SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " arch " 13,232 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Argonne develops real-time AI monitoring for an advanced nuclear reactor component
Argonne National Laboratory researchers proposed an AI-powered monitoring system that can spot blockages in the heat exchangers of molten-salt-cooled reactors in real time, helping prevent costly shutdowns and improve reliability for next-generation nuclear energy.
The 5 daily habits that science says can slow biological aging
Five daily habits that research links to slower biological aging, covering exercise, sleep quality, diet, stress management and social connection
Rainwater tanks may be harboring hidden health risks
Rainwater tanks are a popular way for Australians to save water, but new research has found they can also harbor potentially harmful bacteria and metals that could pose health concerns.
Trump accused of ‘manufacturing a national security justification’ to push arch plan
President had said the triumphal arch he plans to build near Washington would double as a ‘military complex’
Hanx Biopharmaceuticals (Wuhan) Enters Agreement To Explore AI For Science In Drug Research
Hanx Biopharmaceuticals (Wuhan) Co Ltd HKEX:3378:
Pandemic Agreement Negotiator Warns Against Losing Momentum
As countries continue negotiating the unfinished WHO Pandemic Agreement, one of the original accord's architects warns that delays could put the process
Washington's Grant Veto Sets a Warning for British Science
A political oversight board at the NIH is a domestic American story, but its logic travels, and the NHS's own research architecture cannot assume immunity
This USDA lab has studied threats to food and farms for decades. Now its scientists must relocate
Federal scientists are still scrambling to find new jobs or relocate across the country as Maryland’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center’s last days of operation approach. Even as their personal lives upend, employees are concerned that BARC’s legacy of impactful research will be left behind.
Building Michigan’s healthy future requires a different kind of workforce strategy
Wayne State is investing in talent, research and partnerships to strengthen Michigan’s health workforce and improve community health.
Building Michigan’s healthy future requires a different kind of workforce strategy
Wayne State is investing in talent, research and partnerships to strengthen Michigan’s health workforce and improve community health.
Susanna Fletcher Greer: Delighted to Bring Bold Cancer Science to the Community
Susanna Fletcher Greer: Delighted to Bring Bold Cancer Science to the Community / Alexander Muir, cancer care, Cancer research, Education, Gelareh Zadeh,
AI-generated 'experts' front German-language political video network
Researchers identified 47 YouTube channels using artificial presenters to discuss conflicts, geopolitics and German politics, with videos recording more than 7.5 million views.
Some of China’s 11,000 mega bridges could be at risk from small drones: study
Chinese researchers simulated attacks on a typical suspension bridge and found a precisely targeted small strike could trigger collapse.
Whether you like it or not, celebrities have an impact on politics
The global groundswell of support for Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian advocacy serves to remind us that maybe celebrity activism really is that deep after all, writes Cheek’s Varsha Yajman. Subscribe In the last week, publications, podcasts, and influencers that have either rarely or never spoken about Israel’s genocide in Palestine have flooded my social feed. And it was all because singer Ed Sheeran and his team dropped Macklemore as his opener for saying “Free Palestine” on stage. Millions raised, millions speaking up in support of Palestine - all of this confirming my view that, whether I like it or not, celebrities do have an impact on political outcomes. And this is interesting when much of the time celebrity activism can induce an eye roll - I love to see Charli XCX pointing out a Palestinian flag in the crowd, but it’s hardly the bold symbol of allyship that some fans would make it out to be. But there’s a line between healthy scepticism and outright dismissal - and I’d argue that the latter lets the rich and powerful off far too easily. For instance, actress Jennifer Lawrence, once outspoken about her political views, last year told The Times she no longer believes celebrities have a role to play: “Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.” While it’s a narrative she might find comfort in, it simply is not true. Grassroots movements often garner worldwide attention when celebrities and other high-profile spokespeople bring a mainstream platform to their causes. And this frustrates me. We have had three years of a live-streamed genocide. Macklemore himself has been calling for a Free Palestine long before he booked the Sheeran concert. Yet it’s the high-profile fallout of the last week that finally seems to have made saying “Free Palestine” socially acceptable in the mainstream. It feels like the collective mood has shifted, where calling out censorship is now the obvious response - not just the business of ‘radical’ activists. To recap, Sheeran’s decision followed an ultimatum from billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, one of the venues Sheeran was scheduled to perform at: either drop Macklemore as your opener after only two of the eight scheduled shows, or you do not play at any stadiums. Sheeran’s disappointing decision to stand on the side of billionaire-led censorship has ultimately seen a surge in support for Free Palestine. It began when all his openers and his backing band pulled out of Sheeran’s tour, in solidarity with Macklemore and with the Palestinian cause. It was met with an uproar of support from those who had never or barely touched politics before: influencers lip-syncing to Macklemore’s music, singers like Jack Antonoff singing “Free Palestine,” and publications and podcasts standing with Macklemore. And finally, we saw material support: Macklemore donated $1 million in profits from his two nights opening for Sheeran’s tour to several Palestinian aid groups and called for Sheeran and Kraft to match it, which they have since promised to do. We’ve also seen children’s entertainer Ms Rachel follow suit with a $1 million donation to Palestinian aid, and publication PopBase has donated $10,000. Anera, a humanitarian aid group working in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, said donations since Macklemore’s announcement were more than triple this month’s daily average. The group’s Instagram page has also gained 8,000 followers. Macklemore far from the first celebrity to speak and participate in politics in the Western World. In 1924, singer Al Jolson supported Republican candidate Warren G. Harding for president, and decades later, celebrities such as Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, and Aretha Franklin voiced their public support for the Civil Rights movement. More recently, in the lead-up to the 2024 US election, ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah partnered with the organisation Power the Polls to recruit poll workers to address shortages- a problem disproportionately affecting voters of colour. The campaign saw 170,000 new sign-ups - 35,000 of which came directly through the TV show’s link - resulting in the recruitment of 713,000 total poll workers that year, an almost three-fold increase on the organisation’s goal. Alongside recruiting workers, celebrities in the US (where voting in elections is not compulsory) have made a huge difference by calling for people to register to vote. Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 saw over 400,000 visitors on the voter registration site within 24 hours of her Instagram post. In 2023, Swift had urged her fans to register, resulting in 35,000 new voter registrations. Similarly, Ariana Grande promoted voter registration in 2019 by setting up booths at concerts on the American leg of her tour, resulting in over 33,000 voters registering. And the same thing is happening closer to home. This year, musician Jack River successfully called for government action to ensure creatives in Australia do not have their work scraped by generative AI companies. Celebrity as the mediator between the punter and the politician Celebrity activism isn’t just a feel-good news story - research tells us it actually makes a difference. By directing attention to issues affecting the average person, like voting inaccessibility or a lack of action on a genocide, researchers Alfred Archer and Amanda Cawston state that “celebrities can play a useful bridging role between political elites and the people they represent”. Alternatively, in a world where talking about politics is “not cool,” or where people lack exposure or knowledge to engage with politics, celebrities can act as an educational resource or an entry point into the political world - when they speak up about an issue, their audience gets exposed to it. Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival is a perfect example. Rodrigo partnered with twelve organisations focused on women’s issues, such as reproductive rights. These organisations had stalls at the festival for people to meet them and were also featured heavily on social media, giving their issues global attention and raising $20 million for the organisations. We have also seen celebrities at award shows such as the Emmys wearing F*CK ICE pins, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s treatment and detainment of people - generally people of colour. When celebrities speak up about political issues in public forums, they put the issue at the forefront of mainstream media, rally their supporters, and make it clear that, however much they disagree, the government cannot simply ignore it. Our over-reliance on celebrities versus our politicians As much as I love seeing my favourite celebrity use their platform for a good cause, there is an important question to ask: not whether celebrity activism is good or bad, but whether we should have to rely on celebrities. And the answer would, in an ideal world, be no. In an ideal world, or merely a just world, action on Palestine would’ve happened decades ago, climate change would be taken seriously, and most importantly, people would understand their democratic rights. However, that is not our reality. Only around 28 per cent of Australian Year 10 students reach proficiency in civics and citizenship. In the US, almost two-thirds of people under 30 say high school civics education didn’t prepare them to understand voting deadlines, how to research candidates, or how to vote by mail. When civics education is weak, our trust in these institutions and our understanding of change-making processes also decline. This is where celebrity steps in and becomes our main source of reliance. As Mary R. Connelly notes in _The Tartan, “_Celebrities will always be involved in campaigns in one form or another, but their presence is not what causes people to vote blindly. The lack of political engagement and literacy is what allows celebrities to wield their influence on the political sphere so impactfully.” About the author Varsha Yajman is the Digital Content Producer at Cheek Media. She is a youth advocate and lawyer with a background in climate litigation and is passionate about looking at the intersection between race, climate justice, and mental health. Thanks for reading Cheek Media Co. ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share
Parasites, often seen as villains, may help shape gut and metabolic health
Blastocystis has long been viewed mainly as a marker of parasitic infection. Emerging research suggests that its presence is not necessarily linked to disease, but may instead reflect greater microbial diversity and metabolic health in certain contexts.
