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Social media platform TikTok is being used by incels to spread their “hateful beliefs” against women, according to a new study. Previous research has suggested that incels – men who are involuntary celibates – were mainly restricted to niche men’s forums. But researchers from the University of Portsmouth have found “prominent” incel accounts on video-sharing site TikTok. Incels have been linked to violent attacks including the shooting by Jake Davison of five people in Plymouth in 2021 and an attack in Toronto, Canada, in which self-described incel Alek Minassian drove a van into a crowd killing 11 people in 2018. Lead author Anda Solea, of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth, said: “It is a common belief that incels are an underground community, removed from beloved and popular platforms such as TikTok. Mainstream platforms like TikTok have stricter moderation policies but are not immune to incel influence Dr Lisa Sugiura “Our study demonstrates that incel ideology is also present, popularised and thriving on TikTok.” The study found that incel ideology was being spread in a manner of styles including through the use of pseudo-scientific appeals. These use fake and misinterpreted graphs, surveys and information often based on evolutionary psychology and biological determinism to “expose the supposed true nature of women”. Other methods include emotional appeals which employ repurposed viral internet media, including TV clips and memes, depicting unattractive men’s humiliation and suffering at the hands of women to portray men as victims and evoke empathy. The study suggests that the language used is soft and implicit enough to escape content moderation but harmful enough to “perpetuate hateful beliefs” while linking with broader sexism and structural misogyny. Study co-author Dr Lisa Sugiura, associate professor in cybercrime and gender at the University of Portsmouth, said: “These clever subtle approaches aim to resonate with broader audiences, including those who might be unfamiliar with the intricacies of incel ideology. “They present a challenge to policymakers and a real danger to women. As TikTok gains popularity, more needs to be done to understand the growing incel activity on the platform.” Ms Solea said: “Incels consider themselves unable to attain romantic relationships due to societal hierarchies based on looks, money and status, where women wield power. “They have been linked to gendered hate speech and violence against women, making them an increasing security concern. “However, research has often oversimplified incels, overlooking their diversity across different online platforms. “Mainstream platforms like TikTok have stricter moderation policies but are not immune to incel influence. “This study aims to understand how incels adapt their ideology to mainstream platforms and how they influence and are influenced by mainstream discourse.” TikTok has been approached for comment.

Many of us look to the stars for answers to life’s most complex questions. But actually, some of the greatest mysteries lie beneath our very feet. One might think we’d know the Earth pretty well by now but, in fact, our planet’s core remains shrouded in enigma. Indeed, there are two gigantic blobs located beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean that occupy around six per cent of the world’s entire volume. And yet, we’re still not entirely sure what they’re made of or where they came from. There are a number of hypotheses, including that they are piles of oceanic crust that have accumulated over billions of years. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But a more interesting theory is that they are huge chunks of an ancient planet that hit the Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. To give an indication of just how massive these things are, the structure under Africa – an area known as Tuzo – is thought to be around 800km (497 miles) tall – the equivalent of some 90 Mount Everests stacked on top of one another, as IFLScience notes. The problem with determining the origin of these monster formations is that there are no direct ways of observing the Earth’s core. The deepest hole humans have ever dug – branded the "entrance to hell" – reached a pretty staggering 12,263m (40,230ft), but that doesn’t even come close to breaking through the crust to the layers beneath. Our most effective tool for analysing what lies beneath the ground is a technique called seismic tomography, which looks at how waves of energy travel when earthquakes occur. Since rocks and liquids have different densities, the waves move through them at different speeds. By measuring the tremors from different points on the surface, geologists can determine what kind of material the waves are travelling through and, in so doing, map out the Earth’s interior. It was by using this technique that the two unusual structures – known as large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) – were found. Waves travel more slowly in these areas – fondly known as “blobs” – than through the surrounding lower mantle, indicating that they’re made of something different. We can’t tell what this material is based on seismic tomography data alone, but some scientists like to believe that they are the remnants of an ancient planet called Theia – an idea known as the “giant impact hypothesis”. According to this hypothesis, around 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object collided with the Earth. This impact not only created the planet we call home today, but also threw off enough rock to form the moon that lights up our night skies. Some scientists suggest that some of Theia’s leftovers also sunk to the bottom of the planet, probably settling somewhere above the core – thereby forming at least one of the two LLSVPs. More Updates About Strange Blob Structures Inside Planet Earth youtu.be Experts have been investigating the area for decades but there’s still no way of knowing for sure just what these two giant blobs are. Still, studies into Theia have offered important insights into how the possible collision might have kickstarted key plate tectonic and mantle motion inside our planet – crucial processes for establishing the world on which we live. It’s also a useful reminder that we still have so much to learn about our planet and where we came from. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Mets ace Justin Verlander could be on the move at the MLB trade deadline and one AL East contender is now rumored to be involved.Since the Mets traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers, the fate of Justin Verlander has been hanging in the balance. Would New York commit to short-term winning and keep t...

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