Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Friday 21 June 2019
Lost wallet? More cash means you're likelier to get it back

By MALCOLM RITTER lice stations or other public The study measured how
NEW YORK (AP) — People offices. The key question employees act when pre-
are more likely to return was whether the employee sented with a wallet at
a lost wallet if it contains receiving each case would their workplaces. But would
money — and the more contact its supposed own- those same people act dif-
cash, the better. er, whose name and email ferently if they found a wal-
That's the surprising conclu- address were displayed let on a sidewalk?
sion from researchers who on three identical business "We don't know," said Mi-
planted more than 17,000 cards within. chel Marechal, an author
"lost wallets" across 355 cit- The business cards were from the University of Zur-
ies in 40 countries, and kept crafted to make the sup- ich. But he said other analy-
track of how often some- posed owner appear to ses suggest the new results
body contacted the sup- be a local person, as was reflect people's overall de-
posed owners. a grocery list that was also gree of honesty.
The presence of money — enclosed. Some cases also Shaul Shalvi of the University
the equivalent of about contained a key, and they of Amsterdam, who wrote
$13 in local currency — were more likely to get a a commentary that ac-
boosted this response rate response than cases with- companied the study, told
to about 51%, versus 40% for This undated photo provided by researchers in June 2019 shows out a key. That led the re- The Associated Press that
an example of the contents of a transparent wallet used in an
wallets with no cash. That experiment to test how likely people are to return a lost wallet. searchers to conclude that he suspected the study
trend showed up in virtually Associated Press concern for others was does shed light on how
every nation, although the playing a role, since — un- people would act with a
actual numbers varied. to seeing themselves as a the researchers did in the like money — a key is valu- wallet found on the street.
Researchers raised the thief," said Alain Cohn of U.S., the U.K. and Poland, able to its owner but not a He said the results "support
stakes in the U.S., the United the University of Michigan, he told reporters. stranger. the idea that people care
Kingdom and Poland. The one author who reported The wallets in the study The effect of enclosed mon- about others as well as car-
response jumped to 72% the results Thursday in the were actually transparent ey appeared in 38 of the 40 ing about being honest."
for wallets containing the journal Science. business card cases, cho- countries, with Mexico and Robert Feldman, psychol-
equivalent of about $94, Another author, Christian sen so that people could Peru the exceptions. Na- ogy professor at the Uni-
versus 61% for those con- Zuend of the University of see any money inside with- tions varied widely in how versity of Massachusetts
taining $13. If no money Zurich, said "it suddenly out opening them. A team often the wallet's "owner" Amherst who didn't par-
was enclosed, the rate was feels like stealing" when of 13 research assistants was contacted. In Switzer- ticipate in the work, said he
46%. there's money in the wallet. posed as people who had land the rate was 74% for suspected the experiment
How can this be? "And it feels even more like just found the cases and wallets without money and might have turned out dif-
"The evidence suggests stealing when the money turned them in at banks, 79% with it, while in China ferently if involved "every-
that people tend to care in the wallet increases," he theaters, museums or oth- the rates were 7% and 22%. day people" rather than
about the welfare of others, added. That idea was sup- er cultural establishments, The U.S. figures were 39% employees acting in an of-
and they have an aversion ported by the results of polls post offices, hotels and po- and 57%. ficial capacity.q

The return of the wolf: Wild

cubs born in the Netherlands

By MIKE CORDER a growth in numbers in pairs and 3 lone wolves in
THE HAGUE, Netherlands neighboring Germany. the country last year.
(AP) — Wolves are offi- "It's fantastic news," said While wolves still have a
cially back in the Nether- Michiel van der Weide, a novelty value in the Nether-
lands, two centuries after wolf expert for nature pro- lands, they have become
the animals were hunted tection organization Natu- a source of political fric-
to extinction in the coun- urmonumenten. He said tion across the border. The
try, after a pair produced wolf watchers in the Neth- far-right opposition Alter-
a litter in the wild — news erlands had been awaiting native for Germany party
welcomed Thursday by the arrival of the first litter has accused the govern-
conservationists. of pups following recent ment of failing to defend
The province of Gelder- sightings of wolves in the the interests of farmers.Last
In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 photo a grey wolf walks in its
enclosure in the wildlife park 'Wisentgehege Springe' (wisent land posted a video online country. month, Germany's Cabinet
enclosure Springe) in Springe, central Germany. this week showing three Van der Weide said that agreed on a bill that will
Associated Press young wolves in a forest the animals pose virtually allow wolves to be killed
clearing, though the prov- no risk to humans. Local even if it's unclear which
ince said in a statement authorities are working with member of a pack was re-
there could be up to five farmers to protect livestock sponsible for the killing of a
pups. The province did not such as sheep and goats farm animal.
reveal the exact location from wolves. Germany's agriculture min-
of the footage, saying it DNA tests established that ister had also wanted the
does not want people to the wolves originally come option of shooting wolves
disturb the animals. from eastern Germany, he as a precautionary mea-
The return of wolves to this said. sure, a move the Environ-
densely populated nation According to official Ger- ment Ministry opposed.
on the western edge of man figures, there were 75 Parliament can amend the
continental Europe follows wolf packs, 30 breeding bill before it is passed.q