A survey of 4,262 UK adults by the Policy Institute at King's College London and Sense about Science found that 63% of respondents trust scientists highly, while only 5% expressed strong distrust. Regression analysis showed that feeling scientists are 'on their side' and perceiving them as open and transparent mattered more to respondents than judgments of scientific expertise or general benevolence toward society.
A commentary piece argues that common sense functions like a muscle that weakens from disuse, and asks why practical judgment is so rare in modern workplaces. The piece suggests organizational structures and processes may be crowding out employees' basic instincts and reasoning.
Withings unveiled StethO Sense at IFA 2026, a subscription service for Withings+ users launching October 1 that applies third-party AI to analyze recordings from its BeamO device. The service uses eMurmur Heart AI to flag abnormal heart murmurs and StethoMe to assess breathing sounds through a Breathing Index score.
Florida International University researchers tested the Apple Watch Series 8, Fitbit Sense 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Garmin Forerunner 955 against a Cosmed K5 metabolic device and ECG chest strap during controlled workouts with 58 participants. All four smartwatches overstated calorie burn, with margins of error ranging from 15% to 25%, meaning a reported 200-calorie burn could really be closer to 160-174 calories. Apple Watch was the most accurate, while Samsung and Garmin overestimated more, and Fitbit had enough tracking glitches that some of its data had to be excluded.
Director M. Night Shyamalan has launched his own YouTube channel, giving him a direct platform to speak with audiences outside traditional press. The channel offers a space for him to share thoughts on his films, including past hits like 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Signs,' as well as recent work such as 'Trap.'
Canada confirmed a new round of tariffs matching Washington's 50% duties, covering more than 700 American products worth roughly $20 billion, set to take effect September 8. The move follows the collapse of trade talks last week, with both governments blaming each other for last-minute demands. Ottawa specifically doubled its tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50% in direct response to similar U.S. levies.