DIGITAL LIFE

How can you use your phone less? 7 science-backed strategies to reduce screen time

You pick up your phone to reply to a message, and before you know it, half an hour has passed while you’ve been scrolling through social media. This behavior is becoming increasingly common, turning minor distractions into hours spent in front of a screen. However, science shows that cutting back on smartphone use isn’t just a matter of willpower. Certain changes to your environment, device settings, and daily routine can help you regain control over your time.

While these devices can enhance learning and build community, they can also interfere with everything from sleep to creativity.

Pediatrician Michael Rich, MD ’91, MPH ’97, wants to understand how—and help children and parents manage their online behavior in this ever-changing digital landscape.

“It’s not how long we’re using screens that really matters; it’s how we’re using them and what’s happening in our brains in response,” says Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital, associate professor of pediatrics at HMS, and associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The growing human brain is constantly building neural connections while pruning away less-used ones, and digital media use plays an active role in that process, according to Rich. Much of what happens on screen provides “impoverished” stimulation of the developing brain compared to reality, he says. Children need a diverse menu of online and offline experiences, including the chance to let their minds wander. “Boredom is the space in which creativity and imagination happen,” he says.

A good night’s sleep is also key to brain development, and HMS researchers have shown that using blue light-emitting screen devices like smartphones before bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing secretion of the hormone melatonin. Many teens who stay up late texting are not only getting less shut-eye, they’re also lacking the deep REM sleep essential for processing and storing information from that day into memory. “So even if they stay awake in algebra class,” Rich says, “they may not remember what happened in class yesterday.”

The center’s Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders treats young people whose excessive gaming, social media, and other online activities are affecting their health and daily lives at home and school. Rich says these seductive digital pursuits appear to activate the brain’s reward system. “Virtually all games and social media work on what’s called a variable reward system, which is exactly what you get when you go to Mohegan Sun and pull a lever on a slot machine. It balances the hope that you’re going to make it big with a little bit of frustration, and unlike the slot machine, a sense of skill needed to improve.” A young person’s brain lacks a fully developed self-control system to help them with stopping this kind of obsessive behavior.

The experience of growing up today, as youth move seamlessly between online and offline environments, is the focus of an international research project that Rich is leading. The Growing Up Digital (GUD) Study is now underway in Canada, with plans to expand to Australia, Finland, and eventually all six populated continents in partnership with the nonprofit Sesame Workshop. The investigators plan to follow 3,000 to 5,000 youths over 10 years, examining the impact of digital technology on their physical, mental, and social well-being. Because this technology is evolving so rapidly, findings from the Global GUD participatory research will be released in an ongoing way so that health and educational professionals, parents, and youth can implement positive changes in real time.

In the meantime, Rich urges a balanced approach to screen use. “We have to be flexible enough to evolve with the technology but choose how to use it right. Fire was a great discovery to cook our food, but we had to learn it could hurt and kill as well,” he says. “We don’t want to be in a moral panic because kids are staring at smartphones. We need to be asking, what’s happening when they’re staring at their smartphone in terms of their cognitive, social, and emotional development? As with most things, it will probably be a mix of positive and negative. 

One of the more intriguing strategies is to remove color from your screen.

1- Turn your phone screen black and white...Apps use vibrant images, animations, and visual elements to make the user experience more engaging. By switching to grayscale, your phone may lose some of that appeal.

A study from the University of Amsterdam, published in 2024 in the journal *Mobile Media & Communication*, tracked 84 participants over the course of two weeks.

The results showed that using a smartphone in black and white reduced daily screen time by an average of approximately 20 minutes.

Participants also reported a greater sense of control over their own usage. However, the number of times they unlocked their devices did not decrease significantly.

The study is available in the University of Amsterdam’s scientific repository.

2- Disable non-essential notifications...Every alert can interrupt what you are doing and trigger an urge to check your device.

A practical step is to keep notifications enabled only for essential apps—such as those for important messages, appointments, or security services. However, science reveals an unexpected detail.

An experiment involving 205 participants, published in the journal *Media Psychology*, found that disabling notifications for a week did not significantly reduce screen time or the frequency with which people checked their phones.

The researchers did note, however, that participants perceived their own behavior as being more intentional. Therefore, silencing alerts may help manage interruptions, but it does not necessarily eliminate the habit of checking your smartphone.

3-Set time limits for apps...Tools available on both Android and iPhone allow you to track how much time you spend in each app and set daily limits. The first step is to identify which platforms consume the most of your time.

Next, it is worth setting realistic goals. For instance, if you use a particular social media platform for two hours a day, you could start by gradually reducing that time.

An experiment published in the journal *Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking* compared strategies for limiting usage against changes to a phone’s visual settings.

The research showed that digital interventions can help modify habits, though their effectiveness varies depending on the specific strategy and the individual’s behavior.

4-Keep your phone away from your bed...Sleeping with your smartphone within reach makes it easier to give in to the temptation to check messages before going to sleep or immediately upon waking up.

One alternative is to leave the device on another piece of furniture or outside the bedroom, whenever possible.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky investigated an intervention that combined several changes, including moving the phone away from the bed, removing social media icons from the home screen, and enabling grayscale mode.

Participants reported improvements in sleep quality, productivity, and face-to-face interactions.

Because these changes were implemented together and the results were based on participant self-reports, it is not possible to attribute the benefits solely to the distance between the phone and the bed. The study was published in the *American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education*.

5-Make accessing social media more difficult...The easier it is to open an app, the greater the tendency to use it automatically. One strategy is to remove social media icons from your home screen, disable automatic login, or use these platforms only at specific, designated times.

These small barriers are known as "behavioral frictions." The idea is to interrupt the automatic gesture of opening an app and create a moment to decide whether it is truly worth using.

The goal is not to abandon technology, but to transform an impulsive action into a conscious choice.

6-Replace screen time with enjoyable activities...Reducing mobile phone use can be more difficult when there is no engaging alternative to fill the time.

