriers
Commenters say disability approval is very hard, often taking years and a lawyer, and that rare conditions may be excluded. Cancer and schizophrenia patients could lose coverage and care.
2A study in the American Economic Review found that the 2017 US corporate tax cuts increased investment by 4.6% and employment by 1.3%, but median worker earnings barely changed. An estimated 87% of private income gains went to the top 10% of earners.
- Using employer-employee tax records and event studies, this paper finds that the largest US corporate tax cut in history raised firms' investment, sales, profits, employment, and payrolls. Earnings gains were concentrated among high earners, with 87% of short-run private income gains going to the top 10%.
Stock buybacks favor shareholders over workers
Commenters argue tax cuts carry no requirement to raise wages, and that buybacks and short-term shareholder pressure let firms pocket the savings. Proposals include banning or taxing buybacks.Tax cuts benefited top earners most
Many say the tax cuts worked as intended by enriching the wealthy, with 87% of private income gains going to the top 10%. Median worker earnings barely changed while executive pay rose sharply.Employment gains versus stagnant wages
Some call the 1.3% employment rise substantial, while others say it means more working poor on stagnant wages. Others argue real wages are at record highs and the cost-of-living crisis stems from housing and healthcare scarcity.
3A new study suggests that a child's aggressive behavior drives inconsistent parenting and discipline, rather than inconsistent discipline being the primary cause of the child's aggression.
- Research in Nature Communications suggests children's aggression may lead parents to discipline less consistently, rather than inconsistent discipline causing aggression. Genetics explained part of the link between inconsistent discipline and aggression, and all of the link between positive parenting and lower aggression.
Caution about misuse of findings
A commenter urges caution, warning that the study could drift toward claims that certain people or dog breeds are genetically more violent, and that such findings could be cherry-picked to support an agenda.Effective parenting methods
A commenter wants to know which parenting strategies work to address a child's aggressive behavior. They see the study as a basis for finding nuance, though they don't think parents are powerless.Vocabulary and innate aggression
A commenter argues some aggression isn't learned but stems from limited vocabulary and comprehension, which can trigger fight-or-flight responses. They welcome research that moves away from blaming parents.
4Measles cases in kids under 5 jumped 40% worldwide after COVID, from 11.1 million in 2019 to 15.6 million in 2023. Researchers blame disrupted vaccine programs and rising misinformation, with US kindergarten MMR coverage falling from 95% to 92%. Australia and NZ still lead the world at 96% coverage.
- Childhood measles vaccination rates have declined globally since COVID-19, with estimated cases in children under 5 rising 40% from 2019 to 2023 to 15.6 million. Researchers at the University of Queensland urge action to restore immunisation programs, while noting Australasia still had the world's highest second-dose coverage at 96%.
Vaccine misinformation and mistrust
Commenters blame rising vaccine skepticism on misinformation, the Wakefield fraud, post-COVID mistrust of medicine, and political influence. Some also point to crunchy anti-vaxxers and note Australia's vaccine requirements for childcare subsidies.Strain on urgent care resources
An urgent care nurse says suspected measles cases, usually from unvaccinated children, tie up exam rooms and bathrooms for hours, delay other patients, and most recent cases turned out not to be measles.Fading memory of the pre-vaccine era
Commenters warn that people who remember the devastation of measles and other diseases before mass vaccination are aging out, so their firsthand stories need to be shared before they are lost.
5Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” may have been based on one specific night sky: July 22, 1889, just before dawn over France.
- Astronomer Elijah Kim and colleagues propose that Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" depicts the real sky over France on July 22, 1889, not just imagination. Critics argue the field of view used is too narrow and question the stars' identification.
Painting based on a real night sky
Commenters note Van Gogh often painted outdoors, so his work was grounded in reality. Others argue observation and imagination coexist in the painting, and see no problem in checking it against real star positions.Skepticism about the research's value
Some users call the date-matching unimportant or fanfiction-like, since it can never be confirmed, and say art shouldn't be over-analyzed. Others enjoy this kind of research for the love of the game.Van gogh's two starry night studies
Users point out that Van Gogh worked on two paintings in summer 1889, an olive-tree landscape and a starry sky, which explains the letter cited in the article. An earlier 1888 version, Starry Night over the Rhone, also exists.
