The February 19, 2025, Nature Podcast discusses a significant study revealing that switching from a five-star rating system to a thumbs up/down could eliminate racial discrimination in worker ratings on an online platform. The change shifts user focus from subjective opinions to objective job quality. The episode also covers a Nature investigation into retraction trends in scientific research, identifying China, India, and Pakistan as hotspots. Other segments address recent layoffs at the EPA and debates surrounding DEI strategies at NASA, reflecting ongoing shifts in the research landscape.
A study of almost 70,000 ratings showed that racial discrimination could be eliminated from an online platform by switching from a five-star rating system to a thumbs up or down.
The team hopes this could be an easy-to-implement shift to tackle racial discrimination, focusing users on whether a job was good or bad rather than personal opinions.
Retractions are a normal part of science but can signal misconduct and use of paper mills, with a Nature investigation revealing hotspots in China, India, and Pakistan.
Layoffs in the US's Environmental Protection Agency and reactions to the DEI purge at NASA indicate larger trends in science policy and research priorities.
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