Going for a walk, reading, cooking, exercising, or meeting up with friends are all ways to replace some of your digital consumption.

The importance of this shift is highlighted in a study published in February 2025 in the journal *BMC Medicine*.

The researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial to investigate the effects of reducing screen time on mental health.

The results indicated improvements in indicators of psychological well-being among participants who reduced their smartphone use.

This does not mean that any use of a mobile phone is harmful, but it does suggest that cutting back on excessive use can be beneficial for some people.

7-Start with small changes and track the results...Trying to give up your phone completely overnight may be unrealistic, especially for those who rely on it for work, study, or communication.

One alternative is to begin with short periods without the device—for example, during meals or in the first few minutes after waking up. It is also worth keeping an eye on your weekly screen-time reports to identify any changes.

The most important thing is to set goals that are sustainable.

There is no universal number of hours that defines when smartphone use becomes harmful. One must also consider the context, the activities being performed, and the impact on sleep, work, and personal relationships.

The key takeaway from this research is that reducing mobile phone use does not necessarily mean using less technology, but rather using it more mindfully.

Scientific research and public health organizations—such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and Harvard Medical School—recommend a combination of age-based limits, behavioral boundaries, and environmental modifications to manage and reduce screen time effectively.

Recommended limits by age:

• Under 2 years: Zero screen time (except for live video-chatting with family).

• Ages 2 to 5: Maximum of 1 hour per day of high-quality, co-viewed programing.

• Ages 5 to 17: Maximum of 2 hours per day of recreational screen time (excluding schoolwork).

• Adults: General public health guidance points to keeping recreational use around 2 hours or being mindful of heavy use (exceeding 7 hours daily), which correlates with physical and mental strain.

Science-backed strategies to reduce screen time:

• Establish Screen-Free Zones: Keep phones, tablets, and TVs out of bedrooms to protect sleep quality, as blue light and evening stimulation suppress melatonin production.

• Set Tech-Free Curfews: Turn off or put away all screens at least 1 to 2 hours before bedtime.

• Enforce Mealtime Rules: Make dining areas completely device-free for both children and adults to encourage face-to-face communication.

• Turn Off Non-Essential Notifications: Disable alerts from social media and non-critical apps to prevent continuous cognitive interruptions and "doomscrolling".

• Use Behavioral Friction: Hide social media apps off the main home screen, set screen-time tracking timers, or turn device displays to greyscale to make phone use less rewarding and engaging.

• Encourage Alternative Activities: Replace idle scrolling with physical exercise, outdoor time, hobbies, or unstructured boredom, which science links to higher creativity and better emotional well-being

mundophone

LG

Samsung Rollable reportedly expands compact 16:9 display at the touch of a button

Samsung is reportedly developing a smartphone with a rollable display that could be significantly more compact than the LG Rollable. An exceptionally reliable leaker has now revealed the first details about this Samsung Rollable.

Samsung is reportedly developing a handset whose OLED panel extends vertically rather than horizontally when unrolled, a design that would let the device stay pocketable while offering a much taller canvas for video and multitasking.

The claim comes from the well-known leaker Ice Universe, who said the screen shifts from a 16:9 aspect ratio in its rolled-up state to 21:9 when fully extended. Partial unrolling is also said to be possible, meaning users could stop the panel at an intermediate size instead of choosing between two fixed formats.

The approach differs from earlier attempts at the category. LG's long-teased Rollable, shown off in prototype form in 2021, was designed to widen sideways; LG pulled out of the smartphone business entirely just before that product was due to reach shelves, and no rollable handset has reached the market since. Foldables have filled the gap instead, and the form factor has become a fixture of premium lineups.

According to the leak, the engineering hurdle is interior space. The mechanism that extends the display is said to consume a substantial amount of room inside the chassis, leaving Samsung with the task of packaging a battery large enough to keep runtime competitive when the screen is fully stretched out. A larger panel draws more power, so the trade-off between the roll mechanism and cell capacity is likely to shape the final design.

Timing remains unclear. The information is described as very early, and a commercial launch could be years away if the plans hold at all. Samsung has not commented on the report.

Separately, Samsung continues to push the boundaries of large-format flexible screens in tablets. SamMobile reported on a development model that unfolds from an 8-inch slate into a 17-inch tablet, with two designs under consideration. One folds outward, producing screens on both the front and back of the folded device, with one side switching off when closed; the other folds inward in the manner of current foldable phones and pairs the main panel with an 8-inch cover display. The outward design raises durability questions because the display is always exposed, while the inward version adds cost, thickness and weight by requiring two panels.

Samsung's display arm has built a deep portfolio of folding and bending technologies, work that underpins the company's multi-fold phones and has fueled speculation about devices with even more hinges. The 17-inch tablet concept and the rollable phone sit at different points on that roadmap, but both depend on the same underlying flexible-panel capability.

For the market, a vertically extending phone would represent a third path alongside book-style foldables and clamshells. A compact 16:9 device that becomes a tall 21:9 screen could appeal to users who want a bigger viewing area without the width that makes foldables awkward to hold. Any commercial launch would also test whether consumers will pay a premium for a motorized mechanism whose long-term durability is unproven.

The LG Rollable was supposed to demonstrate back in 2021 that rollable displays were ready for the market and were a genuine alternative to foldables. However, LG exited the smartphone market entirely shortly before this model's launch. Since then, foldables such as the Motorola Razr Fold ($2,299 on Amazon) have become increasingly popular, but a smartphone with a rollable display still does not exist.

That could soon change, according to information from leaker Ice Universe, as Samsung is reportedly developing a smartphone with a rollable OLED display. Unlike the LG Rollable, this smartphone is said to become taller rather than wider when the panel is unrolled. This has the advantage that the device could be relatively compact when rolled up. The display's aspect ratio reportedly increases from 16:9 when rolled up to 21:9 when the device is fully unrolled, although it should also be possible to unroll the screen only partially.