Scientists tracked 21 oilbirds in Venezuela, and five disappeared from their cave for up to 73 days to stay closer to food
Oilbirds spend their nights flying through tropical forests in search of fruit, but some of them take an unexpected approach to reach their feeding grounds. Some birds regularly returned to the same main cave after feeding.
AI saves scientists time but adds ‘verification tax’, paper finds
Google study also finds AI pushes researchers towards “safer, more incremental projects”
Dutch scientists discover tin-based solar breakthrough that keeps hot electrons 1,000 times longer than current panels, changing the future of solar power
Scientists at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have discovered how tin-based perovskite materials allow hot electrons to retain their excess energy for around 1,000 times longer than expected, a finding that could shape the future of solar power. The researchers found that two physical effects, the hot phonon bottleneck and the Burstein–Moss effect, work together to slow electron cooling from picoseconds to nanoseconds.
Chimpanzees once used for vaccine research get health checks as part of long-term care
Chimpanzees once used in hepatitis B vaccine experiments are getting health checks at their new home in Liberia. The West African chimpanzees receive care such as teeth cleanings and X-rays
Culturally Relevant Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Care Strategies
(Feature Impact) Driven by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other risk factors, cardiovascular disease has surpassed cancer as the leading cause of death among Hispanic adults in the United States. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-big-ad-top-asset'); }); Hispanic people represent nearly 1 in 5 of the U.S. population and are the nation’s largest ethnic minority group, yet many continue to face barriers to achieving heart health and accessing high-quality healthcare. A new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal, “Circulation,” revealed how social, economic, cultural and environmental factors contribute to persistent disparities in cardiovascular health, calling for culturally tailored prevention strategies, equitable access to care and greater representation of Hispanic populations in cardiovascular research.“Hispanic populations in the U.S. are incredibly diverse even within their own communities with differences in genetic ancestry, language, cultural traditions and social experiences that can significantly influence cardiovascular health,” said Johanna Contreras, M.D., M.Sc., FAHA, director of the Division of Heart Failure and medical director of the Hispanic Heart Center within the Mount Sinai Health System. “Yet Hispanic people remain underrepresented overall in the research that guides prevention and treatment strategies… Without better representation and more detailed data, we risk overlooking important differences that can help us improve care and save lives.”Hispanic Cardiovascular Health by the NumbersCardiovascular risk factors – obesity (nearly 46%), type 2 diabetes (15.5%) and high blood pressure (approximately 44%) – are prevalent among Hispanic adults and often emerge at younger ages and occur more frequently among Hispanic adults compared with white adults.According to the report, only about 1 in 5 Hispanic adults achieves ideal cardiovascular health as defined by the American Heart Association’s original Life’s Simple 7 metrics. Updated analyses using the Life’s Essential 8 framework demonstrated persistent disparities for heart and brain health, as well as suboptimal dietary quality, sleep patterns and levels of physical activity.Social and Economic Barriers MatterBiology alone does not explain cardiovascular health disparities. The environments where people live, work and age, along with social and economic challenges, impact heart health. In fact, approximately 17% of Hispanics live below the federal poverty threshold, compared with 8.2% of white adults. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-big-ad-middle-asset'); }); “Many Hispanic adults face obstacles that extend far beyond the doctor’s office,” Contreras said. “Limited health insurance coverage, language differences, food insecurity, environmental exposures and concerns related to immigration status can make it more difficult to prevent disease, manage chronic conditions and receive timely treatment.”Contreras emphasized the cultural values and practices of Hispanic people also influence how they perceive their health and healthcare options.“Family plays a central role in many Hispanic communities and can be an extraordinary source of strength, support and resilience,” Contreras said. “At the same time, family members are often called upon to translate medical information, navigate health systems and help make healthcare decisions for loved ones. Those responsibilities can shape how health information is understood and acted upon.”An Action Plan for Improving Hispanic HealthThere are practical opportunities to achieve equitable cardiovascular health and reduce disparities through community engagement, culturally responsive care, inclusive research and policies that address the underlying drivers of health.“Reducing cardiovascular disease among Hispanic populations demands action at every level,” Contreras said, “from improving access to culturally responsive care and expanding research participation to addressing the social and environmental conditions that shape health.”By addressing both medical risk factors and the social conditions that shape health, experts believe there is an important opportunity to reduce disparities and help more people live longer, healthier lives. Learn more at Heart.org.Photo courtesy of Shutterstock googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-big-ad-bottom-asset'); });
Culturally Relevant Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Care Strategies
(Feature Impact) Driven by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other risk factors, cardiovascular disease has surpassed cancer as the leading cause of death among Hispanic adults in the United States.Hispanic people represent nearly 1 in 5 of the U.S. population and are the nation’s largest ethnic minority group, yet many continue to face barriers to achieving heart health and accessing high-quality healthcare. A new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal, “Circulation,” revealed how social, economic, cultural and environmental factors contribute to persistent disparities in cardiovascular health, calling for culturally tailored prevention strategies, equitable access to care and greater representation of Hispanic populations in cardiovascular research.“Hispanic populations in the U.S. are incredibly diverse even within their own communities with differences in genetic ancestry, language, cultural traditions and social experiences that can significantly influence cardiovascular health,” said Johanna Contreras, M.D., M.Sc., FAHA, director of the Division of Heart Failure and medical director of the Hispanic Heart Center within the Mount Sinai Health System. “Yet Hispanic people remain underrepresented overall in the research that guides prevention and treatment strategies… Without better representation and more detailed data, we risk overlooking important differences that can help us improve care and save lives.”Hispanic Cardiovascular Health by the NumbersCardiovascular risk factors – obesity (nearly 46%), type 2 diabetes (15.5%) and high blood pressure (approximately 44%) – are prevalent among Hispanic adults and often emerge at younger ages and occur more frequently among Hispanic adults compared with white adults.According to the report, only about 1 in 5 Hispanic adults achieves ideal cardiovascular health as defined by the American Heart Association’s original Life’s Simple 7 metrics. Updated analyses using the Life’s Essential 8 framework demonstrated persistent disparities for heart and brain health, as well as suboptimal dietary quality, sleep patterns and levels of physical activity.Social and Economic Barriers MatterBiology alone does not explain cardiovascular health disparities. The environments where people live, work and age, along with social and economic challenges, impact heart health. In fact, approximately 17% of Hispanics live below the federal poverty threshold, compared with 8.2% of white adults.