These surprising horror films are the scariest ever according to science

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

These are the scariest horror films of all time – but which one came out on top? (Picture: SHUDDER/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)Research has revealed the scariest horror films ever made – and the results might surprise you.
From buckets of gore to jump scares and tension so high you could cut the atmosphere with a knife, every horror fan has an opinion on the right recipe to scare.
Whether the classic monster movies gave you nightmares or the modern rise in psychological horror makes you glance out of the corner of your eye, a new study has determined the title that comes out on top just in time for Halloween.
Money Super Market has conducted the Science of Scare study since 2020, tracking the heart rates of volunteers subjected to hundreds of hours of horror films.
According to the study, Scott Derrickson’s 2012 supernatural horror, Sinister, is the scariest movie ever made.
And not for the first time, as the chilling tale of Bughuul has topped numerous studies and lists crowning it the most terrifying movie of the year.

Sinister has been dubbed the scariest horror film of all time (Picture: Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Lockdown horror Host came in at number two (Picture: SHUDDER/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)The film follows true crime writer Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) who discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the death of an entire family and moves into their home to solve the mystery.
In this new research, the audience experienced a 34% uplift in heart rate when watching the movie, from a resting rate of 64 BPM up to 86 BPM (beats per minute) on average during the movie.
Sinister’s most scary moments sent hearts racing to a whopping 131 BPM, with the film scoring an overall ‘Science of Scare score’ of 62, measured by combining the average BPM increase with HRV (heart rate variance) decrease.
Second place was Zoom-based horror Host at 95, and divisive ‘lo-fi horror’ Skinamarink in third place.
Directed by Kyle Edward Ball in their feature debut,  Skinamarink impacted audiences’ HRV more than any other movie on the list at 22%, causing the most stress and dread among viewers.

Divisive horror film Skinamarink took third place (Picture: IFC Films/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

But it wasn’t the only divisive title on the list (Picture: ScreenGem/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)However, a common criticism among those who disliked the film was that they did not find it scary at all – a stark contrast to those who dubbed it the most terrifying film of 2022.
It has 73% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but only 40% from audiences with more than 100 verified ratings.
The audience consensus reads: ‘For some, it might be scary, but for a lot of viewers, Skinamarink is just frighteningly dull.’
The top 10 boasts a lot more modern titles than many may expect, with classic films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Exorcist just breaking the top 50.
Host was released in 2020, terrifying audiences with director Rob Savage’s unique utilisation of Zoom to tell the terrifying haunted house story.
Completing the top 10 were Insidious, The Conjuring, Hereditary, Smile, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hell House LLC, and Talk to Me. 

[embedded content]
Similarly to Skinamarink, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, released in 2005, drove a wedge between audiences and critics who had wildly different opinions of the film.
On Rotten Tomatoes, critics panned the movie giving it a score of just 45%, while audiences favoured it slightly more with the 2005 film sitting at 60%.
More Trending

Read More StoriesCritics thought: ‘Loosely based on a true story, The Exorcism of Emily Rose mixes compelling courtroom drama with generally gore-free scares in a ho-hum take on demonic cinema.’
According to the study, the scariest film of 2024 was  Oddity, Damian McCarthy’s latest offering which debuted at an impressive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stopmotion, the feature-length debut from British director Robert Morgan and record-breaking splatter film Terrifier 3 also cracked the list – but didn’t make the top 20.
Other new films making it into the top 50 included Sydney Sweeney’s nun-horror Immaculate, Nicholas Cage’s smash hit demonic thriller Longlegs, The Omen prequel The First Omen, and found footage flick Late Night with the Devil.