However, the mechanism for unrolling the display is said to take up a lot of space inside the chassis. For this reason, Samsung reportedly faces the challenge of fitting a sufficiently large battery into this rollable to deliver competitive battery life even with the display fully unrolled. It is not yet known when this rollable will hit the market. Since these are still very early rumors, the launch could still be years away, assuming Samsung's plans do not change.

Battery space could be the biggest compromise...Ice Universe identifies battery capacity as a potential obstacle. The sliding mechanism would reportedly occupy a substantial amount of internal space, leaving less room for the battery.

That could become a defining engineering challenge. Samsung would need to accommodate both the expandable display hardware and the components expected in a modern smartphone without making an unacceptable compromise on battery capacity.

No battery specification has been disclosed, so the warning should not be interpreted as evidence of poor endurance. It instead highlights a possible trade-off that the company would need to address if the design reaches production.

Earlier report pointed to Galaxy Z Slide 2028 launch...The latest rumour follows a June report suggesting Samsung was targeting the first half of 2028 for its first rollable-screen smartphone. That report said Samsung Display was discussing the supply of rollable panels with Samsung Electronics.

Galaxy Z Slide was mentioned as a possible product name. Samsung has also previously trademarked Z Roll, providing another potential branding option. Neither name confirms what the finished device would be called, and the trademark alone does not establish a launch plan.

It also remains unclear whether the vertically expanding phone described in the latest rumour is the same project discussed in June. The two reports should not be treated as confirmation of a single device or a fixed release schedule.

Samsung has also explored side-expanding designs...A Samsung patent reported earlier this year described a different approach: a rollable smartphone that expands sideways and includes a movable rear camera module. The camera assembly would shift as the screen extended, with sensors monitoring changes in the device’s configuration.

That concept differs from the vertically extending design now attributed to Ice Universe. Together, the reports suggest Samsung is examining more than one way to build an expandable smartphone, rather than necessarily working towards a single settled form factor.

A patent, however, is evidence of an explored concept—not proof that the hardware will become a commercial product.

The appeal of Samsung’s rumoured design lies in its ability to offer different screen proportions within one handset. The challenge is making that flexibility useful enough to justify the space occupied by the mechanism.

For now, the vertical expansion system, proposed aspect ratios and battery concerns all remain part of an unconfirmed report. Earlier coverage provides a possible 2028 timeframe for Samsung’s rollable ambitions, but there is no confirmed connection between that schedule and this particular design.

 

mundophone

 

TECH

A new modelling approach could make it easier to predict home energy use

Residential energy consumption plays a crucial role in the overall energy landscape, and it accounts for a significant portion of global energy demand. This sector encompasses various energy-intensive activities, including space heating, water heating, lighting, and the operation of electric appliances and devices in millions of households worldwide. The global population continues to grow, which leads to an increase in the number of residential units, and subsequently to higher energy requirements in meeting basic living needs. Additionally, rapid urbanization and improved living standards in many regions have resulted in increased energy consumption per household. The sector’s energy demand is further influenced by factors such as population density, climate conditions, building characteristics, and socio-economic factors. It is therefore crucial to understand and address the complexities of energy consumption to transition to a low-carbon future.

Energy fuels economic growth by powering industries, transportation, and essential services. As societies continuously evolve and technology becomes more pervasive, energy needs continue to increase. Nevertheless, the world is grappling with the adverse consequences of excessive energy use, such as greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and resource depletion. It is therefore imperative to recognize that energy use is inextricably linked to global challenges, which makes it vital to explore diverse sustainable practices to find those that balance economic growth with environmental responsibility.

Improving energy efficiency and promoting sustainable energy practices have emerged as critical global priorities to reduce energy consumption in the residential sector. The understanding of residential energy consumption patterns is a crucial step to design effective policies, implement targeted interventions, develop sustainable energy systems, and reduce our environmental footprint. Mitigating energy consumption in the residential sector requires a multi-faceted approach. Key strategies include the promotion of energy-efficient technologies, behavioral changes, and policy interventions. Adopting energy-efficient appliances, optimizing heating and cooling systems, implementing better insulation, and utilizing renewable energy sources are all effective measures through which to reduce energy consumption.

Researchers studied many tools and technologies that facilitate the reduction in energy consumption in households. For example, smart meters can, depending on the technology and legal situation, enable real-time energy monitoring, which empowers homeowners to track and improve their consumption. Home energy management systems  allow for the automatic control and adjustment of energy demand and price signals based on electrical equipment. In addition, the development of energy storage and distributed energy resources offer opportunities to efficiently integrate renewable energy sources in residential systems.

Modeling plays an important role in shaping our understanding of energy use patterns and potential pathways toward sustainability. It also provides a systematic framework through which to analyze the complex interplay of the various factors influencing residential energy use. The developed mathematical and computational models that simulate energy use offer a systematic and structured approach in studying this field.

Predicting how much energy individual homes consume is a persistent challenge for researchers and urban planners. Models often group houses into broad categories based on their age or other characteristics, overlooking differences in their size, construction and energy performance.

A new approach developed by Concordia researchers with colleagues at McGill University, Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council Canada, could make these predictions considerably more accurate. As described in the journal Energy & Buildings, the model offers a better way to assess energy use across residential neighbourhoods and identify opportunities for reducing consumption.

Their method, called Three-Layer Filtering, progressively refines how buildings are represented in urban building energy modeling. These computer models help researchers understand energy consumption across neighbourhoods and cities, and can inform decisions about building efficiency and decarbonization, the researchers say.

The team tested their model on 100 randomly selected detached houses in Montreal that use electric baseboard heating. They found their approach reduced the average error in predicting individual homes' annual electricity consumption from 80.7 per cent when using existing methods to just 4.3 per cent, providing more accurate data for urban planners and utility officials.

Analysis by archetype...The first step narrows the analysis to comparable buildings, avoiding comparisons between fundamentally different types of homes. The second groups houses according to several characteristics, including construction year, floor area, number of storeys, volume and estimated energy performance, rather than relying on age alone. The houses are then grouped into seven distinct clusters based on their similarities, with each cluster representing an archetype.