#placement_976606_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid976606 = window.pid976606 || rnd;var plc976606 = window.plc976606 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=976606;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid976606+';place='+(plc976606++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');“Many Hispanic adults face obstacles that extend far beyond the doctor’s office,” Contreras said. “Limited health insurance coverage, language differences, food insecurity, environmental exposures and concerns related to immigration status can make it more difficult to prevent disease, manage chronic conditions and receive timely treatment.”Contreras emphasized the cultural values and practices of Hispanic people also influence how they perceive their health and healthcare options.“Family plays a central role in many Hispanic communities and can be an extraordinary source of strength, support and resilience,” Contreras said. “At the same time, family members are often called upon to translate medical information, navigate health systems and help make healthcare decisions for loved ones. Those responsibilities can shape how health information is understood and acted upon.”An Action Plan for Improving Hispanic HealthThere are practical opportunities to achieve equitable cardiovascular health and reduce disparities through community engagement, culturally responsive care, inclusive research and policies that address the underlying drivers of health.“Reducing cardiovascular disease among Hispanic populations demands action at every level,” Contreras said, “from improving access to culturally responsive care and expanding research participation to addressing the social and environmental conditions that shape health.”By addressing both medical risk factors and the social conditions that shape health, experts believe there is an important opportunity to reduce disparities and help more people live longer, healthier lives. Learn more at Heart.org.Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Roy Zektzer: Simple, scalable quantum technologies
Bringing quantum technologies from the lab onto the chip, Roy Zektzer aims to make quantum research more accessible.
What the weather can teach us about health
What if predicting your future health is more like forecasting the weather than we realize? New research suggests fundamental limits to how far ahead even perfect weather models can see. That idea raises a provocative question for precision medicine: Can more data and better models ever make an individual’s future truly predictable?
Filipina Physician-Scientist Named National Finalist for 2026 ASEAN–U.S. Science Prize for Women
Dr. Venus Oliva Cloma-Rosales, Founder of 101 Health Research, has been named the Philippine National Finalist in the Mid-Career category of the 2026 UL Research Institutes ASEAN–U.S. Science Prize for Women. Her work uses artificial intelligence and health data science to support inclusive, resilient healthcare and evidence-based decision-making in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. MANILA, […]
Scientists Grow Partly Human Brains Inside Mice
Breakthrough could speed research into human neurological disorders
Falcons searching for answers after crushing loss to Carolina
Frustration boiled over on the Falcons’ sideline during a 34-3 loss to the Panthers, but head coach Kevin Stefanski insists Atlanta’s locker room remains resilient despite mounting quarterback and offensive struggles.
Stanford scientists discover the human brain may actually be two separate organs
Scientists have found that the human brain develops from two distinct cellular systems, suggesting that evolution fused together two ancient nervous systems with very different jobs. The discovery also allowed researchers to grow human hindbrain neurons in the lab, opening new possibilities for studying ALS, spinal muscular atrophy, and other brainstem diseases.
Making the most of scientific research
Only a fraction of research findings make it into the public realm — a huge loss of scientific knowledge that could be used more widely, says a U of A researcher who is leading an effort to create an open data-sharing platform to help further exploration and discoveries in spinal cord injury research.
NSF Over Billion Behind on Grants; IES Says Will Give Funds
As the fiscal year’s end looms Sept. 30, the National Science Foundation has awarded significantly fewer grants than usual, and a judge has ordered an update from the Institute of Education Sciences on its research funding progress.
A film thinner than a human hair blocks electromagnetic waves—and hides heat!
CHANGWON, South Korea — A research team led by Dr. Taehoon Kim of the Composites & Convergence Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), headed by President Chul-jin Choi, has collaborated with research teams led by Dr. Seon Joon Kim and Dr. Jaewoo Kim of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) to develop an ultrathin composite film that combines electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, infrared (IR) stealth, and high mechanical strength. The researchers achieved these multifunctional properties by combining carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers and MXene in a structure resembling “bricks and mortar.” The technology is expected to protect military systems and aerospace electronics while also reducing electromagnetic interference in 5G/6G communication devices and wearable electronics.
Scientists Found Over 1,000 Previously Hidden Brain Microproteins
Researchers analyzed more than 600 human brain samples to build a microprotein atlas. They identified 1,067 microproteins, many altered in Alzheimer’s disease, revealing potential new mechanisms involved in aging and neurodegeneration.
'Nothing short of a minor miracle': 'Rusty treasure' found in the Danube is full of 2,000-year-old iron bars that could equip an entire army with weapons
Archaeologists in Austria have analyzed a collection of 500 iron bars that were likely lost in a Danube shipwreck 2,200 years ago.
Scientists Digitize One of the World’s Rarest Animals Before It Disappears
Researchers have turned a fragile vaquita skeleton into freely accessible 3D models, preserving detailed anatomy as the porpoise nears extinction. Only an estimated handful of vaquitas (Phocoena sinus) remain in the shallow waters of Mexico’s northern Gulf of California, the only place this small porpoise lives. With the species nearing extinction, researchers have created a
US Forest Service closing 23 research facilities as part of overhaul under Trump
MONTANA Forest Service closing stations BILLINGS — The U.S. Forest Service is closing 23 research and development stations in more than a dozen states as part of an organizational overhaul under President Donald Trump that is intended to trim costs and concentrate the agency’s resources in Western states, officials said Sept. 3. The work being […]
Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory’s Founding Guitarist, Dead at 45
Longtime member of Florida pop-punk group revealed in March that he was battling brain cancer
White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants
Federal officials are drafting an executive order that would place grants under review by an outside panel, the latest effort to redirect billions of dollars in research spending.
White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants
Federal officials are drafting an executive order that would place grants under review by an outside panel, the latest effort to redirect billions of dollars in research spending.
Baltimore archbishop urges women religious to model renewal of American political culture
"The world needs women who have been seized by Christ. It needs women whose lives bear unmistakable witness to the truth that God is real."
