Thursday, 12 August 2021

Sweaty Secrets?

People are expanding the information that can be extracted from small samples of human sweat (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/12/pores-for-thought-how-sweat-reveals-our-every-secret-from-what-weve-eaten-to-whether-were-on-drugs ). A fingerprint now doesn't just tell you who was at a crime scene. It can reveal, age, sex, stress, the presence of some medical conditions, what the person has eaten/drank and whether they have taken drugs. There is also sufficient DNA in that residue for people not to have to request a hair or cheek scrape sample. Elsewhere, there are plans to use adhesive patches, to extract information from sweat and send the results to smart phones. People could then monitor their own general health, the efficiency of a training regime, fitness to drive etc, etc. Obviously, this improved diagnostic ability, could also be used to the detriment of individuals. Interviewers and insurance companies could surreptiously check health and/or drug use in candidates/potential customers. Information, carried on devices, could also be hacked into. Just don't mop your brow and leave the tissue behind!

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