In the final step, the researchers adjust the model for individual houses based on their corresponding archetypes. Machine-learning tools help identify the building characteristics that most influence energy consumption, while a simplified version of the model learns from detailed energy simulations to quickly estimate energy consumption under different parameters. Together these measures significantly reduce the computing power needed to make these adjustments.

After the initial grouping, the average prediction error fell to 23.3 per cent. Following individual calibration, 83 per cent of the houses had predictions within five per cent of their measured annual electricity consumption.

This approach avoids having to build and run a separate, resource-intensive model for each property. This could make detailed, building-level energy estimates more practical for municipalities working with large housing stocks, rather than limiting them to small samples or broad neighbourhood averages.

The simplified computational approach offers an additional speed advantage. In a test involving one representative house, the researchers' streamlined model performed almost 22 times faster than conventional simulations, while producing comparable results.

A scalable model for a diverse country...The findings suggest that more accurate, building-specific energy estimates could eventually help municipalities identify homes with high energy consumption, prioritize retrofits and plan the transition to more efficient buildings.

“A city like Montreal is made up of many different neighbourhoods, and each one has a unique energy consumption pattern,” says lead author Wei Zhou, a PhD candidate at the Centre for Zero Energy Building Studies (CZEBS) in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

“With our model, urban planners can do a speedy and accurate analysis of specific areas and determine which retrofit scenario is most appropriate.”

While the study remains a proof of concept, Zhou says it is scalable to other cities, building stocks, heating systems and climates.

A new modeling approach called Three-Layer Filtering developed by researchers at Concordia University, McGill University, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Research Council Canada significantly improves the prediction of home energy use.

How the tree-layer filtering approach works:

• Progressive Refinement: Instead of building heavy, separate computer models for every single house, the method progressively refines how buildings are represented within urban housing stocks.

• Archetype Grouping: Buildings are initially grouped and adjusted based on corresponding architectural archetypes.

• Machine Learning & Simplification: Machine-learning tools identify which specific building traits drive energy use the most, while a streamlined model learns from detailed energy simulations to evaluate different parameters quickly.

Performance and results:

• Accuracy: Tested on 100 detached homes in Montreal using electric baseboard heating, the method cut the average error in predicting annual electricity consumption from 80.7% down to 4.3%.

• Individual Calibration: After individual adjustments, 83% of the homes had predictions within 5% of their actual measured annual electricity consumption.

• Speed: The streamlined computational approach performed nearly 22 times faster than conventional energy simulations.

Researchers at Concordia University, alongside partners at McGill University, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Research Council Canada, have developed a new urban building energy modeling approach called Three-Layer Filtering.

As detailed in the journal Energy & Buildings, the method significantly improves how residential electricity and energy consumption are predicted across neighborhoods.

Key details of the model:

• Three-Layer Filtering: The method progressively refines how individual buildings and entire housing stocks are represented in computer models, avoiding the need to run heavy, separate simulations for every single property.

• Accuracy Improvement: In a test of 100 randomly selected detached houses in Montreal with electric baseboard heating, the approach cut the average error in predicting annual electricity consumption from 80.7% down to 4.3%.

• Calibration Milestones:

• After initial grouping by archetype, average prediction error dropped to 23.3%.

• After individual calibration via machine-learning and simplified simulation tools, 83% of the houses had predictions within 5% of their actual measured annual electricity use.

• Scalability: While tested in Montreal, researchers note the proof-of-concept framework is designed to scale across different cities, building types, heating equipment, and climates to assist urban planners and utility companies with retrofit planning.

mundophone

TECH

Fabric molds could bring material-saving concrete beams within reach

Topology optimization is a computer design method that can help engineers design beams using reduced amounts of concrete and steel. But those intricate shapes produced from the tool are often too complex or expensive to pour into conventional rigid molds. The few that have been built have mostly relied on specialized equipment, such as concrete 3D printers or machine-carved molds, equipment that is out of reach in regions where new construction is expected to grow.  

Now, MIT engineers have shown that highly efficient beams can be cast in something more accessible: sewn fabric. In a paper published in the Journal of Building Engineering, the team designed and built a 3-meter (about 10-foot) test beam using fabric molds created through an automated pattern-making process. Compared with a conventional beam designed to carry the same weight, the optimized beam used about one-third as much concrete and half as much steel reinforcement. When tested, its measured response was within about 2 percent of what the team's computer model predicted.

Fabric formwork, in which concrete is poured into a mold made of textile, has been explored for years to create beams that vary in depth, rather than in rectangular shapes common in construction. But because fabric deforms under the weight of wet concrete, that flexibility has made the final shape hard to predict.

“The key realization was that this flexibility is not just a limitation to manage; with the right computational pattern design, it can become a way to produce optimized structural forms,” says Josephine Carstensen, the Gilbert W. Winslow (1937) Career Development Professor in Civil Engineering and senior author of the study.

Fabric molds can also be inexpensive, lightweight, and fast compared to wood or steel molds. “You could sew a formwork together off site, pack it into a box, and bring it to a job site very easily,” says Jackson Jewett PhD ’25, co-author of the study. “We joke that we are developing the H&M of the construction industry.” 

Less material, lower carbon...Cement production accounts for roughly 8 percent of human-caused carbon emissions. 

“This work addresses concrete’s climate footprint primarily by reducing material demand,” Carstensen says. “Cement production is highly carbon-intensive, so using less concrete is an important part of decarbonizing construction.”

Where new construction happens matters, too. The world’s number of buildings is expected to nearly double by 2050, with about 85 percent of that growth in developing countries, where access to advanced construction equipment is often limited. That is why, Carstensen says, the team focused on an accessible, cost-conscious fabrication approach.

Designing the beam...Concrete is strong when compressed, but weak when pulled, so it’s reinforced with steel that can handle the pulling forces. The researchers first mapped a path for the steel reinforcement using a method called graphic statics, which can generate structural designs almost instantly. They used it to shape the steel bar so that it carries an equal share of the weight along its entire length to keep the reinforcement simple enough for builders to make. Topology optimization, which works more slowly but can place material freely, was used to determine where concrete was needed and where material could be removed from areas where it contributes little to the structural performance.

