Latest news with #UQ
7NEWS
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Aussies being driven wrong way down electric avenue by pervasive EV myths
More than a third of Australians believe misinformation about electric vehicles, while almost half accept the myth battery-powered cars are more likely to catch fire, a study shows. Interventions using fact sheets and artificial intelligence chatbots may help lower false beliefs, researchers say, but those with a strong 'conspiracy mentality' are harder to convince. Researchers from the University of Queensland and three German institutions released the findings late on Monday, following surveys of more than 6300 people in Australia, the United States, Germany and Austria. Their results mirrored concerns in a recent NRMA study, which found misinformation about battery safety was preventing motorists from investing in low-emission cars. The UQ peer-reviewed research, published in the Springer Nature Energy journal, included the results of four surveys, the first of which asked non-electric vehicles drivers for their opinions about false information about the cars. Despite the untruthful claims, more than one in three Australians on average went along with the assertions (35 per cent) — slightly lower than the average across all four nations (36 per cent). Incorrect statements that EVs were more likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel cars gained the highest acceptance from Australians surveyed (47 per cent), while 44 per cent also believed EV batteries were deliberately non-upgradeable. Other claims about manufacturing outweighing the lower emissions of electric cars (35 per cent) and EV accidents being underreported (26 per cent) were also concerning, University of Queensland environmental psychologist and co-author Chris Bretter said. 'The misinformation statements we tested included that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, do not produce emission savings and emit electromagnetic fields that damage health — all claims which are demonstrably false,' Bretter said. 'We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport.' Acceptance of EV misinformation was highest among people with a 'conspiracy mentality' rather than education level, the study found, although rates of belief were also higher among those with weaker environmental views, women and older participants. Participants also had their perceptions tested after a three-round conversation about electric vehicles with OpenAI's ChatGPT and after reading a US Department of Energy fact sheet debunking claims. Both interventions delivered 'modest increases in pro-EV sentiment', the study found. Bretter said this represented an avenue for future research. 'Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs,' he said. The findings come days after NRMA released a report, prepared by Ipsos, that found two in three Australians remained concerned about electric vehicle battery fires and safety despite low incident reports. Eight electric vehicle fires had been reported in Australia to November 2024, according to EV Firesafe, including one with an unknown cause.
New Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
Vitamin D deficiency in newborns linked to higher risk of mental disorders
KUALA LUMPUR: Newborns with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to develop mental health disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia and autism later in life, according to a major international study involving researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ). In what is regarded as the largest population-based study of its kind, the research examined the vitamin D status of 71,793 individuals, many of whom were diagnosed with a mental health condition during childhood or early adulthood. The study was led by Professor John McGrath from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute and conducted in collaboration with Denmark's National Centre for Register-Based Research at Aarhus University and the State Serum Institute. Researchers investigated six mental disorders, which are major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and anorexia nervosa. "We found evidence that individuals with lower vitamin D levels as newborns had an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, ASD and ADHD," said McGrath. Although earlier studies had linked low vitamin D levels at birth to conditions such as schizophrenia and autism, this new research expands on those findings by examining a broader range of mental health disorders. It also provides stronger evidence by including two biomarkers related to vitamin D and genetic data in the analysis. McGrath emphasised that vitamin D is essential for healthy brain development, and suggested that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and early infancy could potentially reduce the risk of developing mental disorders later in life. "Vitamin D is crucial for brain development, and low levels are common among pregnant women across the globe," he said. "This is why many countries already recommend vitamin D supplements during pregnancy. Just as folic acid is advised to prevent birth defects like spina bifida, our research suggests that ensuring optimal vitamin D levels early in life could help reduce the risk of several neurodevelopmental disorders." The data was sourced from the Danish iPSYCH project, established in 2012 to investigate the causes and development of severe mental disorders in Denmark. Vitamin D is primarily obtained through sun exposure but can also be found in certain foods and dietary supplements. McGrath's research is supported by the Danish National Research Foundation, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, and the University of Queensland, while the iPSYCH project receives funding from the Lundbeck Foundation.
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Electric vehicle myths: more than half Australians wrongly believe EVs are more likely to catch fire, survey shows
More than a third of Australians believe misinformation about electric vehicles, while almost half accept the myth that battery-powered cars are more likely to catch fire, a study shows. Interventions using fact sheets and artificial intelligence chatbots may help lower false beliefs, researchers say, but those with a strong 'conspiracy mentality' are harder to convince. Researchers from the University of Queensland and three German institutions released the findings late on Monday, after surveys of more than 6,300 people in Australia, the US, Germany and Austria. Their results mirrored concerns in a NRMA study that found misinformation about battery safety was preventing motorists from investing in low-emission cars. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The UQ peer-reviewed research, published in the Springer Nature Energy journal, included the results of four surveys, the first of which asked non-electric vehicle drivers for their opinions about false information about the cars. Despite the untruthful claims, more than one in three Australians on average went along with the assertions (35%) – slightly lower than the average across all four nations (36%). Incorrect statements that EVs were more likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel cars gained the highest acceptance from Australians surveyed (47%), while 44% also believed EV batteries were deliberately non-upgradeable. Other claims about manufacturing outweighing the lower emissions of electric cars (35%) and EV accidents being under-reported (26%) were also concerning, the University of Queensland environmental psychologist and co-author Dr Chris Bretter said. 'The misinformation statements we tested included that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, do not produce emission savings and emit electromagnetic fields that damage health – all claims which are demonstrably false,' Bretter said. 'We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport.' Acceptance of EV misinformation was highest among people with a 'conspiracy mentality', the study found, although rates of belief were also higher among those with weaker environmental views, women and older participants. Participants also had their perceptions tested after a three-round conversation about electric vehicles with OpenAI's ChatGPT and after reading a US Department of Energy fact sheet debunking claims. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Both interventions delivered 'modest increases in pro-EV sentiment', the study found. Bretter said this represented an avenue for future research. 'Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs,' he said. The findings come days after NRMA released a report, prepared by Ipsos, that found two in three Australians remained concerned about electric vehicle battery fires and safety despite low incident reports. Eight electric vehicle fires have been reported in Australia to November 2024, according to EV Firesafe, including one with an unknown cause.
