Relaxed fit
鈥淗ave you ever asked yourself why nowadays technology is all around us and yet our clothes have evolved so little in the past 20 years?鈥� We hadn鈥檛, but that is the question posed by Spanish 鈥渓ife-ready smart-fashion鈥� firm Sepiia, makers of the 鈥淯ltimate Smart Shirt 3.0鈥�.
Its offering may look like an ordinary white dress shirt, but don鈥檛 be fooled. Beneath that plain exterior lies a 鈥渕ultipurpose garment designed with science to rock your routine鈥�. Where other polyester shirts are pretty smart but not terribly clever, this one is both, thanks to the 鈥渂io-ceramic nano particles鈥� 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 鈥渃alorific rays鈥� 鈥� coincidentally the name of Feedback鈥檚 local pizzeria.
If that isn鈥檛 enough, the shirt is said to be able to moderate the wearer鈥檚 body temperature even in very cold weather, leading to 鈥渁 considerable decrease in calorie consumption鈥�. Also, the wrinkle-free fabric doesn鈥檛 need ironing: a much more certain way of reducing your energy expenditure.
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But that isn鈥檛 all. The grit-infused fabric is also said to emit light in the far infrared part of the spectrum, which Sepiia claims has a 鈥渟timulating action at a microcirculatory level鈥�, and thus boosts circulation, increases energy levels, reduces tiredness and defuses stress.
It certainly defuses scepticism: Sepiia has raised over 拢50,000 on its , much more than it needs to go into production. Feedback hopes it rolls up its sleeves and delivers soon 鈥� 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 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 鈥� quite literally, in the case of Josh Papalii and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. These two 鈥渂ig boppers鈥� 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: 鈥淭he 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.鈥�
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鈥檚 latest innovation, a smart rosary.
The 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 attract Generation 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. 鈥淚n 30 years of teaching, I鈥檝e never seen so many students confused about the difference between clockwise and counterclockwise,鈥� he .
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鈥檚 hands move in.
Given that digital watches have been around since the 1970s, it is surprising that it has taken this long for young people to forget what an analogue clock looks like. Yet Feedback鈥檚 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鈥檚 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is looking for a 鈥�
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