“Both methods are good at different things, so we tried to combine the strengths of both into a single methodology,” says Jewett.

The resulting beam has a top section, narrow angled legs, and a thin bottom section for the steel reinforcement. The team’s automated process translated the 3D beam design into flat fabric pieces that can be cut and sewn into a mold, accounting for how the fabric will deform once concrete is poured in. A simple timber frame supported the finished fabric mold.

Mark Hellrich SM ’26, lead author of a new study on fabric molds for concrete, scans fabric-formed beams in the lab to compare their shape with the original computer design. Credits: Emily Whiting

Watching the beam take shape...For Mark Hellrich SM ’26, the study’s lead author, the main hands-on challenge was getting the concrete mix right. Woven cotton fabric lets water seep through, so a mix that is too runny loses water through the mold. It also presses harder against the fabric, pushing it away from the intended shape.

The team used a moderately wet, sand-rich mix with only small stones, so the concrete could flow through the beam’s narrow, angled legs and thin bottom section without getting stuck. They then packed it in by hand, prodding each layer and tapping and kneading the fabric from the outside.

“This is where the flexibility of the mold becomes an advantage: you can work the concrete through the interconnected passages without a vibrator, which a rigid mold of this shape would need,” says Hellrich. A concrete vibrator is a tool typically used to shake air pockets out of freshly poured concrete in rigid molds. 

Once the concrete was in place, the wet fabric revealed the beam’s final shape. “All three beams were free of wrinkles and creases,” says Hellrich. The top surface stayed close to the design, while the main difference was a downward sag along the bottom, with the angled legs folding slightly inward.

Finding the right fabric mold...To find out how much sewing precision the beam needs, the team built three molds for the same design, made from 36, 56, and 76 fabric pieces. Comparing the 3D scans of the cast beams with the target design, the researchers found that more seams gave finer control over the details, but did not necessarily make the beam’s overall shape more accurate.

“More seams improve local control because they divide the fabric into smaller, more constrained panels. But a more complex pattern also has more pieces to align and more seam length, so small cutting, sewing, and assembly inaccuracies can accumulate across the mold, explains Carstensen.

The 56-piece mold demonstrated the best balance, capturing the important design geometry without the added time, effort, and potential errors associated with the most complex pattern.

The researchers then load-tested one of the beams, gradually stacking 36 water-filled buckets on top of it, up to about 30 percent of its design load to reflect everyday service conditions. Weighted lines hung from the beam’s underside to precise measuring gauges below, tracking how far the beam bent as the load was added and removed. At the beam’s center, the measured deflection — its downward movement under the load — was within about 2 percent of the computer model’s prediction.

Where it fits in the real world...The team also compared the cost of a single fabric-formed beam with a conventional one and found that location makes all the difference. In the Global South, where materials tend to cost more relative to labor, all three fabric versions were cheaper, with savings of about 10 to 20 percent. In the Global North, higher labor costs for sewing reversed that advantage, making the fabric versions about 16 to 55 percent more expensive.

The findings suggest that fabric formwork is most promising for custom-shaped concrete components produced as a one-off or in small batches, such as exposed beams, roof or long-span framing, pedestrian structures, and landscape elements. For the repetitive, rectangular beams found in most buildings, conventional reusable molds remain the more economical choice where labor is expensive.

“To get started, a builder would need the digital pattern for the target component, a sewing machine and suitable fabric, and a simple timber support frame,” Carstensen says. “That is a much lower equipment threshold than robotic fabrication, concrete 3D printing, or CNC-milled molds.”

The researchers describe the 3-meter beam as a proof of concept comparable to a short building span. It is also a big step up from the 1.2-meter beam the team built in a previous project, Jewett notes.

Building bigger isn’t just a matter of enlarging the design, Carstensen notes. As a beam gets longer, its own weight and the pressure on the fabric mold change, so a larger beam would need a new design. The next step, Carstensen says, is “to test multiple beams to failure.”  

“The nice thing about these optimization methods is they generate structures that look organic,” Jewett says. “Their geometries are clear expressions of how the forces move through the structural system. There is elegance to them. It makes you ask why we don’t design all our structures in this way.”

MIT News engineers have developed a method that uses sewn fabric formwork to create computer-optimized concrete beams.

Project details:

• Material savings: The 3-meter test beam uses about one-third the amount of concrete and half the steel of a conventional beam with the same load-bearing capacity.

• Technology: The researchers used topology optimization—a computational design method—combined with an automated process for creating fabric formwork.

• Practical advantage: Instead of relying on expensive rigid molds, 3D concrete printing, or machining equipment—which can be difficult to access in rapidly growing regions—the use of flexible, sewn fabric makes the process more affordable and accessible.

• Ideal applications: The method shows promise for unique or small-batch components, such as exposed beams and pedestrian structures.

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Even modest sleep loss may leave people more vulnerable to email scams

A poor sleep schedule doesn’t only affect your overall mood, energy levels, and long-term health. New evidence indicates that losing as little as one hour of rest may increase your chance of falling for an online scam by over 10 percent the following morning. Neurobiologists at the University of California, Irvine, laid out their findings in a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), arguing that even minimal sleep disruptions can have almost immediate consequences.

“Our results demonstrate that even though you may not be aware of it, lack of sleep leads to impulsive choices, and you may lose more than you gain from putting sleep on the back burner,” said UC Irvine neurobiologist and study co-author Eitan Schechtman.

If you have already fallen prey to a scam email in the past, you can at least take some small comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t alone. Cybercrimes continue to increase exponentially in the United States. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over one million reports in 2025—a nearly 25 percent increase from only five years earlier.

