Latest news with #Huh
Newsweek
29-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
E-Tattoos on Your Face Will Now Track How Hard You're Working
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Had a tough day? Soon you'll be able to prove it as researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking way to track when your brain is working too hard—with a face tattoo. In a study published today in the Cell Press journal Device, scientists introduced a wireless, temporary electronic forehead tattoo that monitors brainwaves to objectively measure mental workload. Designed to help change the way we monitor cognitive fatigue in high-stakes professions like air traffic control, truck driving and other focus-intensive roles, the tattoo analyses brain activity in real time, detecting how hard you are working. "Technology is developing faster than human evolution. Our brain capacity cannot keep up and can easily get overloaded," said Nanshu Lu, senior author of the study and professor at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). "There is an optimal mental workload for optimal performance, which differs from person to person." The device works by analyzing brain activity (via electroencephalogram, EEG) and eye movements (via electrooculogram, EOG) using ultrathin which are flexible sensors that stick comfortably to the skin. A picture of the e-tattoo device designed to measure mental strain. A picture of the e-tattoo device designed to measure mental strain. Device/Huh et al. Unlike traditional EEG caps—often bulky and expensive—the e-tattoo offers a compact and cost-effective solution. The full setup, including a battery pack and reusable chips, costs around $200, with each disposable sensor priced at about $20. "What's surprising is those caps, while having more sensors for different regions of the brain, never get a perfect signal because everyone's head shape is different," said Lu. "We measure participants' facial features to manufacture personalized e-tattoos to ensure that the sensors are always in the right location and receiving signals." In initial tests, six volunteers wore the tattoos while performing increasingly difficult memory tasks. The device accurately detected changes in brainwave patterns. Rising theta and delta waves indicated rising mental load, while a drop in alpha and beta activity pointed to fatigue. The team also trained a machine learning model to predict mental strain, hinting at future applications in real-time cognitive monitoring. Similar tools to measure mental load do exist, like the NASA Task Load Index which is designed to measure perceived workload during or after the performance of a task. But this requires the user to fill out a survey, making them more subjective and time-consuming. By contrast, the e-tattoo delivers live and objective data. Currently, the e-tattoo only works on hairless skin but there is work to try and make the device more accessible, combining it with ink that can work on hair and working to make the product useable at home. "Being low cost makes the device accessible," said author Luis Sentis from UT Austin. "One of my wishes is to turn the e-tattoo into a product we can wear at home." As AI and robotics play a growing role in modern workplaces, the team behind the e-tattoo believe tools like this will be key to maintaining human well-being in increasingly automated environments. "We've long monitored workers' physical health, tracking injuries and muscle strain," said Sentis. "Now we have the ability to monitor mental strain, which hasn't been tracked. This could fundamentally change how organizations ensure the overall well-being of their workforce." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about e-tattoos? Let us know via science@ Reference Huh, H., Shin, H., Li, H., Hirota, K., Hoang, C., Thangavel, S., D'Alessandro, M., Feltman, K. A., Sentis, L., & Lu, N. (2025). A wireless forehead e-tattoo for mental workload estimation. Device, 3.
