Anthropometry:
Examining the link between body image and income
Sep 2021, phys.org
I just came here for the "Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource project", or CAESAR. It scans and saves the metrics of people's bodies, their shapes and sizes, in intimate detail. It's used for engineering and design of products and fashion.
But seriously, this is also an interesting example of interdisciplinary work in the science world. It's a collaboration between a data scientist and an econometrician (yeah that's a real word for an economic and financial engineer). And if you need to know, the results of their study show that good-looking people make more money. And that means taller for men, and thinner for women, with a little hip-to-waist ratio in there for good measure. Shocker though.
They figured this out by running the CAESAR through a custom neural net.
via University of Virginia and University of Iowa: Suyong Song et al, Body shape matters: Evidence from machine learning on body shape-income relationship, PLOS ONE (2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254785
The Internet of Bodies:
A network of body monitoring devices using our own tissue as the basis for the internet of bodies
Nov 2021, phys.org
The findings open the way for the interconnection of long-lasting wireless devices as the foundation for the internet of bodies (IoB)."The IoB is a network of wearable, implantable, ingestible and injectable smart objects that allows for in-, on- and off-body communications," says Ahmed Eltawil. "For example, smartwatches, smart shoes, pacemakers and cochlear implants could be interconnected to monitor our biomarkers."It uses harmless tiny electrical signals to transmit data through conductive body tissue. Due to the unique conductance characteristics of each person, the technology could also be used for bioauthentication, just like a fingerprint."Imagine a scenario where simply touching a car steering wheel or the keys on your laptop can continuously authenticate that you are the owner," says Abdulkadir Celik.
And don't forget the Internet of Animals (Nature, 2018).
via King Abdullah University of Science and Technology: Abdulkadir Celik et al, The Internet of Bodies: A Systematic Survey on Propagation Characterization and Channel Modeling, IEEE Internet of Things Journal (2021). DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2021.3098028
And: Energy Efficient Capacitive Body Channel Access Schemes for Internet of Bodies. KAUST Research Repository. doi.org/10.25781/KAUST-0FW2U
Pianists learn to play with robotic third thumb in just one hour
Nov 2021, phys.org
Yes they did.
via Imperial College London: Ali Shafti et al, Playing the piano with a robotic third thumb: assessing constraints of human augmentation, Scientific Reports (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00376-6
And on that note:
Typical olfactory bulbs might not be necessary for smell, case study suggests
Nov 2019, phys.org
"We were struck by the serendipitous observation at MRI of two otherwise healthy young left-handed women, yet with no apparent olfactory bulbs."
These women could smell, but with no olfactory bulbs, which is kind of like seeing without a visual cortex.
From the people who brought you White Smell, the Weizmann Institute: Tali Weiss, Noam Sobel, et al. Human Olfaction without Apparent Olfactory Bulbs. Neuron. 2020 Jan 8;105(1):35-45.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.006.
Bionic eyes: Obsolete tech leaves patients in the dark
Mar 2022, BBC News
This is just the beginning:
Hundreds of people who had retinal implants to improve their sight face an uncertain future as the technology they rely on is now obsolete. But IEEE Spectrum reports that Second Sight actually discontinued its retinal implants - which effectively take the place of photoreceptors in the eye to create a form of artificial vision - in 2019.It says the firm nearly went out of business in 2020 and is now concentrating on a brain device - the Orion - which also provides artificial vision, while providing only limited support to the 350 or so who have the implants.Surgery to implant the device typically takes a few hours and is followed by post-op training to help users interpret the signals from their devices. The system consists of the implant, special glasses with a built-in camera and a video processing unit (VPU) that is attached around the wearer's waist. $150,000 (£110,000) excluding surgery and post-surgery training.His VPU system broke in November 2020. He considered having the device surgically removed but decided to ask other patients and doctors familiar with the system for help, and luckily found spare parts."These are not like off-the-shelf products or services that we can actually own or control. Instead we are dependent on software upgrades, proprietary methods and parts, and the commercial drivers and success or failure of for-profit ventures."
Image source: Space Taters for Fractal Forums - 2017
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