Why politicians should pay more attention to the polls (reprise)
Welcome to the 231st edition of The Week in Polls (TWIP), a polling newsletter that always welcomes new readers. So please don’t keep TWIP a secret; share it with your friends and colleagues: Share The Week in Polls With all the stories swirling around Reform, JL Partners and political polling, I am finally tearing myself away from talking about the regulation of polling this week - and instead re-running a previous piece reminding us why the solution to problems with polls isn’t simply to ban or ignore them. Rather, we need them to play a vital role in making our politics - and politicians - better. This is followed by summaries of the latest national voting intention polls, seat projections from MRPs and the most recent party leader ratings. Subscribers who pay for the full edition can also read ten insights from the latest polls and analyses, including: A trio of organisations and a pair of professors have been casting their eyes over the Liberal Democrats ahead of the party’s autumn conference; What impact did the summer heatwave have on views on climate change? and Which wins out between chocolate and cheese? If you are not yet a paid subscriber, you can read all ten by starting a free trial now: Get FREE 7-day trial For more polling news as it comes in ahead of next week’s edition, you can also follow The Week in Polls on Bluesky. Picking up on my doubt last week about whether or not 35% of British train travellers have tried to order a takeaway for delivery to a railway station or carriage, thank you to reader Iain, who has been in touch to say he has done just that… in India. Another quick pair of updates, this time on the controversies around Reform and polling. Politico has a further scoop - “Farage aide caught in donor sting attended Egypt retreat with JL Partners” - and Ian Dunt has written about the problems with polling too: “Seeing the response of many polling experts in the last few weeks suggests that they are nervous about what is happening and keen to mitigate against it. Seeing the response of journalists, which has been basically non-existent, suggests the precise opposite.” My usual reminder as well: please do hit reply if you’ve spotted a poll, focus group or new piece of poll-based research that you think should be in contention for coverage in a future edition. Thank you! And with that, on with the show. How politicians get public opinion wrong I have written before about the benefits that come from widespread availability of high-quality political polling. We need more polls and more good coverage of polls. However, what I’ve not dug into before is the research into how accurately politicians estimate public opinion on issues. Thankfully we have academic research to tell us. First, the bad news: We present results from a study of 866 politicians in four countries.1 Politicians were asked to estimate the percentage of public support for various policy proposals. Comparing more than 10,000 estimations with actual levels of public support, we conclude that politicians are quite inaccurate estimators of people’s preferences. They make large errors and even regularly misperceive what a majority of the voters wants. Politicians are hardly better at estimating public preferences than ordinary citizens. Walgrave, S., Jansen, A., Sevenans, J., Soontjens, K., Pilet, J.B., Brack, N., Varone, F., Helfer, L., Vliegenthart, R., van der Meer, T., Breunig, C., Bailer, S., Sheffer, L. & Loewen, P.J. (2023a), “Inaccurate Politicians: Elected Representatives’ Estimations of Public Opinion in Four Countries”, The Journal of Politics, 85(1): 209-222. The bad news is not quite as bad as that makes it sound because, when asked whether the majority of public opinion was for or against various policies, politicians picked the wrong option ‘only’ 29% of the time. However, this included getting it wrong even when public opinion is far from evenly split on an issue: They do not only get it wrong when the public is divided and hard to read (e.g., when there is a 51%:49% distribution). Seventy percent of the misplacements occur for policies with a relatively clear distribution of at least 60% (dis)agreeing citizens. Moreover, the public scored only slightly worse than politicians, picking the wrong option 2.7 out of 8 times on average, compared with 2.3 times for politicians. Turning to the other measure of accuracy (not which side is in the lead but what the percentage support is for each side), politicians on average were 18 percentage points out in their guesses. Again, this was only slightly better than the public, whose error came in at 21 percentage points.2 Further research, using the same mix of countries, gives a little more comfort about how (in)accurate perceptions are: We show that politicians have a better understanding of public opinion when they think the issue matters to voters. Further, when an issue is personally important to politicians they more accurately estimate their party supporters’ opinions. The results confirm that politicians hold more accurate perceptions of voters’ preferences when they think it is important to do so but not necessarily when the issues actually are important to voters. Butler, C., Walgrave, S., Soontjens, K. & Loewen, P.J. (2024), “Politicians are better at estimating public opinion when they think it is more salient”, Party Politics: 1–13. Even so, it’s not a good picture. The remedy for this? Politicians should spend more time reading the polls. So forward this newsletter to someone you know… Share For a more general argument against banning polls, see my 2024 piece. Is “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet” good advice or not? The latest episode of my Political Fictions podcast heads across the Atlantic for a dip into one of the political TV classics: Mark and Cory talk about a giant of American political drama for the first time this week, as they tackle The West Wing. They talk about Let Bartlet Be Bartlet, the nineteenth episode of series one. In it, Mark wonders if The West Wing is actually the epitome of the “Boris Johnson school of politics”, Cory outmanoeuvres Mark into confirming we will record a Christmas Special about Love, Actually and they debate whether the central message of this episode has been misunderstood. Cory’s email newsletter is Paperback Rioter and Mark has a family of email newsletters. Subscribe to our newsletter for some additional bonus content and to get alerted whenever a new episode comes out. Our theme tune is “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin MacLeod/incompetech.com and licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. You can also listen to our episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the web or YouTube. Elsewhere from me… [ A Lord's Eye View How to fix the problem of money in our politics Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords. This time I am taking a look at how our political system is regulated, and the protections we need to keep democracy safe from becoming simply a contest to see who has the biggest bank account… Read more 5 days ago · 3 likes · 2 comments · Mark Pack ](https://lordseyeview.substack.com/p/how-to-fix-the-problem-of-money-in?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1269283) If you spot a factual error… Borrowing an idea from Stuart Ritchie and others, if you spot a factual error in an edition of this newsletter, I will give you a free 12-month subscription to the paid-for version (or an extra 12 months on your existing one). Factual errors qualify, but grammatical errors or disagreements over interpretation do not, and my decision is final. Messages about both of those are always welcome, though. Voting intention and leadership ratings Here are the latest voting intention polls from different pollsters. It is all pretty static at the moment, with a small and consistent Labour lead in nearly all the polls. The table is also online here, along with explanations about what is included. It is updated regularly throughout the week as new polls are released. Next are the seat projections from MRPs, also sorted by fieldwork dates, listing those which are based on dedicated fieldwork (rather than models based on averages of other polls). Because such MRPs are published infrequently, some of the entries below are quite old. Finally, here is a summary of leadership ratings, with a graph from PollCheck: Detailed numbers from the latest polls are online here, and both that and the graph are updated regularly throughout the week as new data comes out. For historical figures on both voting intention and leader approval stretching back to the 1930s, including Parliamentary by-election polls, see PollBase. Catch up on the previous two editions [ ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ A crisis point for political polling Sep 13 ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ Read full story ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) [ Extra questions about the polls in Reform’s funding scandal Sep 6 ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) [ Read full story ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) My privacy policy and other legal information are available here. Links to purchase books or other items are usually affiliate links which pay a commission for each sale. Quotes from social media messages are occasionally lightly edited for punctuation and clarity. If you are subscribed to other email lists of mine, please note that unsubscribing from this one will not automatically remove you from the others. If you wish to be removed from all my lists, simply reply to this email to let me know. A quintet of Lib Dem polling analyses, and 9 other polling insights you shouldn’t miss The following ten findings from the most recent polls and analyses are only for subscribers who pay for the full edition, but you can sign up for a free trial to read them straight away. Ahead of the start of Liberal Democrat conference, we have a trio of organisations and a pair of professors with pieces out about Ed Davey’s party:
Scientists Claim That Three Minutes With a "Donkey or Small Horse" Can Save Teenagers From Depression
Life got you feeling down? A donkey could be the solution to lifting your spirits, according to new research.