The scariest horror films ever made, according to the Science of Scare Project

Sinister
Host
Skinamarink
Insidious
The Conjuring
Hereditary
Smile
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Talk To Me
Hell House LLC
The Conjuring 2
It Follows
The Dark and The Wicked
The Descent
Paranormal Activity
The Babadook
A Quiet Place Part 2
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Insidious 2
Oddity
The Ring
Terrifier 2
Terrifier 3
Stopmotion
A Quiet Place
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Barbarian
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Halloween (1978)
Insidious: The Red Door
Hush
The Nun 2
The Exorcist
The Visit
IT (2017)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The Blair Witch Project
Paranormal Activity 2
Evil Dead Rise
Immaculate
Light’s Out
Longlegs
Saw X
28 Days Later
The Grudge
Oculus
The First Omen
Ouija: Origin Of Evil
Late Night With The Devil
Scream

Got a story?
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These surprising horror films are the scariest ever according to science

Science and Health

These are the scariest horror films of all time – but which one came out on top? (Picture: SHUDDER/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)Research has revealed the scariest horror films ever made – and the results might surprise you.
From buckets of gore to jump scares and tension so high you could cut the atmosphere with a knife, every horror fan has an opinion on the right recipe to scare.
Whether the classic monster movies gave you nightmares or the modern rise in psychological horror makes you glance out of the corner of your eye, a new study has determined the title that comes out on top just in time for Halloween.
Money Super Market has conducted the Science of Scare study since 2020, tracking the heart rates of volunteers subjected to hundreds of hours of horror films.
According to the study, Scott Derrickson’s 2012 supernatural horror, Sinister, is the scariest movie ever made.
And not for the first time, as the chilling tale of Bughuul has topped numerous studies and lists crowning it the most terrifying movie of the year.

Sinister has been dubbed the scariest horror film of all time (Picture: Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Lockdown horror Host came in at number two (Picture: SHUDDER/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)The film follows true crime writer Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) who discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the death of an entire family and moves into their home to solve the mystery.
In this new research, the audience experienced a 34% uplift in heart rate when watching the movie, from a resting rate of 64 BPM up to 86 BPM (beats per minute) on average during the movie.
Sinister’s most scary moments sent hearts racing to a whopping 131 BPM, with the film scoring an overall ‘Science of Scare score’ of 62, measured by combining the average BPM increase with HRV (heart rate variance) decrease.
Second place was Zoom-based horror Host at 95, and divisive ‘lo-fi horror’ Skinamarink in third place.
Directed by Kyle Edward Ball in their feature debut,  Skinamarink impacted audiences’ HRV more than any other movie on the list at 22%, causing the most stress and dread among viewers.

Divisive horror film Skinamarink took third place (Picture: IFC Films/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

But it wasn’t the only divisive title on the list (Picture: ScreenGem/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)However, a common criticism among those who disliked the film was that they did not find it scary at all – a stark contrast to those who dubbed it the most terrifying film of 2022.
It has 73% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but only 40% from audiences with more than 100 verified ratings.
The audience consensus reads: ‘For some, it might be scary, but for a lot of viewers, Skinamarink is just frighteningly dull.’
The top 10 boasts a lot more modern titles than many may expect, with classic films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Exorcist just breaking the top 50.
Host was released in 2020, terrifying audiences with director Rob Savage’s unique utilisation of Zoom to tell the terrifying haunted house story.
Completing the top 10 were Insidious, The Conjuring, Hereditary, Smile, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hell House LLC, and Talk to Me. 

[embedded content]
Similarly to Skinamarink, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, released in 2005, drove a wedge between audiences and critics who had wildly different opinions of the film.
On Rotten Tomatoes, critics panned the movie giving it a score of just 45%, while audiences favoured it slightly more with the 2005 film sitting at 60%.
More Trending

Read More StoriesCritics thought: ‘Loosely based on a true story, The Exorcism of Emily Rose mixes compelling courtroom drama with generally gore-free scares in a ho-hum take on demonic cinema.’
According to the study, the scariest film of 2024 was  Oddity, Damian McCarthy’s latest offering which debuted at an impressive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stopmotion, the feature-length debut from British director Robert Morgan and record-breaking splatter film Terrifier 3 also cracked the list – but didn’t make the top 20.
Other new films making it into the top 50 included Sydney Sweeney’s nun-horror Immaculate, Nicholas Cage’s smash hit demonic thriller Longlegs, The Omen prequel The First Omen, and found footage flick Late Night with the Devil.

