2 November 2019 | New Scientist | 53The back pages Feedback
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[email protected]Relaxed fit Twisteddoodles for New Scientist
“Have you ever asked yourself why
nowadays technology is all around
us and yet our clothes have evolved
so little in the past 20 years?” We
hadn’t, but that is the question
posed by Spanish “life-ready
smart-fashion” firm Sepiia, makers
of the “Ultimate Smart Shirt 3.0”.
Its offering may look like
an ordinary white dress shirt,
but don’t be fooled. Beneath that
plain exterior lies a “multipurpose
garment designed with science to
rock your routine”. Where other
polyester shirts are pretty smart
but not terribly clever, this one is
both, thanks to the “bio-ceramic
nano particles” infused into the
fabric. This liberal dusting of
minerals and catchy branding
promises to reflect harmful UV
radiation away from the wearer,
as well as the dangerous-sounding
“calorific rays” – coincidentally the
name of Feedback’s local pizzeria.
If that isn’t enough, the shirt
is said to be able to moderate the
wearer’s body temperature even
in very cold weather, leading to
“a considerable decrease in calorie
consumption”. Also, the wrinkle-
free fabric doesn’t need ironing: a
much more certain way of reducing
your energy expenditure.
But that isn’t all. The grit-
infused fabric is also said to emit
light in the far infrared part of the
spectrum, which Sepiia claims
has a “stimulating action at a
microcirculatory level”, and thus
boosts circulation, increases
energy levels, reduces tiredness
and defuses stress.
It certainly defuses scepticism:
Sepiia has raised over £50,000 on
its crowdfunding page for the shirt
so far, much more than it needs to
go into production. Feedback hopes
it rolls up its sleeves and delivers
soon – or at least get its sleeves
to roll themselves up first.
Wash out
Also cutting down on laundry
duties are residents of Surf City,
North Carolina, who have been
advised not to wash any clothes
for five days while authorities
flush excess ferrous deposits
out of the water network. The
contamination is temporarily
inconvenient to some, but a
real boon to those who like
their clothes freshly ironed.Field of math
The National Rugby League final in
Australia is a clash of titans – quite
literally, in the case of Josh Papalii
and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
These two “big boppers” had
their momentum examined by
The Sydney Morning Herald, which
concluded in its print edition that
a tackle between the two exerted
similar forces to those felt by fighter
jet pilots during a barrel roll.
So huge are these giants of
rugby league, in fact, that time
itself seems to warp around them,
says Neville de Mestre: “The author
claims that one rugby league player
is running at 6 minutes per second
(with the ball) while his opponent
is moving towards him at 1 minute
per second.”
Perhaps there is something
in this. The last time Feedback
sat down to watch an 80-minute
match, we could have sworn it
dragged on for at least 3 hours.@OurFather
Feedback previously reported
on Kodaiji temple in Kyoto, Japan,
where services are currently being
read by a robotic monk (31 August).
The trend for technologic ministry
continues apace with the
Catholic church’s latest
innovation, a smart rosary.
The Click to Pray eRosary
bracelet is activated by making
the sign of the cross, after which
an app on a linked smartphone
guides the user through any of
three types of spiritual reflection:
standard, contemplative or
thematic rosary. The app also
contains a step-counter and
calorie-counter, no doubt
because sloth and gluttony
are cardinal sins.
The church says that the
eRosary is designed to attractGeneration Z worshippers into
the habit of gospel contemplation.
Well, if you are hoping to be
called by God, you might as well
give him access to your phone.Just a minute
Mathematics professor Steven
Strogatz reports that in our
increasingly digital age, his exam
papers are no longer keeping up
with the times. “In 30 years of
teaching, I’ve never seen so
many students confused about
the difference between clockwise
and counterclockwise,” he said
on Twitter.
The Cornell University tutor noted
a rise in exam papers featuring small
diagrams scrawled in the margins
by students who are unsure which
direction a clock’s hands move in.
Given that digital watches have
been around since the 1970s, it is
surprising that it has taken thislong for young people to forget
what an analogue clock looks like.
Yet Feedback’s shortlist of suitable
alternatives remains stuck in the
past. The way a vinyl record spins?
Following the increasing numbers
on a rotary phone dial? The correct
direction to turn the crank when
opening a castle portcullis? If
anybody has a suggestion that is
more relevant to the digital needs
of Gen Z, you know where to send it.Green industry
The perfect job for someone
keen on long trips? Paul May
spies that the UK’s Department
for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs is looking for a
“High Scientific Officer”. He
bemoans the absence of crucial
information in the job advert:
“they don’t say whether they’re
willing to recruit a sober one
and help get them there.” ❚