Atopic dermotitis, also known as exma, causes chronic itching. It can be so severe in children that they scratch their itchy skin at night instead of sleeping - leading to stunted growth. To reduce this nocturnal itching a censor has been developed which measures scratches initiated from the arm, wrist, fingers and finger tips. When compared to the invared camera method, the censor performed well, correctly identifying 84 % of scratching movements and 99% of non scratching movements.
A new neural interface lets people type with their mind, and a crafting journey into materials science.
In this episode:
00:45 A brain interface to type out thoughts
Researchers have developed a brain-computer interface that is able to read brain signals from people thinking about handwriting, and translate them into on-screen text. The team hope this technology could be used to help people with paralysis to communicate quicker than before.
Materials scientist Anna Ploszajski joins us to talk about her new book Handmade, which details how her journey into craft helped shape her materials research.
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the genomes of some viruses that contain a very unusual DNA nucleobase, and the smouldering nuclear reactions that remain in the wreckage of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.