Korea Herald
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Where's Huh Kyung-young? The eccentric, serial presidential candidate who once vowed to levitate lands in jail
Three-time presidential candidate detained on suspicion of financial and sexual wrongdoing Huh Kyung-young, a wacky politician who ran for South Korean presidency three times with outlandish pledges like giving 100 million won ($71,467) to every citizen, is back in the news, not as a candidate running for the June 3 election but as a criminal suspect. The 77-year-old, who holds the official title of honorary leader of the National Revolutionary Party, has been behind bars since Saturday after the Uijeongbu District Court issued a warrant for his detention on charges of fraud, violations of the Political Funds Act and coerced sexual misconduct. Having run in the 15th, 17th and 20th presidential elections and losing each time, he is widely known for making bizarre campaign promises, such as building a runway for UFOs, raising Koreans' IQ to 430 and offering tax breaks for bald people. Though widely dismissed as unrealistic and absurd, his proposals created enough buzz to be parodied on many entertainment shows. Huh is accused of using his religious facility, known as 'Haneulgung,' to sell goods at exorbitant prices. At Haneulgung, a group of his followers revere him as a spiritual leader and hold lectures and prayer sessions to promote his beliefs. Huh is also accused of sexual misconduct for touching his female followers inappropriately during what he described as spiritual counseling sessions. During a yearlong investigation, police questioned him more than 30 times and searched his facility, but he continued to refuse to cooperate and filed complaints against investigators. This led the court to grant an arrest warrant over concerns that he might destroy evidence. Can Huh run again? His recent arrest has raised questions among some online users about whether he could still run for the June 3 presidential election. 'No Huh Kyung-young this election? That feels unusual," a user wrote on X. 'Can someone in custody not run for office? I was actually looking forward to his crazy pledges," read another post. The answer is no. At this point, no one can throw their hat into the ring — the official candidacy registration period closed on May 11. As for the ongoing investigation into Huh, that does not, in itself, disqualify him from running for public office. Though this is ultimately irrelevant, as he is already barred due to a conviction last year. Article 18 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that candidates are disqualified only after a conviction resulting in a prison sentence or a heavier penalty is finalized. Huh, in April 2024, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for three years, for spreading false information. As a result, he is barred from running in elections until April 2034. Among the groundless claims he made were that he was the adopted son of the late Lee Byung-chull, founder of the tech giant Samsung, and that he had served as a policy advisor to former President Park Chung-hee. This was not the first time Huh was prohibited from running for office for spreading false information. During the 2007 presidential election, he promised to marry former President Park Geun-hye if elected. At that time, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and barred from candidacy for a decade. He returned to politics in 2020. Meanwhile, Huh, currently held at the Uijeongbu Police Station, was taken to a hospital early Monday morning after reporting sudden abdominal pain. However, he was returned to the detention center after doctors found no health issues, according to police. cjh@
CBC
03-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Parents, teachers say Toronto schools already struggling as board mulls big cuts
Parents and teachers say the Toronto District School Board is already in rough shape as the board considers big cuts to balance its budget next year. Listeners who called in to CBC Radio's Ontario Today on Thursday described a school system that is struggling to provide the basics due to a lack of resources. Parents and teachers told host Amanda Pfeffer that the TDSB has old schools with no air conditioning, washrooms that sometimes have no toilet paper and hand soap, not enough cleaning staff and that more money is needed to deal with violent behaviour in the classroom. They said special education, as well, needs more funding. Many of the callers who spoke pinned the blame on the Ontario government not spending enough, but one person said the TDSB could manage its existing funds differently. Sandra Huh, a parent whose son is in Grade 7 at a TDSB school, said a lack of provincial funding is undermining public education. "I do think this is really an attack on the students themselves," Huh said. 'Everything is being chipped away,' parent says Huh, whose son is autistic, said he is already not receiving enough support through special education. And when he does get support in the classroom, it is the bare minimum, she added. "Everything is being chipped away," she said. "Schools are absolutely important. We can never spend enough money on education, but we are certainly not spending enough." The debate about cuts is happening as the TDSB ponders options to balance its 2025-2026 budget. The board faces a $58 million deficit next year. At the same time, the Ontario government is finalizing its newest budget, to be delivered May 15, and the TDSB has indicated it is hoping that the province will spend more per student. TDSB staff have outlined several options for the board to adopt to balance the budget and parents and teachers are still reacting to the proposed cuts. In addition, the province has announced it is investigating the TDSB over ongoing financial deficits and spending concerns, saying it has run deficits for years with no plan to return the books to the black. This week, the TDSB passed a motion calling for urgent talks with the new Education Minister Paul Calandra to address what it calls a "growing inflationary gap" in per student funding in Toronto. Options being considered by the board include cuts to pools and swim programming, an itinerant music instructors program, student access to laptops and a one-time COVID learning recovery fund. Board staff have also recommended an increase in class sizes. TDSB Chair Neethan Shan told Ontario Today that the board has a structural deficit, which means it spends more than it receives, and its current financial situation is due