How About a Tattoo That Tells You Your Vitals?
That’s what new smart inks developed to detect dehydration or blood sugar levels could provide. Researchers from Harvard and MIT have developed two inks that change color depending on body chemistry. One turns from green to brown as glucose levels rise, while another gets more green (sadly only under blue light) in the presence of increasing sodium concentration (which is a proxy for dehydration). The team, which presented its research at the International Symposium on Wearable Computers earlier this month, has shown that tattoos drawn on pig skin using the inks work as they describe. It also suggests that in the future the tattoos could be used to provide wearable displays on human skin.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.
“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.
What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines
New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.
Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats
With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure
Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation
From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.