This new technology could soon revolutionise home healthcare, with a simple gadget at home able to tell you why you’re feeling off. It could even detect diabetes without needing to go to a doctor or a lab. This is all possible due to the development of a new whispering gallery mode microresonator made of germanium (a mouthful, we know). This microresonator can store light waves in the infrared spectrum much more effectively, providing better optical sensors for things like particle sensing and spectroscopic chemical identification. With this new technology, scientists can now develop broadband frequency combs in the longwave infrared spectrum, which opens the door to analysing multiple chemicals at once. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here