6American English speakers can deliberately choose whether to copy another accent when asked, but tend to naturally copy specific notable speech sounds when uninstructed.
- Americans shadowed an Australian model talker under instructions to imitate, avoid imitating, or neither. Participants showed strong deliberate control: imitation rose when asked and vanished when asked to avoid it. Salient features BATH and NEAR drew the most imitation, showing that sociolinguistic meaning also shapes imitation.
Mirroring and code switching
Commenters describe unintentionally picking up accents or slang after time abroad or around certain groups, and debate whether this differs from code switching, which is active rather than passive.Foreign language pronunciation
Users report that Turkish and Japanese speakers often fail to understand mispronounced words, while mimicking a non-native accent can aid comprehension but may feel embarrassing.Malleability of American English
Users dispute whether American English is more malleable than other dialects, with several arguing that every variety, including General American, is an accent with specific features.
7Orangutans prefer food associated with sounds of laughter. Apes in study more likely to choose treats linked to sound of peers having fun, suggesting emotions influence learning
- Orangutans valued food more highly when they first heard peers laughing and playing, according to a study led by Erica Cartmill at Indiana University. Four of six apes preferred bowls whose covering substance had been paired with laughter, suggesting emotional state during learning shapes memory and valuation. Researchers say this could inform human education.
Orangutan intelligence and social context
Commenters note orangutans are highly intelligent, though the captive setting, with apes in close proximity, differs from their mostly solitary wild lives. A reply debates whether humans count as great apes.Jokes about the study's mood
Users joke about wanting whatever mood the orangutans had. One commenter was disappointed the study was about ape giggling rather than food crunching sounds.Advertising parallels
One commenter argues the findings show lifestyle advertising works even on our distant cousins, since the orangutans valued food more when peers seemed to be enjoying themselves.
8In retrospective clinic notes, large language models (AI)-recommended care cost substantially more than human physicians, primarily because of more testing and specialist referrals
Cost versus quality tradeoff
Commenters argue that more testing improves outcomes only at rising cost, and that debates over acceptable risk are largely value judgments. Some say US doctors under-test, while others say over-testing causes real harm.Clinical judgment versus AI thoroughness
Physicians say medicine relies on context, examination, and weighing evidence that AI can't replicate. Others counter that clinicians carry biases and that AI's extra thoroughness may catch missed diagnoses.Insurance incentives and AI objectives
Users question whether AI's test recommendations reflect profit-driven training data. Replies note that insurers use AI to deny care, while these models aim to diagnose and treat.
9Retatrutide Once Weekly for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: retatrutide resulted in significantly greater decreases in OSA than placebo.
Drug indications driving coverage and patents
Commenters say new indications like OSA help insurers cover GLP-1 drugs, since Medicare and Medicaid often exclude obesity-only use. One claims new indications extend patents, but others dispute this, noting generics can still be made and used off label.Weight loss versus direct OSA effects
Users debate whether OSA improvement comes from weight loss alone. Some say the effect is partly independent of weight, which helped Zepbound's approval, while others note structural airway issues that weight loss does not fix.Study limitations and mechanism questions
Commenters question whether the larger apnea reduction exceeds what weight loss explains and note the mean body weight was not reported. Others point out the "sheep apnea" typo and call for mechanism-focused trials.
10The Face of a Denisovan: New Reconstruction Reveals How They May Have Looked.
- Researchers studying 20 fossils from Xujiayao, China, which are at least 130,000 years old, have identified their physical features as Denisovan, including a low sloping forehead, a prominent brow ridge, flat cheeks, and a moderately elevated nose bridge. Protein analysis identified the remains as Denisovan, offering a clearer picture of these ancient humans, who appear to have been widespread and diverse.
Humorous lookalike and resume jokes
Users joked about using the reconstruction as a LinkedIn photo, mock-resumes for an archaic human, and comparisons to celebrities like the Coheed and Cambria and INXS singers, plus a Doom guy and a WWF wrestler.Resemblance to modern people
Several commenters said the face resembled someone they knew. Others linked this to Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA in modern humans, and one suggested artists may be drawing modern people and shifting features.Unflattering depictions of ancient humans
Users asked why ancestors are often drawn looking unattractive. Replies noted that not all were handsome, harsh conditions affect facial development, and traits like thick brow ridges are wrongly associated with low intelligence.