University of Otago

Telemedicine is heading in this direction, with control centres that receive large amounts of information and computer systems that detect and analyse irregularities The Instrumentation, Sensors and Interfaces (ISI) Group has developed an intuitive and cost-effective scale, which, as well as measuring weight, also records the electrical activity of the heart from foot and hand

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon have invented software that promises a significant improvement in English-speaking ability in just 10 hours. The software, Carnegie Speech, is already widely available. Their CEO, Paul Musselman, told us their technology is superior to other programs because it can actually identify speech problems and tailor the program to the customer. Musselman

What we can learn about cities from social network chatter Data from social networks can reveal some very interesting things. One technologist, Dave Troy, has started to draw upon that large swath of data to compare cities’ diversity and gain a better understanding of what’s important to its denizens. At a recent TED speaking engagement,

Real Steel or Dumb Metal?   Right from the start let’s agree that the argument of humans or robots is getting close to being a dead heat in some areas. With advances in artificial intelligence and complex software, many robots are close to performing some duties better than their human counterparts. For example, NASA and

Tiny capsules with different substances on their surface could be useful in medicine and materials technology Hollow capsules that have a selectively permeable shell are promising candidates as tiny containers for molecules, particles or bubbles, and are becoming increasingly important in a wide variety of applications. But making these kinds of capsules with more than

Everyone knows that when certain bacteria are present in an environment, they can cause infections. These infections can take the form of diseases such as bubonic plague, cholera, leprosy, and tuberculosis. The problem isn’t simply that the bacteria are present, however, it’s that they communicate with one another – essentially coming up with a battle

It is probably wise to take Thiel’s idea of an end to aging (or at least its radical postponement) seriously. It does not seem that long ago that the Beatles could plausibly portray geriatric redundancy as beginning at an age sometimes referred to as young these days. “Will you still need me,” they asked, “Will

Breathing dirty air can make you sick. But according to new research, it can also make you more aggressive. That’s the conclusion from a set of studies recently authored by Colorado State University researchers in economics, atmospheric science and statistics. Together, the team found strong links between short-term exposure to air pollution and aggressive behavior,

One of the outstanding issues of modern medicine is to combat pain effectively. Jose Vicente Torres Pérez, a Spanish researcher who works at Imperial College in London, set out to curb the suffering of people with serious burns. Torres found that blocking a new genetic marker can reduce the neural activation caused by painful stimuli.

  We wrote recently about how the rise of mobile phones with built-in cameras has led to an irresistible urge to record our experiences everywhere with a digital picture. But what happens when those experiences include works of art, which may still be under copyright? That’s the interesting question an article in Art News explores: We’re in an