Remaining aware of con artist tactics and staying up-to-date on personal cybersecurity strategies are some of the best ways to protect yourself. However, Schechtman and his colleagues recently wondered if something as seemingly inconsequential as a single evening of bad sleep may also put people at risk for schemes like an email phishing attack. To investigate, the team partnered with a large, unnamed company as it ran a cybersecurity awareness campaign for more than 11,000 employees. Multiple times a year, the company’s IT department issued emails imitating phishing attempts, then tallied how many workers clicked through the fake malicious links. Schechtman’s team then analyzed results both before the switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST), as well as the Monday after employees lost an hour of sleep.

On the Monday prior to DST, workers clicked on a phishing email link about 15.5 percent. of the time. Then, the Monday immediately following DST saw that rate rise to about 17.7 percent. That may not seem like much, but the difference comes out to about a 13 percent increase in phishing victims after losing approximately just one hour of sleep. According to Schechtman, there are multiple ways to contextualize these results.

“First, they give us a peek into the effects of very minor sleep loss… [from] Daylight Saving Time, which is similar in scope to the kind of sleep loss that many of us experience daily,” he said. “Although we focused on cybersecurity, many of our day-to-day decisions are likely compromised in similar ways.”

Schechtman hopes both employers and cybersecurity companies take regularly sleep-depriving events like DST, holidays, and even primetime sporting events into consideration when advising the public on phishing awareness. In the meantime, he stressed that even those who regularly suffer from sleep issues continue to prioritize their rest as much as possible.

Why are people more vulnerable to phishing scams when multitasking, and what does your research reveal about how our brains process these threats?

When we multitask, our mental resources become stretched, making it harder to focus. For instance, if we are deeply engaged in tasks like analyzing data, writing a report, or browsing the web, and a phishing email arrives, our ability to detect it accurately can drop significantly.

The more mentally demanding the task we’re working on (referred to as high working memory load), the harder it is to shift our attention and properly evaluate the suspicious message.

Our study shows that high working memory load during multitasking impairs the brain’s ability to notice subtle warning signs that something might be off.

In these moments, we are more likely to miss red flags in phishing emails and click on malicious links without questioning their legitimacy.

Your study found that simple cues can improve phishing detection. What might these cues look like in real-world settings?

Goal activation cues are small, timely reminders that bring the “think before you click” mindset back to the forefront right before someone interacts with a suspicious message.

In everyday environments, this could include:

-Pop-up reminders: A brief message like “Be cautious! This email might be suspicious” that appears when opening emails.

-Nudges during multitasking: Systems that detect when users are multitasking (e.g., rapidly switching between apps) or working on complex tasks. In those circumstances, when users shift to checking email or responding to a pop-up message, a gentle prompt can remind them to stay alert.

-Visual cues: Subtle interface cues like a colour change, warning icon, or sound notification, can signal that a message might be suspicious.

Our research shows these cues are most effective when delivered just in time, especially during high workload moments when users are most distracted.

Rather than adding more information, these cues work by reactivating the mental goal of phishing detection, helping users refocus and make safer decisions.

How does the framing of phishing messages affect our ability to spot them?

Phishing messages often use gain framing (e.g., “Claim your reward!”) or loss framing (e.g., “Your account will be locked!”) to manipulate recipients.

Loss-framed messages tend to trigger stronger self-protection instincts and vigilance, making people more likely to recognize them as suspicious. In contrast, gain-framed messages are less likely to raise immediate concern, which makes them harder to detect, especially when people are multitasking and under high cognitive load.

Our research shows that goal activation cues are particularly effective for gain-framed phishing emails. Because these messages don’t naturally prompt suspicion, a timely reminder, like a security nudge or visual cue, can help users refocus and engage their phishing detection mindset before clicking.

What practical advice would you give to organizations trying to reduce phishing risks?

Organizations should design security interventions that reflect the realities of multitasking in the workplace. Based on our research, we recommend four key strategies:

-Train in realistic conditions: Most security training assumes users are focused and free from distractions but in reality, employees often face interruptions and cognitive overload. Training should simulate phishing scenarios during busy moments, such as task switching or right after meetings, rather than in ideal, distraction-free settings.

-Use lightweight, context-aware reminders: Implement small, timely goal activation cues (e.g., short prompts, icons, or alerts) that nudge users to refocus their attention at critical moment.

-Tailor cues to message type: Gain-framed phishing messages (e.g., “Claim your reward!”) tend to lower users’ guard. These messages benefit most from extra reminders that prompt caution.

-Encourage “distraction shielding”: Help employees build habits of pausing briefly before clicking links or responding to urgent emails, especially when multitasking.

Our study shows that phishing risk is not just about poor training. It is about how human cognition works under real-world pressure.

Effective security interventions should avoid overwhelming users with constant alerts and instead focus on precision: helping people refocus their attention at the exact moments when they are most likely to slip into autopilot.

Even a modest loss of sleep—such as the single hour lost during the transition to Daylight Saving Time—increases an employee's likelihood of falling for email phishing scams by about 13% to 14%.

Key study findings:

• The Research: Neurobiologists at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), led by Dr. Eitan Schechtman, tracked simulated phishing attacks around the spring Daylight Saving Time clock shift.

• The Numbers: On the Monday prior to the time change, employees clicked on simulated phishing links at a rate of 15.56%. On the Monday immediately following the loss of one hour of sleep, that click rate jumped to 17.76%—a relative increase of roughly 13% to 14%.

• Underlying Mechanism: Mild sleep deprivation impairs executive function and increases impulsive decision-making, making tired brains far more likely to take phishing bait without recognizing red flags.

• Broader Impact: The findings reflect daily sleep deficits that many people experience regularly due to work hours, stress, or screen use, extending beyond calendar clock shifts to periods like holidays or major sporting events

mundophone

 

TECH

A $10 sensor promises a medical laboratory on your wrist

A new light sensor, which cost only $10 to manufacture in a laboratory setting, could bring lab-grade precision to wearable health monitors. This would lower the cost of smartbands and smartwatches while overcoming one of their major shortcomings: a level of accuracy that has historically fallen short of medical-grade equipment.