to a combination of chronic under funding and inflationary pressures. Shan said provincial education funding needs to keep pace with inflation, the province should lift its moratorium on the closure of under-utilized schools and it should fund statutory benefits, such as the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, to offset increases in contribution rates. The province announced in late April that it is taking action to make sure school boards are accountable for their financial management. It said it would launch an investigation into three boards, including the TDSB, due to spending. The province has also taken over a fourth board and ordered a fifth to repay costs of a trip. "Our government will be relentless in ensuring school boards stay focused on what matters most: equipping students with the tools they need to succeed," Calandra said in a news release on April 23. "School boards must remain accountable and use public funds to directly benefit students and provide teachers and educators with the resources they need in the classroom." Cuts would place school programming at risk, parents say Louise Hidinger, a parent of two children in Grades 9 and 10 at a TDSB school, said both of her children are on the school's swim team, and with the pool facing potential closure, their opportunity to swim at school is now at risk. "Swimming is a life skill. Especially for kids in high school, it's an outlet for exercise and athletic competition. It's very upsetting to me," she said. Coun. Josh Matlow, who represents Toronto-St. Paul's, has been campaigning publicly to keep school pools open. Shuttering the pools would not only impact students using them, but also local communities, Matlow has said. Not every caller, however, was convinced that the TDSB is doing enough to cut its own administration. Vicky Templin, a retired teacher who spent the majority of her career in special education, asked why the board never considers cuts at the supervisory level. "Cut at the top. The TDSB is too top heavy." She said children are the future and funding should be put in the classroom. "This is such a huge issue," Templin said. "Over the course of my career, I saw nothing but cuts and they were cuts that affected kids, always." Shan said the board has made cuts at its central staffing level, but said the core problem is underfunding. "If we were keeping up with inflation, we wouldn't be at this point," Shan said. Fight for funding not new, former councillor says Janet Davis, a former city councillor, told the show that Toronto public schools have not received the provincial money they have needed to operate effectively for years. Davis said the funding issue is not a new one but the question of who funds education should be examined. Currently, local education property taxes, commercial and residential, are still paying over half the cost of education but the city has little control over how the funds are spent, she said. "We've had this fight over adequate funding for the Toronto District School Board for over 25 years and this provincial government now is again repeating the same kind of threats and using the same coercive tactics as they have used in the past," Davis said. The board doesn't have its 2025-2026 core funding yet and no final decisions are expected on the budget until closer to the end of June.
Korea Herald
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Le Sserafim begins first world tour with powerful statement of growth
From controversy to confidence, group opens a new chapter with 'Easy Crazy Hot' After a difficult year marred by criticism of its live singing, girl group Le Sserafim kicked off its first world tour with an all-out, two-day show. On Saturday and Sunday, Le Sserafim held its first world tour, 'Easy Crazy Hot,' at Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the group. Opening the show with 'Ash,' Le Sserafim quickly amped up the energy with performances of its latest main track 'Hot' and the B-side 'Come Over.' The tour title, 'Easy Crazy Hot,' is a combination of the names of the mini albums the group released sequentially from February 2024 to March 2025: 'Easy,' 'Crazy' and 'Hot.' The group reflected on its journey by weaving together songs from all three albums. When they delivered a rock version of 'Easy' and a 'Crazy' stage with an added dance break, fans responded with even louder cheers. Throughout the show, all five members showcased noticeably improved and stable vocals, a clear step up from their controversial Coachella performance last year. Whenever they hit clean high notes while executing intense dance moves, the crowd erupted in even louder cheers. The members also delivered visually striking performances. All five climbed jungle gym-shaped stage structures, performing powerfully amid fire, laser and smoke effects that matched the mood of each song. Toward the end of the concert, Le Sserafim performed band versions of its best-known tracks 'Fearless,' 'Unforgiven' and 'Antifragile,' drawing awe and applause from fans. During the encore, the members expressed their gratitude to fans and indirectly addressed the criticism surrounding the group's performance skills over the past year. Huh Yun-jin shared, 'Around this time last year, I was in my hotel room crying on the phone with someone from the company, saying, 'What are we going to do? Is there even a future for us? I don't know what's real and what's fake anymore.'' She opened up about the emotional toll of that period. That time coincides with Le Sserafim's performance at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which drew harsh criticisms for a perceived lack of live vocal skills. However, Huh said she used those experiences as fuel for personal growth. 'Do you know how pearls are made? An irritant enters a shell, and after enduring immense pain, it produces a pearl. I believed that if this pain was that intense, then a pearl would come out of it. I made a vow — to never lose my love through hard times and hate — and to protect our fans no matter what,' she said, drawing applause. Youngest member Hong Eun-chae added, 'The road we walk together won't always be lined with flowers. Just like in our lyrics, there will be thorny paths too — and that's what makes the flower-filled ones even more beautiful.' Le Sserafim is now set to embark on its first world tour since its 2022 debut, beginning with the Incheon concerts. The group will visit four cities in Japan, including Nagoya and Osaka, as well as Taipei, Hong Kong and Manila, with performances in North America scheduled for September.
