Splitting hairs

 

“One major challenge was developing a computer program that could spot the difference between a hair and other lineal body features, such as wrinkles.”

 

Pascal Vallotton Has discovered how to count the number of human hairs on the body and has been the subject of much mirth amongst his co workers. It does sound like the sort of thing you’d do if you were bored witless or if you were trying to go to sleep…or put someone else to sleep. His research though will be ground breaking and will find some serious application. It will help with patients who are being treated with chemotherapy. It can be used to count hairline cracks in roads and presumably buildings. It can help with baldness. Once you stop laughing and being utterly amused, you can actually see this will be a very helpful discovery. The fact we can now get a computer to tell the difference between hairs and wrinkles is amazing in itself. I am certain we’ll appreciate this research and that Pascal Vallotton will take an honoured place in scientific discovery. Never ceases to amaze me what we humans get ourselves interested and involved in and it never ceases to amaze me the way these strange things benefit us so much.

Body count with a difference – National – smh.com.au