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cover of episode The vest that can hear your heartbeat

The vest that can hear your heartbeat

2022/3/16
logo of podcast Nature Podcast

Nature Podcast

Shownotes Transcript

00:45 A flexible, wearable, fabric microphone

Inspired by the ear, a team of researchers have developed an acoustic fibre that can be woven into fabrics to create a sensitive microphone. This fabric microphone is capable of detecting human speech and heartbeats, and the team think it could be used to develop new, wearable sensors for long-term health monitoring.

*Research article: *Yan et al.)

*News and Views: *A smart sensor that can be woven into everyday life)

08:38 Research Highlights

How a shark’s posture lets you know if it’s asleep, and the desert dust that helps cirrus clouds form.

*Research Highlight: *The secrets of shark sleep)

*Research Highlight: *Wispy clouds are born of dust in the wind)

11:31 How AI helped Togo target financial aid

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Togo needed to distribute financial aid to citizens most in need of assistance. As running a nationwide survey to find out people’s financial situations was impossible, they turned to machine learning to discover how best to distribute aid.

*Research article: *Aiken et al.)

19:02 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. Using machine learning to find meteorite fragments in a desert, and using radiocarbon dating to detect forged paintings.

*Physics World: *‘Huge leap’ as scientists report first drone-assisted space rock recovery after observed meteorite fall)

*Nature: *Police rely on radiocarbon dating to identify forged paintings)

Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy) for more information.