Racist ratings linger in five-star systems — a thumbs up could fix that

This Nature Podcast episode discusses two main research areas: the impact of rating systems on racial discrimination and the identification of institutions with high retraction rates. The first segment details a study showing that changing online worker rating systems from five-star scales to simple upvote/downvote systems significantly reduced racial bias in ratings and pay. The second segment analyzes data on scientific retractions, revealing that hospitals in China and universities in Saudi Arabia have disproportionately high retraction rates, suggesting potential systemic issues within those institutions. A final segment briefly covers the impact of the Trump administration's policies on scientific research in the US, focusing on staff reductions and the cancellation of DEI programs at agencies like the EPA and NASA. The episode highlights the potential for simple design changes to mitigate bias and the challenges in accurately measuring and addressing scientific misconduct.