Instead Of Painkillers, Doctors Are Prescribing VR

Instead Of Painkillers, Some Doctors Are Prescribing Virtual Reality
Smithsonian

Scientists are quickly learning that VR has many other psychiatric applications. Studies suggest that VR exposure can help patients with paranoia, a common symptom of various psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. The idea of using virtual reality to distract patients from pain is gaining traction in the medical community and can reduce pain levels up to 50%. Read more

Artificial Intelligence That Battles Smog
Popular Science

China has some of the worst air pollution in the world, and the smog-choked capital, Beijing, has become its poster child. IBM has been collecting data from pollution sensors allowing them to generate high-resolution pollution forecasts 72 hours in advance, giving citizens more warning and planning time. Read more

Cameras Are Getting Better At Seeing If You're Nervous
Motherboard

The field of Computer Vision has seen a number of advances in the past few years. The most recent is researchers designing a computer system capable of estimating a person’s heart rate based on analyzing their face. Read more

Can Pokemon GO Help Patients With Mental Illness?
Popular Science

For people who suffer from mental health issues— such as anxiety, agoraphobia or depression— that tend to keep them from getting out and interacting with the world, augmented reality apps and games can be helpful for getting them to engage with their surroundings. It’s playful, requires energy and makes the user get up and out to interact with the world. Read more