Leeds 0-0 Crystal Palace: What Farke said
Leeds remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season across their opening five matches (won two, drawn three), the first time they've completed that feat in the competition since 2001-02. This was Leeds' fourth 0-0 Premier League draw since the start of 2026 (25 games), though two of those have now come against Crystal Palace (also in March).
Marketing Daily: AI Visibility Sources Vary Widely By Health Category: Report
To gain more visibility in AI search results, health & wellness CPG brands need to focus on different content strategies depending on product category,
Scientists hope deeper-rooted soybeans can withstand climate extremes and store more carbon
Scientists have explored ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere, including through air capture, changes to ocean chemistry and reforestation. Now, researchers are testing deeper-rooted soybeans.
Trump says his planned arch would become a 'military complex' able to host drones and snipers
Trump has also been calling the new White House ballroom a “military complex” and arguing it is necessary for national security purposes.
A Deep Dive into the Antitrust Remedies that Spared Google's Ad Tech Business
Read alongside the Google Search remedies ruling, the Google Ad Tech case changes very little for Google’s monopolies, writes Karina Montoya.
Scientists Discover New Compound That Burns Fat Without Killing Your Appetite
Unlike GLP-1 drugs, which suppress appetite and reduce energy intake, a newly identified molecular compound helps cells burn more energy without changing food intake or exercise and has shown promise in mouse models. The most successful new obesity drugs largely work by helping people eat less. Researchers at UC Berkeley are exploring a different strategy:
Sunday Patriots Notes: Defense keeps searching for takeaways
Notes and thoughts on the Patriots defense, the home opener blues, Mike Smith’s connection with Aaron Rodgers, and more.
Trump says his proposed arch will include a military complex housing drones and snipers
The announcement marks the second time the president has tied a controversial construction project to national security.
Shotgun-wielding duo robs South Side business as it closes; cops hunting suspects
Police are searching for two men after a robbery at a business on the South Side.
Shotgun-wielding duo robs South Side business as it closes; cops hunting suspects
Police are searching for two men after a robbery at a business on the South Side.
Scientists Tried to Prove Out-of-Body Experiences Are Real. Here’s What Happened.
None of the 21 participants identified a hidden image, but two accurately described researchers' positions in observations that weren't formally tested.
Scientists tested whether pets really make us happier: the answer is surprising - Futura-Sciences
Pets are often described as good for both mental and physical health, helping ease loneliness and support emotional well-being. But a new study suggests the picture is more complicated than simply owning a dog, cat, or another companion animal. Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland found little evidence...
Rare earth exposure causes 3-fold increase of health risk to China’s newborns
Research tracking pregnant Chinese women over a two year period shows link between critical mineral exposure and low baby birth weights.
Rare earth exposure causes 3-fold increase of health risk to China’s newborns
Research tracking pregnant Chinese women over a two year period shows link between critical mineral exposure and low baby birth weights.
George W. Bush's new book of paintings of political prisoners will be out in March
A new George W. Bush art book spotlights political prisoners and dissidents. “The call of freedom” comes out March 9 with 44 paintings.
Verily Health Secures Investment From NVIDIA And CU Healthcare Innovation Fund To Expand Precision Health AI Platform
Verily Health has secured new investment from NVIDIA and existing backer CU Healthcare Innovation Fund II as the precision health technology company expands its data and artificial intelligence platform. The financing extends Verily’s March fundraising. The company did not disclose the size of the additional investments. Verily’s existing investors also include Alphabet, Series X Capital and UCHealth.
Trump says planned arch will be ‘military complex’ for drones, snipers
The president’s new claims about the triumphal arch come as veterans groups, historic preservationists and others attempt to stop the project.
Trump says his planned arch would become a 'military complex' able to host drones and snipers
President Donald Trump says the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition | TALK 980am
Trump says his planned arch would become a 'military complex' able to host drones and snipers
President Donald Trump says the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Trump says his planned arch would become a 'military complex' able to host drones and snipers
President Donald Trump says the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition | WWL
Trump says proposed DC arch will double as military complex
President Donald Trump on Sunday provided a new reason behind his proposal to build a 250-foot triumphal arch directly across Arlington National Cemetery, saying the structure would double as a “top grade Military Complex.”
8 common food additives linked to high blood pressure and heart disease
Common preservatives hiding in processed foods may carry unexpected heart risks, with heavy consumption linked to substantially higher rates of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Researchers identified eight widely used preservatives associated with hypertension, although the observational study cannot prove they were directly responsible.
Financial Ties Drive Misleading Alzheimer's Blood Test Claims Online, Study Finds
New research reveals how social media promotes Alzheimer's blood tests for symptom-free screening, often without mentioning the real risks.
A Cloudy Climate Mystery Over Antarctica Has Scientists Rethinking Their Models
Researchers compare observations with leading climate models to identify errors and help improve future climate predictions. Some simulations put too many low clouds over the Southern Ocean, yet still underestimate how much heat reaches the surface below. Observations from an Antarctic research voyage suggest that fixing the cloud count alone will not solve the problem.
Mount Vesuvius Buried These Scrolls for 2,000 Years – Now Scientists May Read Them
Researchers recreated a damaged ancient scroll to test a new way to study the past. Lead in ancient ink could help researchers read the Herculaneum papyri, Roman scrolls buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. Many are now too brittle to open, and reading them with X-rays poses its own problem. The ink and
UH gets $3.6M grant to study health risks from state’s plantation-era contamination
A University of Hawaii at Manoa-led research team has received a five-year, $3.6 million National Institutes of Health grant to investigate whether pollutants left behind by Hawaii’s plantation era still could be affecting residents’ health — and whether wildfires and other natural disasters can bring those contaminants back into the environment.
‘Who wants to sign up to deal with the political pressure?’: Smithsonian faces Trump’s culture war as search for leader is on
By René Marsh, CNN (CNN) — As the Smithsonian Institution prepares to launch a nationwide search for a new leader, an unexpected question mark hangs over the position that’s long been considered a plum one in the worlds of art, science and history. “Who wants to sign up to deal with the political pressure?” one
‘Who wants to sign up to deal with the political pressure?’: Smithsonian faces Trump’s culture war as search for leader is on
As the Smithsonian Institution prepares to launch a nationwide search for a new leader, an unexpected question mark hangs over the position that’s long been considered a plum one in the worlds of art, science and history.
Scientists heard a knock at the door. It was a pelican in need of help.
“This is kind of just a once-in a-lifetime experience,” said marine researcher Annsli Hilton.
Puerto Rico Labor History: Finding My Grandparents’ Story
The BayNet reporter Martel Spears explores his grandparents’ roles in Puerto Rico’s labor and political history through family memories, archives and records.