The scariest horror films ever made, according to the Science of Scare Project

Sinister
Host
Skinamarink
Insidious
The Conjuring
Hereditary
Smile
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Talk To Me
Hell House LLC
The Conjuring 2
It Follows
The Dark and The Wicked
The Descent
Paranormal Activity
The Babadook
A Quiet Place Part 2
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Insidious 2
Oddity
The Ring
Terrifier 2
Terrifier 3
Stopmotion
A Quiet Place
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Barbarian
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Halloween (1978)
Insidious: The Red Door
Hush
The Nun 2
The Exorcist
The Visit
IT (2017)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The Blair Witch Project
Paranormal Activity 2
Evil Dead Rise
Immaculate
Light’s Out
Longlegs
Saw X
28 Days Later
The Grudge
Oculus
The First Omen
Ouija: Origin Of Evil
Late Night With The Devil
Scream

Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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‘We filmed one of the most iconic 90s horror movies for $35,000 – but this would have ruined it’

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The Blair Witch Project is one of the most important horror films ever made – and one key scene was almost entirely different (Pictures: Shutterstock)The Blair Witch Project traumatised audiences upon its release in 1999 and it has continued to haunt horror fans for 25 years.
The supernatural mockumentary followed student filmmakers – Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard – who played fictional versions of themselves, as they embarked on a camping trip into the Maryland woods to investigate the local legend of the Blair Witch.
The students disappear, and their story is told via tapes ‘discovered’ with their equipment a year later.
The found footage style of the film coupled with a ground-breaking marketing campaign helped cement the realism of Blair Witch and terrify audiences in the process.
The film culminates in an abrupt yet haunting final scene in which Heather and Mike find an abandoned house, believing Joshua, who had been missing, is calling to them.
After becoming separated, Heather finds Mike in the basement of the house staring into the corner before she is attacked by an unseen force, dropping her camera to the floor which lingers on Mike before cutting to black.

[embedded content]

The found footage horror film was released in 1999 starring Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C Williams (Picture: Moviestore/Shutterstock)

The trio played fictional versions of themselves with the same names as they created a mockumentary about the fabled Blair Witch (Picture: Moviestore/Shutterstock)It is one of the most sinister images in horror cinema despite the film reportedly being created on a budget of just $35,000 (£27,000) – but directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez believe if they had had more money, they would have ‘ruined’ their own film.
‘The whole movie was based on making something for cheap,’ Eduardo told Metro.
‘We were film students and we knew how expensive movies were, So we were like, “How do you make a horror movie – or any movie – for cheap?” and we came up with the idea we could do cheap because it didn’t have to be crazy lighting, sound, or anything like that.’
He reflected: ‘I think the limits of the budget were actually the strength of the movie. Dan and I have both said a million times if we had more money, we would have probably had some kind of crazy creature at the end of the movie attacking them and in the cellar, or something in that basement, and we would have ruined our own movie.
‘We struggled with that ending and we asked ourselves at the time “How are we going to end this movie?” And I always tell people, man, if we had an extra 20 or 30,000 bucks, we would have hired somebody to make some stupid suit.’
Daniel joked that had they had more money, there ‘definitely would have been an alien in there somewhere.’

[embedded content]

Directors Eduardo Sanchez (left) and Daniel Myrick (second right) struggled to end the film (Picture: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)‘The budget was just perfect looking back on it. It was a struggle because we were dirt poor, but it was very fortunate that we didn’t have more money because we would have probably ruined the movie,’ Eduardo continued.
While studying at the University of Central Florida, Daniel and Eduardo were inspired to create the film after they realised their fear of paranormal documentaries outweighed that of traditional horror films.
After putting together a 35-page screenplay with the idea much of the dialogue would be improvised, they found their cast following open auditions and began shooting The Blair Witch Project in Maryland over eight days.
‘There were moments in the production when things got really difficult,’ Daniel shared.
‘We got rained out one night and the actors kind of needed to be rescued because it became too much.
‘The whole shoot was like a 24/7 ongoing role-play game through the woods, so it was hard to keep track of where all the pieces (of the film) were.

