Scientists suggest using mobile device location data for studying human-wildlife interactions

Phys.org— When did you last go anywhere without your cell phone? From maps and weather apps to social media platforms, we give consent for our phones to trace our footsteps and behavior. These curated mobility data are often used for personalized advertisements.

Phys.org—Study of new method used to preserve privacy with US census data suggests accuracy has suffered. A small team of political scientists, statisticians and data scientists from Harvard University, New York University, and Yale University, has found that by switching to a new method to better protect privacy, the U.S. Census Department has introduced factors that reduce accuracy in some cases.

The Guardian—Leprosy passed between medieval squirrels and humans, study suggests. Genetic analysis of Winchester samples shows similar strains of disease and supports theory that fur trade played role in spreadLeprosy passed between humans and red squirrels in medieval England, research suggests, supporting the theory that the fur trade could have played a role in the spread of the disease.Leprosy is one of the oldest infectious diseases recorded in humans and is typically caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Continue reading

Fortune—The race for human-AI interaction usage data is on—and the stakes are high. Google won search with its trove of usage data. Look for AI to be won in a similar fashion.