Museums Use AI and Chemistry to Restore Ancient Egyptian Scents
From olfactory archaeology of 3,000-year-old mummies to MOF-based electronic noses for healthcare and safety
‘Enormous potential’: UK envoy seeks deeper Israel ties in science, technology and trade
Ambassador Simon Walters tours the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, meeting researchers, investors and industry leaders as Britain seeks new partnerships with Israel in genomics, life sciences, agri-tech, AI and clean tech despite political differences
Undav speaks out on Stuttgart struggles and Germany snub
Six games into VfB Stuttgart's 2026/27 season, captain Deniz Undav is still searching for his first goal.Saturday's 0-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund also proved unsuccessful for the striker, who was ta...
‘No difference’ may be wrong conclusion, scientists warn
Researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Oxford and Arkansas are urging scientists to stop treating “non-significant” results as
Dinosaur fossils, the latest obsession of the ultra-rich: ‘Some enjoy knowing only they can admire it’
Paleontological pieces are fetching millions alongside works of art, a trend experts worry will hamper research
Trump seeks to bring health-research funding under his control, Politico reports
U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to bring a major part of national funding for health research under the control of his political appointees, Politico reported on Saturday.
Trump seeks to bring health-research funding under his control, Politico reports
President Donald Trump is seeking to bring a major part of national funding for health research under the control of his political appointees, Politico reported on Saturday. Trump has directed his b...
Trump Seeks to Bring Health-Research Funding Under His Control, Politico Reports
Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to bring a major part of national funding for health research under the control of his political appointees, Politico reported on Saturday. Trump has directed his budget director, Russ Vought, to draft an executive order to create a ...
AI 'warning shots' focus Beijing on national security risks
While AI researchers in the United States fret over out-of-control superintelligence wiping out humanity, Chinese policymakers have until now been more focused on immediate risks, from deepfakes to child safety.
Phillies reportedly option Orion Kerkering amid rough stretch
Kerkering owns a 15.43 ERA over his last seven outings as the Phillies search for answers in the bullpen.
Trump asked budget chief to draft order bringing health research funding under his control
The move came after the NIH director refused Trump’s request to cut Harvard grants in an Oval Office meeting.
Guardant Health (GH) Will Present 20 Abstracts At WCLC 2026
Guardant Health (NasdaqGS:GH) plans to present 20 abstracts at the World Conference on Lung Cancer 2026. The research covers liquid biopsy, methylation based detection methods, AI driven analysis and real world clinical data in lung cancer. Several abstracts focus on machine learning models aimed at assessing metastasis risk and refining diagnostic workflows for clinicians. Guardant Health's WCLC 2026 abstract slate signals broader research momentum that our work places in a wider context...
Scientists Rewrite the Atomic Structure of Glass While It Melts
Researchers can now rewrite glass chemistry while it is still molten, unlocking properties that extreme heat once made impossible.
LANL: Four Los Alamos Researchers Receive Laboratory Fellows’ Prizes
Virginia Manner, Dru Renner, Dan Hooks and Earl Lawrence. Photo Courtesy LANL LANL NEWS RELEASE Four Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers have been awarded Laboratory Fellows’ Prizes: Virgini…
NC State Alumnus Establishes Full Scholarship for Undergraduate Students in Agriculture Majors
A $10 million gift from NC State alumnus David Peele will give students from eastern North Carolina the opportunity to attend NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with the full cost of attendance covered – and spend four years immersed in the research, mentorship and experiences preparing them to lead the future of agriculture.
Trump says he’s creating an AI force and appointing a czar amid concerns over the rapidly developing technology
The announcement comes as researchers and industry leaders have called for a slowdown in the technology’s development, leading Trump to call the concerns a“hoax.”
Marketing Daily: AI Visibilty Sources Vary Widely By Health Category: Report
To gain more visibility in AI search results, health & wellness CPG brands need to focus on different content strategies depending on product category,
Research suggests some voters using AI to help with midterms information
Researchers predict that more people will use AI to understand elections, and they find a mix of outcomes from voters using AI to understand elections.
In January 2026, researchers completed a drilling project beneath 1,716 feet of ice in West Antarctica, recovering evidence of an ocean that once lay open to sunlight
The discovery rewrites Antarctica's climate history—and raises urgent questions about how quickly ice sheets can collapse.
Power & Politics: Voter registration hearing; New poll on NJ's 7th Congressional District; ICE accused of using Roxbury warehouse
Author of New Jersey Playbook and Politico Reporter Matt Friedman and Founder and Director of Stimsight Research Patrick Murray join the show this week.
Your Kitchen Sponge Has More Bacteria Than a Subway Pole: The Startling Science of What’s Really Living in New York Homes
New Yorkers are famously germ-conscious. We hover over subway poles, elbow-push door handles, and carry hand sanitizer like it’s a fifth borough accessory. But here’s the uncomfortable truth backed by peer-reviewed research: the dirtiest place most New Yorkers touch every single day isn’t on the 4 train — it’s sitting next to their own kitchen […]
UK politics increasingly funded by billionaires as mega-donations surge
A total £179m has been donated by wealthy individuals since 2019, research reveals
This Simple Snack Could Have Surprising Brain Health Benefits, New Study Says
Here’s what the researchers found.
DNA Has a Four-Letter Alphabet. Scientists Just Expanded It to Eight
Researchers showed how a natural bacterial enzyme can accurately transcribe DNA containing four extra genetic letters. Life uses a four-letter DNA alphabet, but could its genetic machinery read a larger one? Researchers at the University of California San Diego have shown that RNA polymerase, the enzyme that copies DNA instructions into RNA, can accurately transcribe
Scientists Sent a Robot 3 Miles Below the Ocean—What It Found Is a Warning
The growing level of pollution in our oceans is troubling, but researchers have revealed just how deep the plastic waste reaches.
Scientists sent a robot 3 miles below the ocean—what it found is a warning
The growing level of pollution in our oceans is troubling, but researchers have revealed just how deep the plastic waste reaches.
Enjoy Mud Hens Opening Day, Walleye game, and Hensville entertainment all in one
Some days bring Toledo together. This one brings the entire city downtown. On Friday, March 26, 2027, we're launching the first-ever Fins and Feathers Festival. It all starts with Mud Hens Opening Day, continues with live music and entertainment throughout Hensville, and concludes with a Toledo Walleye game that night.
China is winning the science race while Washington freezes American innovation
Politically delayed federal research grants freeze medical trials and risk ceding American scientific leadership to China.
