Researchers use smart watches to better understand human activity
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Jan-2026 09:11 ET (12-Jan-2026 14:11 GMT/UTC)
Researchers have long been able to use information from smartwatches to identify physical movement, such as sitting or walking, that wearers are performing in a controlled lab setting. Now, Washington State University researchers have developed a way, using a computer algorithm and a large dataset gathered from smartwatches, to more comprehensively identify what people are doing in everyday settings, such as working, eating, doing hobbies or running errands.
Storm surges or collapsing dams: authentic simulations of water flows are not only important for special effects in disaster movies, but could also help to protect coastal regions. For more realistic simulations of fluid motions, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new method. Along with water, the method also takes into account the interaction with air. The approach is so efficient that calculations of complex wave motions can even be carried out with standard computers.
AI is detecting tumors more often and earlier in the Dutch breast cancer screening program. Those tumors can then be treated at an earlier stage. This has been demonstrated by researchers led by Radboud university medical center in a study published in The Lancet Digital Health. The use of AI could reduce workload and save millions of euros annually.
The landscape of international higher education and science is changing fast amid uneven geopolitics of the transforming global order. Multipolar political economy and expansion of universities and research in China, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa provides a strong basis for national development and collaboration on common problems, paving the way to a shared global future, but this is jeopardized by intense United States pushback against openness and cooperation, affecting science, technology and cross-border mobility.
Relocatable modular buildings (RMBs) represent a sustainable construction method where buildings are assembled and transported easily using prefabricated modules. However, challenges in management and logistics hinder their wider adoption. In a new study, researchers developed an innovative digital twin facility management system tailored specifically for RMBs. This advanced framework integrates cutting-edge technologies to enhance management efficiency throughout the building lifecycle, establishing a foundation for wider digital twin integration in construction.
A research team explores how tea plants absorb, transport, and tolerate fluoride, shedding light on the mechanisms behind fluoride accumulation.
A research team has discovered six previously unknown compounds in roasted Arabica coffee beans that may help regulate blood sugar.