West Australian
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
EV myths drive Aussies wrong way down electric avenue
More than a third of Australians believe misinformation about electric vehicles, while almost half accept the myth battery-powered cars are more likely to catch fire, a study shows. Interventions using fact sheets and artificial intelligence chatbots may help lower false beliefs, researchers say, but those with a strong "conspiracy mentality" are harder to convince. Researchers from the University of Queensland and three German institutions released the findings late on Monday, following surveys of more than 6300 people in Australia, the United States, Germany and Austria. Their results mirrored concerns in a recent NRMA study, which found misinformation about battery safety was preventing motorists from investing in low-emission cars. The UQ peer-reviewed research, published in the Springer Nature Energy journal, included the results of four surveys, the first of which asked non-electric vehicles drivers for their opinions about false information about the cars. Despite the untruthful claims, more than one in three Australians on average went along with the assertions (35 per cent) - slightly lower than the average across all four nations (36 per cent). Incorrect statements that EVs were more likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel cars gained the highest acceptance from Australians surveyed (47 per cent), while 44 per cent also believed EV batteries were deliberately non-upgradeable. Other claims about manufacturing outweighing the lower emissions of electric cars (35 per cent) and EV accidents being under-reported (26 per cent) were also concerning, University of Queensland environmental psychologist and co-author Chris Bretter said. "The misinformation statements we tested included that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, do not produce emission savings and emit electromagnetic fields that damage health - all claims which are demonstrably false," Dr Bretter said. "We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport." Acceptance of EV misinformation was highest among people with a "conspiracy mentality" rather than education level, the study found, although rates of belief were also higher among those with weaker environmental views, women and older participants. Participants also had their perceptions tested after a three-round conversation about electric vehicles with OpenAI's ChatGPT and after reading a US Department of Energy fact sheet debunking claims. Both interventions delivered "modest increases in pro-EV sentiment", the study found. Dr Bretter said this represented an avenue for future research. "Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs," he said. The findings come days after NRMA released a report, prepared by Ipsos, that found two in three Australians remained concerned about electric vehicle battery fires and safety despite low incident reports. Eight electric vehicle fires have been reported in Australia to November 2024, according to EV Firesafe, including one with an unknown cause.
Perth Now
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
EV myths drive Aussies wrong way down electric avenue
More than a third of Australians believe misinformation about electric vehicles, while almost half accept the myth battery-powered cars are more likely to catch fire, a study shows. Interventions using fact sheets and artificial intelligence chatbots may help lower false beliefs, researchers say, but those with a strong "conspiracy mentality" are harder to convince. Researchers from the University of Queensland and three German institutions released the findings late on Monday, following surveys of more than 6300 people in Australia, the United States, Germany and Austria. Their results mirrored concerns in a recent NRMA study, which found misinformation about battery safety was preventing motorists from investing in low-emission cars. The UQ peer-reviewed research, published in the Springer Nature Energy journal, included the results of four surveys, the first of which asked non-electric vehicles drivers for their opinions about false information about the cars. Despite the untruthful claims, more than one in three Australians on average went along with the assertions (35 per cent) - slightly lower than the average across all four nations (36 per cent). Incorrect statements that EVs were more likely to catch fire than petrol or diesel cars gained the highest acceptance from Australians surveyed (47 per cent), while 44 per cent also believed EV batteries were deliberately non-upgradeable. Other claims about manufacturing outweighing the lower emissions of electric cars (35 per cent) and EV accidents being under-reported (26 per cent) were also concerning, University of Queensland environmental psychologist and co-author Chris Bretter said. "The misinformation statements we tested included that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, do not produce emission savings and emit electromagnetic fields that damage health - all claims which are demonstrably false," Dr Bretter said. "We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport." Acceptance of EV misinformation was highest among people with a "conspiracy mentality" rather than education level, the study found, although rates of belief were also higher among those with weaker environmental views, women and older participants. Participants also had their perceptions tested after a three-round conversation about electric vehicles with OpenAI's ChatGPT and after reading a US Department of Energy fact sheet debunking claims. Both interventions delivered "modest increases in pro-EV sentiment", the study found. Dr Bretter said this represented an avenue for future research. "Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs," he said. The findings come days after NRMA released a report, prepared by Ipsos, that found two in three Australians remained concerned about electric vehicle battery fires and safety despite low incident reports. Eight electric vehicle fires have been reported in Australia to November 2024, according to EV Firesafe, including one with an unknown cause.
