The best graduation speeches dispense wisdom you find yourself returning to long after the graduation tassels are turned. Take the feel-good life advice in Baz Luhrmann’s song to a class that graduated 25 years ago. Only on a recent relisten did I realize it also captures one of the research-based strategies I teach for avoiding communication that backfires.

The tip is hiding in plain sight in the song’s title, Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen). Communication aimed at promoting a certain behavior can have the opposite effect when the message is perceived as a threat to individual autonomy.

Health campaigns frequently use strongly worded messages that end up backfiring. For example, strongly worded messages promoting dental flossing made people angry and more likely to resist flossing their teeth. Coercive alcohol prevention messages, with language like any reasonable person must acknowledge these conclusions, instead increased alcohol consumption. In contrast, the wording of the title Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) is less likely to backfire by emphasizing liberty of choice.

Research reveals lots of reasons why well-meaning attempts to inform, persuade or correct misinformation go awry. Despite the ubiquity of backfires, formal instruction about why they happen and how to avoid them is rare. The omission inspired my new book, Beyond the Sage on the Stage: Communicating Science and Contemporary Issues Effectively, which translates scholarship from across disciplines into practical strategies that anyone can use to improve communication.

When new info challenges your identity

Backfires are often a response to communication of unwelcome information.

In addition to threats to autonomy, information can be unwelcome because it appears to conflict with how you think about yourself. Consider a study that asked people to read a message about genetically modified foods. Participants for whom purity, health and conscientiousness of their diet was an important part of how they defined themselves had more negative attitudes after reading a message intended to refute their views about GM food. Those who did not have a strong dietary self-concept did not react negatively to the message.

The same resistance can rise up when you’re confronted with something counter to the beliefs of a group you feel a strong affiliation with. Emotional and identity attachment to a group such as a political party can cause people to subjugate their own values to align with the group, a phenomenon called cultural cognition. Reactions to messages about climate change often exemplify this phenomenon.

Against the backdrop of protests and an impending election, communication breakdowns are increasingly blamed on political polarization, with more than a hint of fatalism. But the current heavy focus on ideological differences serves only to fuel a vicious cycle that amplifies them. To halt the cycle, the focus needs to shift away from the differences. Divides are not always what they seem, and even when they are, there are often ways to bridge them.

Every person contains multitudes

Encouragingly, a study recently published by the Pew Research Center found that just 11% of Americans consider it very or extremely important that they get their news from journalists who share their political views. Less than 40% of Americans said that it was even somewhat important. The study is a reminder that we are all complex mixes of identities, and those distinct identities can offer fruitful starting points for a conversation.

As the various identities within people interact, the context can bring a particular identity to the fore. For example, a study that examined the importance of voters’ identity as parents revealed that when thinking about their children, people were more willing to oppose the policies of their own political party. Animal lover is another example of an identity that researchers have time and again seen relegate party identity to the background.

Therefore, appealing to a shared identity is a strategy for bridging the divide.

Another strategy is to make it safe to go against the group without damaging an individual’s connection to it. For example, people may act anonymously, which is what happened during the pandemic when some people reportedly chose to wear disguises when getting their COVID-19 vaccine.

Accidentally conveying what you don’t mean

As in the case of threats to autonomy, the language you choose can minimize backfires caused by threats to group affiliations. People may agree that a proposed action is sound and consistent with their party’s beliefs but still reject it if it contains even small polarizing cues. Triggers, such as words associated with the opposing party such as tax for a conservative or deregulation for a liberal, lead people to judge that their party would reject a policy. The fix is to remove both real and perceived threats to group identity by using party-neutral language.

Surprisingly, communication need not be threatening or unwelcome to backfire. It can happen when communication contains hidden unintended messages or when it inadvertently makes an undesired behavior seem normal. For example, messages from a utility about reducing energy use caused low-energy users to consume more energy when their consumption was compared with others, and anti-littering posters emphasizing the extent of the problem increased littering.

Another intuitive communication strategy that backfires is presenting information in a myth-versus-fact format. You’ve probably seen this format used in communications aimed at debunking myths about health, science, technology, culture and more. Yet, research demonstrates that the state-and-negate format makes it more likely people will remember myths as facts. A facts-only approach improves retention of the correct information.

Research finds where instincts lead you astray

Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen), originally penned as a newspaper column by journalist Mary Schmich, doesn’t tell graduates to trust their instincts, but that is commonly dispensed commencement advice.

The research demonstrates that when it comes to effective communication strategies, trusting your instincts can lead you astray. The same research provides insight into why you may instinctively react in certain ways to some messages.

