Topic description and stories

Slamming political rivals may be the most effective way to go viral

22 Jun 2021

Study of almost 3 million Facebook and Twitter posts from US media and politicians shows divisive posts dunking on opponents drive engagement on...

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Centre for the Future of Intelligence joins international coalition for safe and beneficial AI

16 May 2017

The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI), a Cambridge-based research Centre exploring the nature and impact of Artificial...

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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Viral charity campaigns have a psychological 'recipe' and all-too-brief lifespan

13 Feb 2017

New work focusing on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge reveals very brief shelf life of such viral campaigns, and suggests the nature of ‘virality’ and...

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Facebook Like Button

Facebook updates could provide a window to understanding – and treating – mental health disorders

28 Oct 2016

Our Facebook status updates, ‘likes’ and even photos could help researchers better understand mental health disorders with the right ethical...

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Map showing levels of international friendship by country

Facebook data suggests people from higher social class have fewer international friends

10 Sep 2015

New study using Facebook network data, including a dataset of over 57 billion friendships, shows correlation between higher social class and fewer...

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Footprints

How to read a digital footprint

23 Jun 2015

Researchers are using social media data to build a picture of the personalities of millions, changing core ideas of how psychological profiling works...

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Facebook's Infection

Computers using digital footprints are better judges of personality than friends and family

12 Jan 2015

Researchers have found that, based on enough Facebook Likes, computers can judge your personality traits better than your friends, family and even...

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Nasr City/revolution will not be tweeted

Workers’ strikes and Facebook likes

24 May 2013

Research on Egypt is looking at how to read revolution and grass roots opposition through social media.

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Graphic from mypersonality app

Digital records could expose intimate details and personality traits of millions

11 Mar 2013

Research shows that intimate personal attributes can be predicted with high levels of accuracy from ‘traces’ left by seemingly innocuous digital...

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Thinkin' about the code

Are we being sold online?

27 Oct 2012

A panel discussion for the Festival of Ideas examines whether social media giants are profiting from our willingness to share the most intimate...

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108 High Resolution Dark Denim Social Media Icons

Cambridge ranked ‘most visible’ on social networks

23 Feb 2012

A ranking produced by Econsultancy has listed the University’s website as the most visible Russell Group website on some of the biggest social media...

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Search and rescue

Tweeting disasters

12 Oct 2011

Social networks like Twitter cannot help prevent disasters, but can quickly correct misinformation resulting from false rumours preventing possible...

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