The disturbing and unconventional ending of the horror film became iconic (Picture: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

The actors in The Blair Witch Project filmed much of the footage themselves (Picture: Getty Images)

The found footage style is what the directors credit as part of the film’s success (Picture: Getty Images)‘We were reviewing footage from the actors a day or two after they shot it. We were doing everything we could just to keep up because it was moving so fast.’
He said that two days before they were scheduled to begin filming, they still didn’t know how they were going to end the movie.
‘We did all this build-up and had great scary moments. The film had to look and feel real, so we asked ourselves “How do you create that payoff at the end of the movie?” So it was a real dilemma for us,’ Daniel continued.
While it ‘threatened to derail’ the entire production, Eduardo and Daniel came up with the iconic final scenes right at the last moment.
Daniel said: ‘We had no real idea if any of what we were attempting was going to work. We knew that we were getting some good moments and stuff like that, but how that was all going to plug in, we just didn’t know.
‘Part of the beauty of it is that the low budget forced us to do creative things like Ben Rock (production designer) came up with the iconic stickman form. We had a version of the stick man who was more like a thatched-like big scarecrow, but we had to simplify that idea because of the budget.

The signature stickman in the film was created to cut down costs (Picture: William Thomas Cain)

The directors came up with the film’s ending at the last minute – much to the relief of the cast and crew (Picture: Moviestore/Shutterstock)‘Ben came up with this great little hanging rune that ended up being one of the most iconic things in the movie. Somehow it all just worked out.’
After horrifying audiences at its Sundance Film Festival premiere and causing people to vomit during cinema screenings, The Blair Witch Project was released on home video.
But the version we have watched from the comfort of our sofas ever since was not how the directors intended the film to be seen thanks to a transfer blunder.
‘We shot the movie on video and 16-millimetre film, and we had that film transferred to video so we could edit. So then when we went to Sundance [Film Festival] and when we released the movie, they took our video master,’ Eduardo said.
‘They transferred it to film because there was no digital distribution back then, so that was the version you saw in theatres. It’s a video transfer.
‘But then when they released the film on video, instead of going back to our master film, they just released the negative that they had used for theatres. So that original transfer and edit that we had has never seen the light of day.’

A new remaster of The Blair Witch Project from Second Sight Films is the first of its kind (Picture: Moviestore/Shutterstock)

Eduardo said the original transfer and edit they created ‘ has never seen the light of day’ (Picture: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Daniel believes the film’s low budget is part of ‘its beauty’ (Picture: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)Second Sight Films acquired the original sources to release The Blair Witch Project how Eduardo and Daniel had always wanted, alongside a limited edition box set including bonus content such as a documentary directed by Jed Shepherd.
‘We’ve been trying to do this for a long time. Every special anniversary we’d contact Alliance a year and a half before, but they weren’t listening to us, unfortunately,’ Eduardo told us.
‘Then Second Sight reached out to us earlier last year. We were big fans of their earlier releases – they’re serious film enthusiasts and historians – so we knew that it was going to be done right.
‘We helped as much as we could and guided them to all this making of footage that had never been really shown.
‘The movie had never really been released in the original format that we shot it in, and they geeked out with us and created the definitive release of the movie we always wanted.’