So, if I were to offer this year’s graduates just one tip for the future, I would encourage them to check their communication instincts against evidence-based recommendations. I would call my speech Everybody’s Free (to Beat Backfire). 

(The Conversation: By Sherry Seethaler, University of California, San Diego)

Unfortunately, the end of the month on Netflix means several movies will be exiting the service. Several movies with Chucky the killer doll — including Bride of Chucky, Child’s Play 2, and Child’s Play 3 — are leaving right after Halloween. The Expendables franchise and two Magic Mike movies will also be following suit.

Overall, over 40 movies will be leaving Netflix by November 1. Before the month ends, peruse this list and see if anything catches your eye. While some of these movies will go to other streaming services, others may be in limbo with no home, so watch them now before it’s too late. Our three recommendations are a zombie action movie, a harrowing drama, and an underrated horror flick.

We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

World War Z (2013)

The zombies in The Walking Dead are child’s play compared to the horrifying creatures in World War Z. Based on Max Brooks’ novel, World War Z begins with Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), a former U.N. investigator caught in traffic with his family in Philadelphia. This traffic is not caused by a car accident or protestors but by a zombie invasion.

While the city goes up in smoke, Gerry and his family are able to escape and board a U.S. Navy ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Gerry learns that the zombie outbreak has spread globally, and one virologist believes he can create a cure if he finds the virus’ origin. Forced to help, Gerry begins a globetrotting adventure to find the source of the virus and stop its spread. Easier said than done when high-speed flesh-eating monsters are around every corner.

Stream World War Z on Netflix.

Room (2015)

Even the most harrowing films can move you to your core. That’s Room, Lenny Abrahamson’s 2015 survival drama based on Emma Donoghue’s novel. Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) and her young son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live in “Room,” a tiny shed with basic living necessities for two. What Jack doesn’t know is that they are being held captive by “Old Nick,” a man who kidnapped Joy seven years prior. Jack is a product of rape and has only ever lived in Room.

Eventually, Joy and Jack escape and gain their freedom thanks to an elaborate plan involving a fake death. Now, the mother and son can start living freely in the outside world. Yet Joy’s severe depression and pent-up anger catch up to her, making life even harder than it was before. Larson deserved her Oscar for a brave, gut-wrenching performance. However, Tremblay steals the show in one of the best 21st-century performances by a child.

Stream Room on Netflix.

Life (2017)

Somehow, a movie with Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds went under the radar in 2017. Then again, the star power of that trio is infinitely higher now than it was upon release. Regardless, Life is a terrifying thriller that should be streamed before it leaves Netflix. On the International Space Station, a six-astronaut crew is searching for extraterrestrial life.

The crew strikes gold after discovering a multi-celled organism in Mars’ soil. The crew names it Calvin. While studying it on the ship, Calvin evolves into a powerful organism and grows exponentially. Since Calvin cannot be controlled, he must be stopped, because if he reaches Earth, humans could be looking at a new dominant species.

Stream Life on Netflix.

Paris — Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere reached record highs in 2023, the United Nations warned on Monday, saying countries are falling “miles short” of what’s needed to curb devastating global warming.

Levels of the three main greenhouse gases — heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — all increased yet again last year, said the World Meteorological Organization, the U.N.’s weather and climate agency.

Carbon dioxide was accumulating in the atmosphere faster than ever, up more than 10 percent in two decades, it added.

And a separate U.N. report found that barely a dent is being made in the 43 percent emissions cut needed by 2030 to avert the worst of global warming.

Action as it stands would only lead to a 2.6 percent reduction this decade from 2019 levels.

“The report’s findings are stark but not surprising — current national climate plans fall miles short of what’s needed to stop global heating from crippling every economy and wrecking billions of lives and livelihoods across every country,” said U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell.

The two reports come just weeks before the United Nations COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan and as nations prepare to submit updated national climate plans in early 2025.

“Bolder” plans to slash the pollution that drives warming will now have to be drawn up, Stiell said, calling for the end of “the era of inadequacy.”

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries said they would cap global warming at “well below” two degrees Celsius above average levels measured between 1850 and 1900 — and 1.5C if possible.

But so far, their actions have failed to meet that challenge.

Existing national commitments would see 51.5 billion tons of CO2 and its equivalent in other greenhouse gases emitted in 2030 — levels that would “guarantee a human and economic trainwreck for every country, without exception,” Stiell said.

As long as emissions continue, greenhouse gases will keep accumulating in the atmosphere, raising global temperatures, WMO said.

Last year, global temperatures on land and sea were the highest in records dating as far back as 1850, it added.