The technology could also transform food testing, industrial quality control, and environmental monitoring—and even allow individuals to track health indicators, such as blood glucose levels, without the need for needles or periodic trips to a laboratory for testing.

This new type of optical spectrometer combines exceptional precision with a remarkably small footprint and low production costs. Measuring only a few centimeters in diameter, the sensor can be integrated into portable electronics and wearable health technologies.

Optical spectrometers work by analyzing light to reveal information about the substances with which it interacts. They are essential tools in medicine, industry, chemical testing, and environmental research. However, miniaturizing these instruments has traditionally meant compromising their performance. Compact spectrometers often feature limited measurement ranges, reduced resolution, or lower accuracy—making them better suited for identifying substances than for taking precise measurements.

The researchers believe their new design can overcome these limitations. Known as a "convolutional spectrometer," it employs a mathematical principle called the convolution theorem to analyze light in a fundamentally different way. According to the team, this approach delivers superior performance compared to existing types of spectrometers—including those based on light dispersion, Fourier transforms, or computational reconstruction—across several key areas. 

Traditional spectrometers typically analyze light by dispersing it or reconstructing spectra through computational methods. The convolutional spectrometer takes a different approach by performing the convolution process directly on incoming light.

It uses a sequence of optical components with periodic spectral responses, including unbalanced Mach–Zehnder interferometers and microring resonators. By adjusting these components proportionally, the system shifts its spectral response in a controlled way, allowing accurate spectrum recovery through fast Fourier transforms.

“The key insight was to go back to the mathematics and ask whether there was a fundamentally cleaner way to retrieve spectra,” said Dr. Chunhui Yao, a lead author of the study. “By using the convolution theorem directly in the optical domain, we avoid many of the limitations that have held miniaturized spectrometers back. This gives us high precision, strong noise tolerance, and very low computational overhead, all in a compact and low-cost system.”

Built on a silicon nitride photonic integration platform and combined with onboard electronics, the device operates across a broad near-infrared wavelength range (1200–1700 nm). It can capture and process data in less than a second. Its periodic design also enables almost unlimited expansion of spectral bandwidth without modifying the hardware. Resolution can be increased dramatically by adding more components to the system.

The researchers tested the spectrometer in a variety of practical applications. For materials and food analysis, it correctly identified plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea with a 100% success rate. It also measured concentrations in aqueous and organic solutions with accuracy around 0.01%, outperforming commercially available benchtop spectrometers.

Glucose and other parameters, without needle pricks...In tests described by the university, the sensor was also used to measure other biological indicators, such as blood lactate, blood alcohol levels, and skin moisture. These indicators, known as biomarkers, are characteristics or substances that provide information about how the body is functioning.

The ability to track glucose levels without piercing the skin is particularly significant for people with diabetes, who must monitor their blood sugar regularly. Currently, such monitoring often requires small skin punctures or the use of sensors inserted beneath the skin. However, the demonstration provided by the researchers does not prove that the device is already capable of replacing these methods. Long-term monitoring without blood sampling was carried out on a single participant, and the sensor’s performance will still need to be evaluated in larger groups and under different conditions of use.

“These biomedical demonstrations are particularly exciting,” notes Qixiang Cheng, the professor who led the study. According to him, one of the breakthroughs of this work was transforming a mathematical concept into a functional system capable of operating in real-world conditions.

The sensor outperformed large, expensive laboratory equipment in some tests. [Image: University of Cambridge]

How the sensor works...The device is an optical spectrometer—an instrument that analyzes the interaction between light and various substances to identify materials or estimate their composition. While this technique is used in laboratories, industrial settings, and environmental research, traditional equipment tends to be expensive and bulky.

Generally, reducing the size of such devices comes at the cost of precision or measurement capability. To overcome this, the team developed a model called a "convolutional spectrometer." Instead of separating light into its individual wavelengths, it uses a sequence of optical components and applies mathematical calculations to the resulting signals.

In this way, the device can retrieve information about the substance being analyzed without requiring a large system or intensive computational processing. "The key breakthrough was going back to the mathematics and asking whether there was a fundamentally simpler way to obtain spectra," says Chunhui Yao, one of the study’s lead authors, in a statement.

According to the researcher, this new approach helps overcome the limitations of miniaturized spectrometers by combining precision and resistance to interference with low cost. Built using silicon nitride—a material that allows light to be guided through tiny circuits—the device measures only a few centimeters in diameter and processes each measurement in less than a second.

One of the most notable demonstrations involved noninvasive monitoring of human biomarkers under realistic physiological conditions. The device accurately measured skin moisture, blood alcohol, blood lactate, and blood glucose levels. Researchers also successfully tracked glucose levels over extended periods in a single participant.

“These biomedical demonstrations are particularly exciting,” said Prof. Qixiang Cheng, who led the project. “What makes this work stand out is not just performance in the lab, but technical readiness. Dr. Chunhui Yao’s contribution was crucial in translating a mathematical concept into a fully packaged, robust system that operates reliably across temperature extremes and real-world conditions. That combination is what opens the door to practical deployment.”

The device maintained stable performance at temperatures ranging from –20°C to 80°C (–4°F to 176°F). This level of durability is uncommon among miniaturized spectrometers and is critical for wearable, industrial, and outdoor applications.

Beyond its measurement capabilities, the convolutional spectrometer offers a simpler design and lower computational demands than many competing systems. Existing high-performance miniaturized spectrometers often depend on complicated calibration procedures and computationally intensive reconstruction methods that can be vulnerable to noise. The linear nature of convolution allows this system to recover spectral information quickly and reliably while requiring very little processing power.

“This is a beautiful example of how elegant engineering can unlock real impact,” said Prof. Richard Penty, who contributed to the photonic system design and integration. “The architecture is simple, scalable, and manufacturable, yet it delivers precision that rivals or exceeds much larger instruments. Dr. Chunhui Yao played a central role in bringing together the photonic design, system integration, and experimental validation that made this possible.”