Following its release, The Blair Witch Project became one of the most profitable indie horror films of all time (Picture: Artisan Pics/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

Fans still flock to Black Hills Forest in Burkittsville, MD, where The Blair Witch Project was filmed (Picture: GEORGE BRIDGES/AFP via Getty Images)The Blair Witch Project grossed nearly $250m (£191.5m) worldwide, becoming one of the most successful independent films of all time.
Two sequels followed as well as novels, comic books, and video games while the film inspired several found footage horror films released in the decades that followed including the Paranormal Activity franchise.
And Eduardo and Daniel believe the simple style of the film and its relatability even 25 years later have contributed to its continuing success.
‘I still think the film works on a primal level,’ Daniel explained. ‘I remember my son seeing it for the first time when he was about 15, and he really liked it. He wasn’t just saying it – he and his friends responded to the film. And that tells you that it’s still working on some fundamental level.
‘Not all films stand the test of time, even some of the classics show their age over time, but because Blair Witch and found footage films are so simple, in a lot of ways, it’s a modern movie because it is that first-person perspective that so many young people today are used to and are used to seeing on YouTube.

The viral marketing campaign – the first of its kind – helped the film’s buzz (Picture: William Thomas Cain (Credits: Getty Images)

A number of sequels, video games, and other adaptations followed the 1999 movie (Picture: Artisan Pics/Kobal/Shutterstock)‘It’s a small independent movie that speaks to a modern aesthetic. If you’ve got a good idea, you can go out with an iPhone and get a million followers, and that’s something the kids today respond to.’
Earlier this year, horror institution Blumhouse announced they would be rebooting The Blair Witch Project with Saw director James Wan attached.
The news prompted a mixed reaction among fans while original cast member Leonard blasted the franchise and demanded ‘retroactive and future residual payments’ for their involvement as well as ‘meaningful consultation’ on any reboots and sequels.
Eduardo said it ‘would have been cool to have been part’ of the reboot and shared the full Blair Witch universe plans he and Daniel have.
‘It’s cool that this movie is still being thought of for a sequel or a reboot or whatever,’ he said.

A reboot is in the world which Eduardo and Daniel said they would love to be a part of(Picture: The Legacy Collection/THA/Shutterstock)

Acclaimed horror director James Wan is said to be attached to the Blumhouse reboot (Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)‘It would have been cool to have been part of it. Not that we expect to write or direct it or anything like that, but we are the guys that came up with it and we’ve been living in the Blair world for 25 years now.
More Trending

Read More Stories‘It sucks, but it’s normal. With any reboot movies, they rarely go back to the original filmmakers. I understand that, but it would have been cool because we do have a lot of ideas that I think we could add.
‘I’m not sure if they’re going to reach out to us and include us in this version, but we would love to be a part of it. We’d love to revisit that world. We had a plan for a whole series of Blair Witch movies and TV shows, but unfortunately, they haven’t come to us for guidance.
‘But it’s Blumhouse and they’ve got James Wan so I think they’re gonna do something cool. So, you know, we’ll see what happens.’
The Blair Witch Project UK Limited Edition and Standard Blu-ray is available to pre-order now from Second Sight Films. It is released on Monday, November 11.
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MORE : These surprising horror films are the scariest ever according to science

GALLERY | Monsters and Mad Scientists at the Georgia Southern Museum

Science and Health

The Georgia Southern Museum is hosting a spook-tacular series of kid-friendly events this week as part of their Monsters and Mad Scientists Halloween theme. 

On Tuesday, kids of all ages enjoyed making slime and exploring spooky science supplies as part of the Mad Scientist Demonstration and Spooky Slime Lab! 

Museum staff were decked out in zombie and mad scientist gear, and they supplied each participant with a kid-sized lab coat to wear while they were in the slime lab. Everyone got to pick their slime color, then mix the sticky goo by hand until satisfied. There were also Halloween themed slime mix-ins! 

Griffin enjoyed making his slime at the Monsters and Mad Scientists event at the Georgia Southern Museum. Photo by Jordan Wilburn

Kids also got the chance to play with spooky science equipment including a glass apparatus that boils water using the warmth of your hand, a plasma ball, a speaker that made spooky sounds as you got closer to it, and even jars filled with liquid and various “organs!” 

Monsters and Mad Scientists week at the Georgia Southern Museum October 2024. Photo by Jordan Wilburn

The museum’s best-loved exhibits were part of the festivities as well – spiderwebs, spooky signage related to the exhibits (even a terrifying true story about a horse and veterinarian!), and the megalodon jaws were all fit for a haunted house experience! 