The Big Holes in Wearable Heart Rate Variability And Readiness Scores
On September 9th, Apple announced it was revamping its Apple Watch Health Sensing System, rolling out a Readiness score (0 to 10), and increasing the frequency of heart rate variability (HRV) outputs 24-fold. This can be viewed as upping its competition with various other consumer wearable sensors. These “readiness scores” as a composite of multiple metrics, with heart rate variability (HRV) being front and center for most. The majority of Americans are now using wearable sensors, which equates to well over 100 million adults. HRV and Readiness scores are increasingly being marketed as a measurement of autonomic nervous system health, a digital marker for future disease, a clock for biological age, and a holistic metric to promote healthspan and even longevity. (Apple also introduced a new longevity tab and “Health Age”.) None of this has been proven. In this edition of Ground Truths I am going to review what we know about heart rate variability and readiness scores. Heart Rate Variability HRV is the variation in normal heart cycle timing. The variability of the heart rate, the barely perceptible millisecond changes in time between consecutive heart beats (see R-R intervals in the Figure below, left panel), is due to interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal nerve) inputs. Distinct from heart rate, individuals with the same heart rate can have very different HRVs. It is a rough reflection of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, inadequate to say whether a person’s ANS function is abnormal. For more than three decades, heart rate variability (HRV) has been measured and several studies have found an association of low HRV and clinical outcomes, particularly a link with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. There have also been less well established links of low HRV to risk of early cognitive impairment, dementia, mental illness, Type 2 diabetes and substance abuse. An important reminder is that HRV is a surrogate marker without any established cause-and-effect relationship. If you increase your HRV, that doesn’t mean it will improve health outcomes. In fact, there is no hard evidence for that. All that work linking to health outcomes was done with electrocardiogram (ECG) derived HRV. Now, in the era of consumer wearables, this is getting assessed differently, by optical pulse (yes, the lights you see) plethysmography (PPG) or what is called pulse rate variability (PRV). They are not the same, as shown below (right panel) and only concordant when the delay between the ECG and pulse is kept constant, which basically means at rest. I should mention there’s also what I will call MPV, a mattress mechanical movement sensor, a derived heart rate variability, that companies like Eight Sleep use, even further away from directly measuring HRV. HRV has not one uniform measurement but many different types of quantification, such as RMSSD, the magnitude of difference between successive R-R intervals of normal sinus beats (N-N) or SDNN, the standard deviation of NN intervals, both in milliseconds. SDNN is one of the so-called frequency domain HRVs (others are LF, HF, LF/HF). Different wearable sensors use different metics; Apple has relied on SDNN and nearly all of the others use RMSSD, which is generally considered the more accurate metric. There’s also the different length of time measured, such as for a matter of minutes, all day, or an overnight’s sleep. Short measurements are especially problematic since they don’t capture enough of respiratory modulation and other factors that influence HRV. Share Ground Truths How well does HRV correlate with PRV? There are very limited studies, especially independently done. One that is commonly cited was conducted by Air Force researchers in only 13 healthy adults assessing Oura ring 3 and 4, Whoop 4.0, and Garmin Fenix 6 and showed a correlation coefficient of 0.88 to 0.97 and a mean absolute percentage error from 6 to 10%. The correlation is not a perfect 1.0, but there’s at least a fairly high level of correlation. HRV is supposed to increase during the night due to takeover of the parasympathetic nervous system, and higher during deep sleep. A recent example of my 1 week, all day “HRV,” and one during sleep is shown below. As you can see, the N of 1 data are inconsistent for the same days from different sensors (Oura, AppleWatch, Fitbit Air, and Eight Sleep) by patterns, absolute numbers, and comparison with prior days and weeks. The largest study in over 8 million Fitbit users (the old version, not Google Fitbit Air, introduced in May 2026) gives you a sense of the effect of age, sex, and the 2 different main HRV (here PRV) metrics, with RMSSD on the left and SDRR (=SDNN) on the right below. That study, from data collected in 2018, is a major outlier, since all the more recent ones are tiny with respect to sample size. Many of the companies have not had independent evaluation of their HRV, such as Eight Sleep, but have published a low standard error on their website. There are some other published studies on the correlation between HRV and PRV, but they are all small and only in healthy adults. A scoping review emphasized the lack of study in underrepresented individuals, including the aged, people of color (which affects the PPG signal), and individuals who are underweight or obese. Add the typical adult age 60 plus with one or more chronic diseases. For example, one study in over 900 adults found poor correlation of HRV and PRV, non-uniformly underestimated across many chronic diseases (cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, respiratory, and others), concluding PRV is “an invalid surrogate for HRV.” A recent systematic review of 43 studies comparing HRV and PRV found reasonable pooled absolute standardized error (HRV as gold standard) but only 10 of the studies provided quantitative synthesis in ideal conditions. Their main conclusion was similarly cautious: “PPG-derived HRV [PRV] should not be regarded as universally interchangeable with ECG-derived HRV across all devices, populations, and recording contexts.” Factors Affecting HRV and PRV That gets me to the long list of factors that affect HRV (and PRV) besides the device, the type of measurement (RMSSD, SDNN or others), the person’s signal, the sensor site, the duration of data capture, if weighting by sleep stage is used, how artifact is processed and corrected. And this list is not complete!: Oura puts out data from their community of users (who input data) on what affects their overnight HRV. The factors currently provided are: no alcohol (increase 8%), melatonin (increase 2%, float tank (increase 2%), wine (decrease 4%), and party (decrease 14%) in overnight HRV. Must be some big parties! Subscribe What is a PRV measurement good for? It has been falsely characterized as an index of “autonomic balance” and a specific indicator of stress. A 2018 review of the studies available for HRV and its relationship to stress, not using any of the current wearables, found that stress can lower HRV. But so can many other factors. The non-specificity of the signal, indexed to the table above, is striking. Evidence from a UK Biobank study of over 46,000 participants with actual HRV looked at genetically predicted HRV, a genetic risk score, that failed to show the expected HRV-mortality link, indicating that _HRV is likely not causa_l, but rather a reflection of person’s physiologic state. A review of consumer wearable HRV data from 5 longitudinal studies showed that nighttime PRV was not associated with perceived stress, and surprisingly higher HRV, in the largest cohort (N=717 participants), was correlated with higher stress. An Oura ring cohort of 525 first-year college students found a link between overnight PRV and perceived stress, but that was also seen with resting heart rate, sleep, and respiratory rate. Several very small studies have examined the relationship of HRV and athletic injuries or guiding training with mixed, and predominantly negative results. HRV biofeedback training with paced breathing had no significant effect on reducing stress or raising HRV, as demonstrated with sham controlled trials. When HRV for multiple days showed a decline in conjunction with body temperature, the Oura ring published data for prediction of Covid. The WHOOP company sponsored an observational study, published in 2026, of 30,000 users for 72 weeks, without a control group, that reported reduced alcohol intake (5.8 % points) by self-report. That doesn’t tell us much, and particularly about the merits of HRV for behavioral change. If you use the same device and conditions as longitudinal trends for multiple (at least 2-3) weeks that may be the one way to get something useful from the measurements. Data for overnight sleep with minimal motion and using RMSSD is the best proxy for real HRV. The reason to look at trends rather than any given night is that it more likely represents something, even though you won’t know with certainty what the “it” is. Keep in mind there are no data, no peer-reviewed evidence, to show that HRV fluctuation in-person has any correlation with health outcomes. Share Readiness Scores These are proprietary scores that integrate different metrics for each of the wearables: no algorithms have been disclosed. They are unvalidated against health outcomes. In a review of 14 composite health scores of readiness and recovery, HRV contributed 86% to the scores, followed by reading heart rate (79%), physical activity and sleep duration (both at 71%). That review noted the substantial variability in measurement protools and