What George Wore

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working on a high-tech device with seemingly a multitude of uses in lessening our crushing overload of banality: a boredom detector. A talker, via a wearable camera and software that measures facial expressions and movements, could know whether he has lost touch with a listener (via signals from eyebrows, lips, nose, etc.). The device was designed for the autistic (who are typically oblivious of other people's reactions), but would be useful to anyone underskilled at being interesting. So far, the software is said to be accurate 64% of the time, according to a report in New Scientist. Go take a walk.