What came first – The Cyclops or the Skull? Photo by Jordan Wilburn

Make time to bring your little ghouls this week…if you dare! For full event details, click here. 

The business of hate

Business News

Dr. Stephen Soloway sits in a book-lined office in front of a screen, taping yet another interview with grassroots right-wing media.This time, the host is a Rumble producer from Hackensack. Soloway, as he does in so many of his appearances, mixes self-promotion with red meat conservative politics.The Vineland rheumatologist hawks the two books he has authored. And the self-described “Miracle MD” insists Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election. The Memorial Day weekend show plays video clips that straddle those two worlds.In one, Trump gives Soloway a public shoutout, describing him as “a tremendous doctor” and “my friend for years” during a 2023 event at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster.“No one loves you more than I do,” Soloway calls out off-camera in response.In the other clip, Soloway keynotes an America First Republicans of New Jersey gathering in Bergen County, where he stands before a large American flag and rails against immigrants he claims are bringing violence and disease over the border.“Everyone coming from the south is coming here to become a terror cell, to become a burden on society, to become a criminal,” Soloway tells his audience. “Like Trump says, ‘What are they doing?’ They’re letting out the insane asylum. They’re dumping them here. And now, we have to walk around carrying a gun or something, just to feel safe.”Among New Jersey political insiders, Soloway is hardly a household name. His inflammatory rhetoric falls well outside the moderate GOP messaging that has long dominated the party in New Jersey.But he is among a professional class of influential right-wing activists who have emerged here, remaking themselves as fearmongers to raise money, galvanize a grassroots base and promote themselves — all while promising to transform a deep blue state in their crimson red image.They are selling outrage and scapegoating, targeting immigrants, the LBGTQ+ community and other vulnerable groups at a time when anger and conspiracy always have an audience. And they are trading on Trump’s name — and sometimes, his direct endorsement — to show bona fides.Their efforts have seen mixed success: Some have raised just enough to pay the rent, while others have taken in hundreds of thousands of dollars and elevated their own status by trumpeting far-right grievances.Soloway’s deep pockets have earned him a platform as “Trump’s doctor” after he donated more than $1 million over the years to the former president’s campaign and Republican causes, according to federal and state campaign finance disclosures. He now uses his pulpit to verbally attack migrants and the transgender community in his books and speeches for ultraconservatives groups such as the America First Republicans.Cynthia Hughes has remade herself into a symbol of far-right patriotism — and a Trump cause célèbre — by raising millions for her nonprofit, Patriot Freedom Project, to aid defendants charged in the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Brick woman has worked to recast the alleged Jan. 6 rioters as political prisoners and likened their prosecution to institutional persecution.On the other end of the spectrum, Gregory Quinlan is a vocal presence in the conservative parents rights movement, one of many amplifying claims that schools have become dark and dangerous places. The pastor, founder of the nonprofit Center for Garden State Families, has done it despite operating on a shoestring budget.All told, millions of dollars are flowing into New Jersey to support right-wing extremist causes, suspects Michael Gottesman, the founder of the New Jersey Public Education Coalition, a group that seeks to counter extremism in schools. But a patchwork of federal and state political committees and nonprofit advocacy groups complicates watchdog efforts, he says.“Everyone wants to follow the money, and it’s just very, very difficult to do,” Gottesman said.Nonprofits do not have to disclose their contributors and offer few details about their financial picture beyond yearly tax filings. Many other organizations got their start as Facebook groups, overseen by volunteers raising funds through donations or T-shirt purchases.But that small scale could have its benefits as they set out to create a movement, according to Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University.“If it’s not a super-organized effort, if it’s not a super-methodical effort, if it’s still a collection of individuals who are toiling away and doing their thing, then it’s probably not a really expensive thing either,” said Rasmussen, who hesitates to call the far right well-financed in New Jersey, despite pockets of money that some have tapped into.But these activists are operating with a mixture of grandiosity, self-dealing and real-world success, a reflection of Trump’s own norm-breaking political career. They have risen in the far-right realm despite their own personal problems, ranging from bounced checks and bankruptcies to a sexual harassment lawsuit, casting themselves as God-and-country folk who have found a calling. And they insist they will prove the doubters wrong once again in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 900,000 registered voters.“Everyone wants to follow the money, and it’s just very, very difficult to do.”Michael Gottesman, New Jersey Public Education CoalitionTake Hughes, who was so pressed for money in 2018 that she and her husband sued their credit agencies, claiming financial hardship, according to court records. Or Soloway, who was sued last year by a former nurse in his practice, alleging he sexually harassed her, crudely bragged about sleeping with other employees and routinely referred to women who worked for him as “bitches.”Their voices are being heard not only online but at sometimes packed and sometimes sparsely attended political rallies from Paramus to Keyport to Shamong. They’re also amplifying their messaging through crowdsourcing fundraisers and merchandise sales — including Trump memorabilia tables and Trump painting auctions at events.The far right is making progress at the grassroots level, experts say, especially on school boards across the state, where clashes over sex education and LGBTQ+-themed library books are now common.Gottesman fears the rhetoric will only get worse amid a superheated presidential election. Its vitriol is echoing at the local level, where he has heard right-wing advocates denounce transgender people as “sick,” “mentally unstable” and “sinners against God.”“And it’s like they say it with impunity, because, unfortunately, we’re in a society now where we’re modeling politicians who have no problem saying that,” Gottesman said. “There’s no such thing as political incorrectness anymore.”In some cases, political incorrectness is paying off handsomely.Keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Soloway addressing the audience at an America First Republicans of New Jersey event in Shamong in March 2024. 