lack of standardization. Sleep staging is notoriously inconsistent and inaccurate by these sensors, which adds further to the HRV uncertainties for what the scores, which use sleep stage data, mean. Only resting heart rate has been shown consistently across devices to be extremely accurate. I’ve made a Table to summarize what we know about which metrics are included, the scores, any peer-reviewed studies that compared the readiness score with health outcomes, and the corresponding (if any, NA-not available) citation. You will note that some companies do not use the term “readiness," such as WHOOP for recovery, and Garmin, which has 2 different scores, one of which is Body Battery. Eight Sleep uses the term “Fitness Score.” They all include HRV; Apple includes a new metric they call “Recovery HRV” which among other components uses 7-days of sleep, but it is unclear what this means or how it is differentiated from other scores (there are clearly no data for outcomes). We have no knowledge of how the different components are weighted or whether any of these scores are better than resting heart rate, HRV alone, physical activity, or any other single metric. Since none of these are standardized, they are not interchangeable, so if you get a 90 for Oura that has no relationship to a 90 on a Google Fitbit Air. Notably, the company can update its algorithm for readiness score at any point without notification to device users. Without any useful evidence of actionability for these scores or established relationship with health outcomes, it is hard to make a case for their value. At the Apple recent announcement they showed their Readiness score (0-10) on the watch (Figure below) but there are no published data on this score, not even on their website. It’s available only on their new Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 [of course, ;-)]. That exemplifies the problems with these scores, lack of data and evidence for being meaningful to promote health. Perhaps the best study (which isn’t saying much) is the WHOOP Recovery for golfer performance, because it did correlate with an objective outcome, even though there was no control group and the authors were all from the company. Among the 389 pro golfers, an absolute 10-per cent point increase in Recovery score was associated with about 0.5 fewer strokes per round. But that’s hardly a health outcome! WHOOP is also conducting a study in over 2,700 runners to see if their recovery score will be linked to less injuries and improved performance, but that is not yet published and has no control group or randomization. Putting This in Context For two decades I’ve been enthusiastic about the potential for digital health and particularly wearable biosensors. Over the years, we’ve seen some great progress for their ability to promote physical activity and accurately detect atrial fibrillation (the first FDA cleared deep learning AI for consumers). That work was the subject of rigorous research. But there are holes in the data and evidence for other metrics. One notable one is the “VO2 max” story that I wrote about earlier this year. At that time many subscribers asked me to cover heart rate variability, which I finally got to here. When I dived into the research and publication for HRV and readiness scores, I expected to find at least some that were of high quality and demonstrated their utility by linkage to health outcomes. To my surprise, I found none. The wearable sensor measurements for HRV (PRV) are, for the most part, accurate, but that validation work has only been done in small studies of healthy adults and does not take into account the long list of factors, from the device, software side, and the user side, that affect HRV measurements. Moreover, this metric chiefly relies on optical sensing and, as we have learned for heart rate PPG sensing, may be less accurate in people of color. Keep in mind that all of the health outcome association evidence comes from ECG-derived HRV; none are from wearable sensor data. I will repeat the key point: there's no peer-reviewed evidence to show that in-person HRV fluctuation—or efforts to raise your HRV— has any correlation with health outcomes. For those of you who look at your HRV on awakening, or even 2+ week trends of it being low, I hope this context helps to relieve any anxiety. Yes, low HRV (not PRV) has been shown to increase risk of some diseases as summarized above. But efforts to raise your HRV—a surrogate metric— has not been established for improving any health outcomes. HRV does not have any evidence of causality (the genetic evidence actually goes against this possibility). In this summary, I have not included data for other wearable sensors such as Polar, Samsung, Withings, Suunto, Amazfit, Coros, Ultrahuman, or additional mattress sensors. These are beyond my first-hand experience, and as far as I know from my in-depth review none have any peer-reviewed published data that differ from the 6 sensors I’ve reviewed here. From the points I’ve gone over above, we’re not ready for readiness scores. Besides being proprietary, they are predominantly based on metrics that have their own issues. It’s compounding the problem, like building a house without a solid foundation that has never undergone a rigorous inspection, and then selling it. Like I mentioned for PRV, you can look at trends over weeks rather than any single day, to get a handle, but even that may not be helpful. There’s simply no evidence that these scores meaningfully relate to health outcomes. I’d emphasize they might, but that requires doing prospective or randomized studies to prove it. None exist. There’s great promise for HRV/PRV utility_. For example**,**_ Prof Maiken Nedergaard, who discovered the brain glymphatics that are essential in eliminating metabolic waste products from the brain during sleep, has posited that HRV could be a non-invasive marker for neuromodulator oscillations, brain-body regulatory circuits, and brain clearance. That would be extremely useful, but like everything else on HRV and readiness scores it requires solid research and validation. The lay media isn’t helping much to get the story straight. Earlier this year The Economist published a piece entitled “The most useful indicator of your overall health” which ordained HRV as an “accumulated stress score.” That’s akin to the false assertion about VO2max: “V02 max is the singular most powerful marker for longevity.” As I’ve summarized here, that is not established. The fact is that so many things can lower HRV, including physical exercise (especially an intense workout), reduced sleep quality, stress, the list above, no less the device, signal, and software. Whatever fluctuations observed have not been correlated with any health outcome. Sadly, “datamaxxers” are widely using HRV and readiness scores that have never been validated to mean anything. We already know that for some people using the sensors for sleep metrics, it can induce “orthosomnia,” an obsession to get high sleep quality, with associated high levels of anxiety. In an experiment done by a company to promote sleep quality for its employees, “For those employees who did use the trackers, many reported feeling perfectly rested until their tracker told them they had had a terrible night. Others were told that they had slept like a baby when they had actually been lying awake worrying about the quality of their sleep. “ The same problem can result from preoccupation with HRV or readiness scores, with anxiety that would lead to further reduction in both. It you are using a wearable like >100 million American adults, it’s OK to look at these data, but contextualized with the major caveats reviewed here. If you are one to require evidence that HRV or readiness scores are linked to health outcomes, you may not even want to look. The companies make it hard to turn them off! Let me end with the companies that make and sell wearables. Apple’s doubling down on HRV (24-fold more reporting and heart rate very 5 seconds) and introduction of a Readiness score tells us that consumers have bought into these metrics and they are joining the club. However, all of this is occurring with a backdrop of tens millions of users, claims about the data that are not backed up by adequate evidence, marketing way out in front of whatever limited data exists, and not being transparent about their readiness score algorithms. The companies can well afford to do the research that is needed to connect these metrics with health outcomes show, once and for all, that increasing HRV or using readiness scores promotes our health. If they believed and invested in the products they are selling, we’d not be in this position of not knowing. That’s essentially where we are with HRV and readiness scores. Perhaps someday this will change and we’ll have good reason to embrace them. NB: I wrote this post. No AI. I have no conflicts of interest with any of its content. Loading... Ground Truths has 215,000 subscribers from every US state and 214 countries. There are over 300,000 followers of Ground Truths so more than 90,000 folks who can easily convert to be free subscribers. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. If you’re not a subscriber, please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths The proceeds from all voluntary paid subscriptions go to support our summer internship program. It enabled us to accept and support a record number of 62 summer interns that joined us in 2026! These are high school, college and medical students selected from thousands of applicants. We couldn’t do this expanded program without the funds coming in through Ground Truths. Thank you!