Surpassing laboratory equipment...To evaluate the device, the researchers tested it on a variety of materials and substances. The results demonstrated its potential for applications that typically rely on larger, more expensive laboratory instruments.

When used to identify plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea, the spectrometer achieved a 100% classification success rate. It also measured concentrations in aqueous and organic solutions with an accuracy of approximately 0.01%, outperforming commercial benchtop spectrometers.

In healthcare demonstrations—conducted under conditions designed to reflect real-world physiological environments—the device accurately measured various human biomarkers, including skin moisture, blood alcohol, blood lactate, and blood glucose.

"These biomedical demonstrations are particularly exciting. What makes this work exceptional is not just its laboratory performance, but also its level of technical readiness," said Professor Chunhui Yao of the University of Cambridge, UK. The team has already established a company to commercialize the technology.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the startup GlitterinTech have developed a $10 miniaturized optical spectrometer that can be integrated into wearable devices (such as smartwatches).

Key features:

• Technology: Based on a silicon nitride (photonic platform) that operates in the near-infrared wavelength range. It uses an optical convolution concept to analyze light and identify the chemical composition of substances.

• Cost and Size: It costs approximately $10 and measures only a few centimeters.

• Health Applications: It offers the potential for real-time, needle-free (non-invasive) monitoring of markers such as blood glucose, alcohol, lactate, and skin moisture.

• Other Uses: It can classify plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea with high precision.

Current status and limitations:

• Initial Tests: In laboratory settings, the chip demonstrated high accuracy in identifying materials. However, non-invasive glucose monitoring has been tested on only a single participant.

• Validation: Further clinical studies and large-scale testing are required before the product can reach the consumer market.

 

mundophone

 

TECH

Hacking the modern Tamagotchi with UART

Although not technically the first virtual pet, the Tamagotchi handhelds certainly popularized the idea and made it a worldwide phenomenon. In the late 90s it was hard to go out in public and not see them dangling from backpacks and belt loops. They turned out to be more than a passing fad, too. There have been Tamagotchis in various forms since then, and one of the latest, the Tamagotchi Paradise, is uniquely hackable thanks to this custom UART interface.

The build starts with a simple and inexpensive CH340G UART adapter with a built-in USB interface. A custom 3D printed enclosure is used to house the adapter and also help to expose the interface to the Tamagotchi. This is done by wiring three pins to nickel strips, which are threaded through slits in the case and looped back around to create a pogo-style adapter for the Tamagotchi’s custom dock. Normally this would be used to link to other Tamagotchis, but in this case the USB-to-UART adapter mimics it, allowing for all kinds of in-game shenanigans. The project’s creator [Squalius] shows it off by connecting it directly to a browser tool in Google Chrome.

The project is built around a CH340G USB-to-serial adapter, a common and inexpensive module used to connect microcontrollers and other electronic devices to computers. Squalius paired this with a custom 3D-printed enclosure that positions three metal contacts against the Tamagotchi's existing connection interface. This provides access to the device's serial communication system.

Aside from this, the adapter requires a few basic components, including some nickel strips, jumper wires, and small fasteners. The nickel strips are cut to size and soldered to the wires, then inserted into the printed enclosure to form the three electrical contacts. The wires are subsequently connected to the appropriate pins on the USB-to-serial module.

Squalius recommends printing the enclosure in PETG rather than PLA, as the latter can be too brittle. Two enclosure designs are available, including one that doesn't require heat-set inserts.

Before making a connection for the first time, the CH340G adapter must be configured for 3.3 V operation, as using 5 V could permanently damage the Tamagotchi. Squalius also recommends testing the assembled electronics before permanently closing the case.

Once everything is connected, you use a compatible web browser, such as Google Chrome, to access a browser-based serial interface to communicate with the Tamagotchi. From there, it's possible to send custom gifts, special foods, and other items directly to the virtual pet. The adapter can also simulate connections between multiple Tamagotchi Paradise devices, unlocking features that would otherwise require another unit. Users can also back up their save files to a computer to preserve their progress or experiment without risking their existing data.

More adventurous hackers can explore ROM modifications that make it possible to create custom sprites, add mini-games, and run emulators. Those types of modifications turn what was originally a closed virtual pet into something much more interesting for hardware and software tinkerers.

Not only that, but this can also be used to modify the software running on the handheld entirely, with the video showing demos playing not only Super Mario but also DOOM (of course). This isn’t too surprising given that these games are built with modern 32-bit ARM microcontrollers. For the 90s purists, though, it probably won’t surprise anyone to know that these devices have been the subject of various hacks almost since they came out.

Hacking the modern Tamagotchi Paradise via UART involves connecting its physical link dock to a computer using a low-cost USB-to-serial adapter. Hardware tinkerer Squalius developed a custom, non-invasive method using standard components to bypass the closed nature of the virtual pet. This interface opens up deep levels of modification, ranging from simple item injection to running emulators directly on the toy's color screen.

The Hardware Setup...Instead of opening the device or soldering directly onto the board, the hack utilizes the existing external docking contacts:

• The Bridge: A cheap CH340G USB-to-UART adapter connects the computer to the Tamagotchi.

• Critical Voltage Warning: The adapter must be set to 3.3V mode. Operating it at 5V can permanently damage the Tamagotchi Paradise hardware.

• Pogo-Style Dock: The adapter is housed in a custom 3D-printed enclosure. Three nickel strips are threaded through slits in the case to create springy, pressure-fit contacts that line up perfectly with the Tamagotchi's link port.

• Troubleshooting: If the Tamagotchi throws a "low battery" warning immediately upon connection, the RX (Receive) and TX (Transmit) lines are likely reversed and need to be swapped.

Software & Connection Interface...The software stack avoids complex command-line configurations, utilizing modern web standards instead:

• Web Serial API: Hackers use compatible desktop browsers (like Google Chrome) to access web-based serial interfaces directly.

• Paramix Studio / TamaHome: Once connected via the browser, tools like Paramix Studio and TamaHome provide graphical interfaces to control and flash the device

 

by: Bryan Cockfield