Gene editing contributes to enhancing food security through the creation of novel foods. However, public perception of gene-edited (GE) foods is crucial to their acceptance and adoption. This study expanded the knowledge–attitude–practice model and constructed an integrated framework comprising four dimensions: demographic factors, scientific literacy and beliefs, social trust, and perceptions of gene technology, aimed at explaining the public’s attitudes toward GE foods. A questionnaire survey was conducted (N = 649), revealing a positive attitude toward GE foods, with over 80% expressing a certain willingness to pay (WTP) for them. Factors such as income level, subjective knowledge, scientific beliefs, trust in scientists, trust in government, and trust in national technological capabilities and perceived benefits positively correlated with WTP. Conversely, objective knowledge, perceived risks, and perceived ethical concerns were negatively correlated with WTP. The impact of objective knowledge on attitudes toward GE foods demonstrated a significant, nonlinear relationship. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the Chinese public currently exhibits relatively low trust in national technological capabilities, necessitating vigilance against the emergence of conspiracy theories akin to those surrounding genetically modified foods. This research contributes theoretical insights into the public communication of GE foods.

Although economic uncertainty and social media use are recognized as having a significant impact on religiosity, their role in religiosity has yet to be extensively examined in developing countries. This study explored the effects of economic uncertainty and social media use on religiosity in the Chinese context. By analyzing the publicly available data from the Chinese General Social Survey and World Values Survey, the findings showed that economic uncertainty significantly increased people's religious beliefs, while social media use had no significant impact on religious beliefs. Furthermore, social media use did not significantly moderate the relationship between economic uncertainty and religious belief. In contrast, educational level positively moderated the relationship between economic uncertainty and religious belief. These findings differ in part from the results of previous studies, presenting new evidence for theoretical integration in the field and revealing potential group differences in the strength of the relationship between economic uncertainty and religious belief.

Prior research has confirmed that the Dark Tetrad's sadism trait is a contributing factor to Internet trolling. However, little is yet known about how and under what circumstances sadism has an effect. From the perspective of expression styles and individual differences of trolls, the purpose of this study is to explore the potential mediating role of aggressive humor in the link between sadism and Internet trolling, as well as the moderating role of self-concept clarity. A total of 530 Chinese online users' data were collected on the Credamo platform and analyzed using PROCESS for SPSS. Sadistic traits were found to be positively correlated with Internet trolling. Moderated mediation analyses showed that aggressive humor played a mediating role between sadism and Internet trolling. Specifically, sadistic individuals were more likely to have aggressive humor, which further triggered Internet trolling. In addition, self-concept clarity moderated the direct relationship between sadism and Internet trolling. Specifically, higher self-concept clarity increased the association between sadism and Internet trolling. This study enriches our understanding of the mediating and moderating mechanisms linking sadistic traits to Internet trolling, allowing us a glimpse into the minds of Internet trolls and the sadistic motivations behind their behavior.

The inaugural "Mr. Science" Science Communication Conference was held in Suzhou, China on July 9, 2021. It was the largest Chinese conference on science communication study since the start of the 21st century. More than 260 scholars discussed the spirit and culture of science, science communication during the COVID-19 crisis, the public understanding of science, and the