WMO chief Celeste Saulo said the world was “clearly off track” to meet the Paris Agreement goal, adding that record greenhouse gas concentrations “should set alarm bells ringing among decision-makers.”

“CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than at any time during human existence,” the report said, adding that the current atmospheric CO2 level was 51 percent above that of the pre-industrial era.

The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was three to five million years ago, when the temperature was two to three degrees Centigrade warmer and the sea level was 65 feet higher than now, it said.

Given how long CO2 lasts in the atmosphere, current temperature levels will continue for decades, even if emissions rapidly shrink to net zero.

In 2023, CO2 concentrations were at 420 parts per million (ppm), methane at 1,934 parts per billion, and nitrous oxide at 336 parts per billion.

CO2 accounts for about 64 percent of the warming effect on the climate.

Its annual increase of 2.3 ppm marked the 12th consecutive year with an increase greater than two ppm — a streak caused by “historically large fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the 2010s and 2020s,” the report said.

Just under half of CO2 emissions remain in the atmosphere, while the rest are absorbed by the ocean and land ecosystems.

Climate change itself could soon “cause ecosystems to become larger sources of greenhouse gases,” WMO deputy chief Ko Barret warned.

“Wildfires could release more carbon emissions into the atmosphere, whilst the warmer ocean might absorb less CO2. Consequently, more CO2 could stay in the atmosphere to accelerate global warming.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro is Google’s latest and greatest smartphone, set to be released on September 4, 2024, pre-orders are available right now. The price of the Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999 for 128GB of storage. But, as always, you don’t have to spend that much to get the Pixel 9 Pro. Thanks to trade-ins and other promos, you can get them for much less. In fact, some places, you can get it for $0.

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro is the first time that Google has released a flagship device with all of the same specs and features as a “Pro” device but in a smaller size. This year, it sports a 6.3-inch display, a Tensor G4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. There’s also a 4,700mAh capacity battery inside that should keep you going all day long.

Our early impressions of the Google Pixel 9 Pro (and Pro XL) are pretty good. It’s definitely worth looking at if you need a new phone. However, if you’re coming from a Pixel 8 Pro, it might not be worth the upgrade.

Below, you’ll find all of the deals for the Pixel 9 Pro.

If you’ve used Cash App in the last six years, you might be entitled to compensation as part of a class-action settlement. . You can file a claim through a dedicated settlement website, and depending on what you can prove, you could receive up to $2,500. If there’s a downside beyond having your private financial data leaked, it’s that you’ve only got until November 19 to file.

— Dan Cooper

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News in Brief

It’ll be good for, uh, research.

. Codenamed Jarvis, because of course it is, it will help you with common tasks, like research, shopping and booking flights. Perhaps you could ask it to look at every price comparison website, collate the results and select the cheapest option. Maybe, in future, it could even buy, use and enjoy the thing you’re looking to purchase while you sit at your computer.

‘High-resolution playback is for closers.’

If you’ve ever noticed one of your Instagram videos looks worse now than it did before, there’s a reason. . Which feels like Instagram’s putting its finger on the scale for folks who’ve already cracked the secret of virality against those still working it out.

Everyone loves the Sunflower iMac G4.

As elegant as Apple’s computers are, the last one to transcend that and become beautiful was the iMac G4. . On one hand, great, who doesn’t want to see what Apple can do with that design? On the other, Apple’s lackluster commitment to the smart home means it’ll probably be a pointless waste of money anyway.

Siri, can you look up ‘Pyrrhic’ in the dictionary?

The endless battle between Apple and Masimo has seen the bigger company win its latest courtroom skirmish. . Sadly, Apple didn’t win big enough to score an injunction preventing Masimo from selling its watches. That sound you can’t hear right now is champagne corks not being popped in the hallowed halls of Apple Park.

New Macs are coming. Apple has teased a “week” of announcements around the Mac starting on Monday, October 28th. And after months of leaks, we have a pretty good idea of what’s in the cards.

Apple is likely to overhaul much of its Mac line with M4 chips, after launching the M4 series in the iPad Pro back in May. The MacBook Pro and iMac are expected to get spec bumps featuring the chip, while the Mac Mini is reported to be in line for a full redesign — its first in over a decade. Alongside the new Macs, a refreshed Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad with USB-C ports are likely to arrive, too.

The public release of Apple Intelligence is also expected this week. That would bring AI features to the Mac as well as the iPhone and iPad.

There’s no formal product event this time around. Instead, it’s likely Apple will share the news through press releases each morning. The only question now is whether they’ll come all at once on Monday or be spaced out throughout the full week.