Brian Handwerk

Brian Handwerk is a science journalist who has written for Smithsonian Magazine since 2013. He specializes in archaeology and paleontology but also covers topics related to animals, nature, technology and space exploration. His articles often highlight new discoveries or advances in these fields. For example, he wrote about the first prosthetic limb that can sense temperature like a living hand and an amazing fossil that preserves a teenage tyrannosaur's last meal.

Biography:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/author/brian-handwerk/

91%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author is known for its high journalistic standards. The author strives to maintain neutrality and transparency in its reporting, and avoids conflicts of interest. The author has a reputation for accuracy and rarely gets contradicted on major discrepancies in its reporting.

Bias

92%

Examples:

  • Stomach contents from a juvenile Gorgosaurus reveal it feasted on small, bird-like species 75 million years ago
  • The advance may help users feel a greater sense of human connection through touch

Conflicts of Interest

88%

Examples:

  • The ability to sense temperature is an important advance for prosthetic limbs functionality.
  • The MiniTouch device provides a realistic sense of hot and cold in the phantom hand by delivering thermal information to nerve areas on the residual limb that are believed to be still connected to the missing hand. This adds an important human element to touch, creating a stronger sense of embodiment for amputees.

Contradictions

86%

Examples:

  • Fabrizio Fidati reported that sensations of hot and cold were actually more intense in his phantom hand than in his natural hand.
  • The MiniTouch device allows people with amputations to experience natural temperature sensations using their prostheses.

Deceptions

94%

Examples:

  • The device provides a realistic sense of hot and cold in the missing hand by delivering thermal information to nerve areas on the residual limb that the brain believes are still connected to the missing hand.

Recent Articles

Revolutionizing Prosthetics: MiniTouch Device Senses Temperature for Amputees

Revolutionizing Prosthetics: MiniTouch Device Senses Temperature for Amputees

Broke On: Saturday, 10 February 2024 Researchers have developed the MiniTouch device, a functional artificial limb that senses temperature and provides a realistic sense of hot and cold to amputees. The device integrates off-the-shelf electronics without surgery and enhances existing prosthetic limbs by delivering thermal information into nerve areas on the residual limb. The MiniTouch increases the ability to distinguish between real and prosthetic arms, improving both usefulness and acceptance of artificial limbs.

Fossil Reveals Young Tyrannosaurs' Feeding Behavior

Broke On: Friday, 08 December 2023 A 75-million-year-old Gorgosaurus fossil was found with its last meal still preserved inside. The fossil contained the hind limbs of two small feathered dinosaurs, indicating that young tyrannosaurs fed on different animals than their adult counterparts. The discovery sheds light on the scarcity of small and midsize dinosaur fossils, attributed to the hunting activities of young tyrannosaurs.