Korea Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Weekend picks: Bojagi, budget bites, rooftop brews
For this week, The Korea Herald offers three spots — a traditional bojagi exhibition, a beloved student malatang joint and a scenic cafe — to enjoy simple pleasures in different forms. Rethinking textiles 'Bojagi, Embracing Daily Life' is the kind of exhibition sparking contemplation on everyday household items, namely the traditional Korean wrapping cloth known as 'bojagi.' The exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art looks through 98 pieces, brought together by the late Huh Dong-hwa, a Korean collector who dedicated his life to assembling an eclectic textile collection spanning some 5,000 items, which include bojagi and embroidery. The collection from Huh, who gifted them to the museum in May 2018 before passing away the same month, helps rethink textiles, a medium that is both functional and expressive. The section on 'jogakbo,' a type of bojagi made of leftover fabric scraps, demonstrates color balance at its peak that supports the view that sewing is an art rather than a craft. The traditional Korean overcoat, 'durumagi,' stitched together with jogakbo is one example of thread work that could be mistaken for artwork, owing to its bold colors. Also on display is embroidered bojagi, or 'jasu bojagi,' made of cotton or silk with patterns and symbols like birds and trees, representing the beauty of nature and life, a guide explained. Wide applications of bojagi to household items like a box for valuables and 'norigae,' or decorative pendants, shed light on what life looked like in the 19th and 20th centuries, the period most items at the exhibit come from. The free exhibition runs throughout the year every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Mondays. Time-tested malatang Nothing beats a time-tested local favorite. Located near Hanyang University, the restaurant Maku has been a favorite among students for nearly a decade, known for its bold, spicy flavors and budget-friendly prices. The restaurant specializes in "malatang," a spicy, Sichuan-style soup made with mala sauce, as well as mala xiang guo, which literally translates as "spicy stir-fry hot pot." The restaurant also presents a lineup of stir-fried noodles, rice dishes and guo bao rou, crispy sweet-and-sour pork, which are commonly eaten alongside malatang. Maku's student-friendly pricing keeps it accessible, with stir-fried dishes typically costing 6,000 or 7,000 won. Malatang prices start at 6,000 won, with additional charges for added ingredients. Despite its tiny dining space, Maku draws a loyal crowd. Expect to see lines forming out the door during peak hours. While online reservations are not accepted, would-be epicures can join a digital waitlist on site to be notified when a table is ready. Maku is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a break between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. A brew with a view While delicious coffee and desserts are often the main reasons people choose a cafe, sometimes it is just all about the view. Located on the west side of Seoul near Hapjeong Station, Cafe Blurr offers it all: great coffee, tasty desserts and a breathtaking view that opens up the sky. Just a 10-minute walk from Hapjeong Station — served by Seoul Subway Line Nos. 2 and 6 — this cafe occupies the fourth and fifth floors of a building well known for its panoramic windows with views of the Han River and National Assembly. Through the front windows, you can see the river, the skyline of Yeouido beyond and the iconic National Assembly. In contrast, the rear windows overlook the densely packed urban scenery of the Hapjeong area. The rooftop space on the fifth floor is styled like a cozy campsite, complete with a heater and camping chairs — and it is pet-friendly. Cafe Blurr's signature items include caneles and scones in a variety of flavors such as matcha, caramel, kaya jam and Earl Grey. In addition to a wide selection of coffee options, the menu also features bottled beer, tea and ade. A 10-piece canele gift box option is also available for purchase. Cafe Blurr is open daily from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. siyoungchoi@ yoonseo.3348@ jy@