Do you find Nevada’s ballot questions difficult to read? They are, according to science.

Science and Health

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to vote, but Nevada’s ballot questions might make you feel like you need to be one in order to understand them.
A new analysis by Ballotpedia of the 159 ballot measures to be decided by voters across 41 states this November found that Nevada’s questions on average require a higher reading level than ballot questions in all but one other state.
Ballotpedia analyzed readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Flesch Reading Ease formulas, which assess readability using the number of syllables, words and sentences. The measures do not analyze the complexity of any idea being presented to voters, but do offer some insight into how easily comprehensible the idea might be to voters, particularly low-information ones.
The national average FKGL score for ballot questions was 16, which correlates with 16 years of schooling (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree). Scores ranged from grade level 7 in New Hampshire to grade level 28 in Alabama.
Nevada’s seven ballot measures averaged to a whopping score of 25. Only one state, Alabama, scored higher, with a grade level 28. A second state, New Mexico, tied with Nevada at 25.
All but one of the ballot questions in front of Silver State voters this year scored above the national average. But the state’s overall score was driven up primarily by two ballot measures — Question 1 and Question 3. Both had readability scores among the most inaccessible in the nation.
Question 1, which would remove the Board of Regents from the state constitution, scored 36, suggesting it takes at least three dozen years of schooling to comprehend. Supporters of the 69-word ballot question have acknowledged that an inability to easily understand what the question is asking may lead to its failure as voters default to a “no” or skip the question altogether.
A similar ballot measure to remove the regents from the constitution narrowly failed in 2020. That question was considered to be written at a grade level 39. For comparison, the ballot measure requiring the highest level of reading in the entire United States was Maine Question 2, which had a score of 42.
Drafters of Nevada’s Question 1 say they attempted to simplify the language but could only do so much.
Ballot questions are typically written by attorneys and must use the same language used in existing state law or the constitution. Ballot questions stemming from an initiative petition are often challenged in court by opponents, and their language can sometimes be altered by the court as part of that process..
Nevada’s Question 3, which would establish an open primary/ranked choice voting system for most statewide races, is written at a grade level 32. Voters were apparently not turned away by the readability in 2022 when the question first appeared before them. Nevadans approved the measure, which must be approved a second time because it changes the state constitution.
Question 6, which would enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution, came in at a 29 grade level.
On the easier end, Question 5, which would exempt diapers from sales tax, is written at a grade level 15. It was the only Nevada question to score below the national average of 16. (Florida, meanwhile, earned the distinction of having the easiest to read ballot question. Florida Amendment 2’s title is simply “right to fish and hunt” and considered a grade level -2, the lowest score Ballotpedia has recorded in the seven years of analyzing readability. Its summary, which fully explains the proposal, was scored at grade level 14.)
Nevada’s Question 2, which removes antiquated references for people with disabilities from the state constitution, scored 18. Question 4, which removes slavery and indentured servitude from the state constitution, scored slightly worse at 20.
Question 7, which would establish a voter id requirement and require voters to print additional personal information on their mail ballot, scored 23.
Nevadans have the opportunity to weigh in on seven ballot measures this year. Only five states have more questions on their ballots — Colorado (14 questions), Arizona (13), California (11), New Mexico (8), and Missouri (8).
The Nevada Current’s 2024 Voter Guide breaks down all seven ballot measures.

Scientists explain Lake Geneva’s unique carbon footprint

Science and Health

Scientists find reasons for Lake Geneva’s CO2 emissions

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Swiss scientists have unlocked the carbon cycle of Lake Geneva, explaining why it releases CO2 despite containing little organic matter.

This content was published on

October 31, 2024 – 10:42

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Traditional scientific theories previously attributed CO2 emissions from lakes to the massive input of organic material from the surrounding soils into the lake, as the University of Lausanne (UNIL) wrote in a press release on Wednesday.

This material from plant and animal residues in the soil is washed into the water by rainfall. As soon as it reaches the lakes, it is decomposed by the microorganisms living there. This produces CO2.

+ Read why fish species are disappearing from Swiss lakes

Lake Geneva works differently

Although this theory can explain the activities of some lakes, it does not work for Lake Geneva. This is because it receives very little organic material from its shores.

The CO2 balance of Lake Geneva over a year should therefore be neutral: With CO2 production in winter (through the decomposition of organic material and the recirculation of water) and CO2 uptake in summer (through photosynthesis by algae).

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Invasive quagga mussel could profoundly change Swiss lakes

This content was published on

Mar 24, 2022

The invasive quagga mussel, originally from the Black Sea region, is spreading rapidly in Swiss lakes.

Read more: Invasive quagga mussel could profoundly change Swiss lakes

Mechanism deciphered

The reasons why this is not the case in Lake Geneva have now been deciphered by a team of scientists from UNIL in a study published in the journal “Science Advances”: According to the study, a large proportion of the emissions actually come from the natural erosion of the rock on the upper shore of the lake.

This is because the rainwater releases bicarbonate and calcium ions when it hits the rocks, which then enter the lake. In summer, the ions form micro-calcium particles due to the heat and algae growth. This is known as calcite precipitation.

Algae activities are not enough

This chemical reaction releases CO2 and gives the lake its milky blue-green appearance in the warm season. Although the many algae continue to absorb CO2, this is not enough to compensate for the massive production from rock weathering. The additional emissions are therefore the result of a geological process and not just a biological one, as previously assumed.

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Climate change poses risks to Swiss lake ecosystems

This content was published on

Feb 19, 2021

New research shows that climate change risks altering the temperature, ice cover and mixing of many Swiss lakes, especially at medium altitudes.

Read more: Climate change poses risks to Swiss lake ecosystems

“These findings reveal a universal process that applies to several large, emblematic lakes around the world,” said Marie-Elodie Perga, Professor of Limnology at UNIL and co-author of the study, in the press release.

The team used the LéXPLORE experimental platform near Pully VD to observe the processes on a very small scale, model them and convert them into equations. These have now provided the missing piece of the puzzle to the conventional models of the carbon cycle. The new data could also help to properly combat global warming, UNIL wrote.

Translated from French by DeepL/mga

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This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.

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