Smart home technologies are increasingly used worldwide to monitor and control various aspects of daily life. However, a growing concern has emerged regarding the impact of these devices on domestic workers, who often find themselves under constant surveillance.

Researchers from King’s College London have conducted a study that reveals the unsettling truth about smart home devices being used to monitor domestic workers in China. The study, which involved interviews with 26 domestic workers and five recruitment agencies, highlights how employers are using these technologies to exert control over their employees, undermining their privacy and safety.

The researchers found that many domestic workers felt like they were under constant observation, with cameras and sensors installed in every room of the smart home. Some reported not being informed about the presence of cameras, while others discovered them hidden in bookshelves or disguised as other devices.

The constant feeling of being watched had a profound impact on the mental wellbeing of these domestic workers. Many felt uneasy, anxious, and even trapped in their own homes. The researchers concluded that this level of surveillance amounts to mental abuse, undermining trust and affecting workplace interactions.

Furthermore, the study revealed how smart home technologies exacerbate existing power imbalances between workers and employers. Employers can use these devices to monitor workers’ performance, track their movements, and even make decisions about their employment based on data collected from the devices.

The researchers highlighted that while many domestic workers recognized the need for safety, especially when caring for babies, the absence of clear communication from employers about the purpose of monitoring sparked distrust and discomfort. They recommended that domestic worker agencies integrate privacy education into training programmes for workers to understand their rights and establish transparent communication and contractual agreements regarding surveillance practices.

The study was conducted by researchers from King’s College London, along with collaborators from the University of St Andrews and the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou. The findings suggest that this issue is not unique to China but may be affecting migrant domestic workers worldwide.

In conclusion, the use of smart home technologies to monitor domestic workers raises significant concerns about their safety and privacy. The researchers’ recommendations provide a starting point for policymakers and agencies to address these challenges and ensure that domestic workers are protected from exploitation. As technology continues to advance, it is crucial that we prioritize human rights and dignity in the development and implementation of smart home devices.

The way we perceive colors is a fundamental aspect of human experience, yet it remains a mystery waiting to be unraveled. Researchers from the University of Tokyo and Monash University in Australia are taking steps to understand how our subjective experiences of colors differ, even when we use the same verbal labels. This complex question has puzzled scientists for years, but their recent study provides a novel approach to tackling this conundrum.

To begin with, Associate Professor Masafumi Oizumi’s lab at the University of Tokyo and Professor Naotsugu Tsuchiya’s lab at Monash University have been exploring ways to quantify various aspects of consciousness. In their latest study, they aimed to answer a fundamental question we all ask ourselves at some point: “Is my red your red?” Their goal was to uncover whether two people’s subjective experiences might differ, even when they agree on what is red or green in terms of verbal reports.

Oizumi explained that the traditional approach to analyzing this has been difficult because both subjects can agree on color labels like ‘red’ and ‘green’, even if their internal experience differs. To overcome this challenge, his team employed a novel experimental and computational paradigm called the qualia structure paradigm. This paradigm focuses on relational structures of our experiences, called qualia structures, which are then compared across individuals on a structural basis.

The researchers used massive online experimental data from both color-neurotypical and colorblind participants to test their approach. They found that color similarity judgment data derived from color-neurotypical participants could be correctly aligned at the group level, indicating that red was relationally equivalent to other color-neurotypical’s red. However, when comparing these data with those of colorblind participants, the team observed a significant mismatch, suggesting that color-neurotypical red is not relationally equivalent to colorblind people’s red.

Oizumi noted an important limitation of this study: the researchers did not perform any unsupervised alignment at the individual level. Therefore, they could not say anything about individual differences. To address these questions, his team plans to conduct further studies on a more personalized basis.

The researchers are enthusiastic about exploring other senses beyond sight and continuing to investigate how color experiences can differ between specific individuals and not just at a group level. Although this is a more complicated and time-consuming challenge, they remain committed to working on this line of research based on the key idea of qualia as structure.

The excessive consumption of alcohol among young adults, particularly college students, poses significant health risks and social consequences. Heavy drinking can lead to blackouts, academic underperformance, interpersonal problems, and secondhand consequences for those who don’t drink, such as interrupted study sessions or having to care for intoxicated peers.

Recently, researchers from Brown University School of Public Health developed an innovative intervention called Counter-Attitudinal Advocacy (CAA). This approach involves advocating for a position that contradicts a personally held attitude or behavior. In the context of college drinking, CAA targets positive perceptions of heavy drinking and the belief that alcohol is an essential part of college life.

A randomized controlled trial at two sites involving 585 college students compared CAA to Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF), a well-established intervention. Researchers focused on drinks per week, a standard measure given the irregular drinking patterns of college students.

The results showed that participants who received PNF reported significantly fewer drinks per week than the control group, while those who received CAA reported significantly fewer consequences related to drinking. Notably, CAA had a harm reduction effect on consequences but not on consumption of alcohol, which it did not target.

According to co-lead investigator Kate Carey, “Both interventions take just 5-10 minutes, making them ideal for broad prevention efforts.” Carey emphasized that PNFs show participants how their drinking habits stack up against those of their peers, often exposing a common misconception that others drink more than they actually do. In contrast, CAA encourages participants to reflect on why it is a good idea to avoid alcohol-related problems and identify specific actions to minimize these risks.

CAA’s personalized approach frames the discussion broadly, focusing on why young people should avoid problems rather than directly telling them what to do. This makes the intervention more engaging and less confrontational. As participants respond to prompts, a research assistant or peer asks them to explain their written responses, which likely strengthens the intervention’s effect.

The researchers stress that having multiple brief interventions is essential since no single approach works for everyone. Offering evidence-based options increases the chances of reaching more people who are undergoing a period of heightened risk. With CAA providing another effective tool, especially for those who may not respond to PNF, this new approach holds promise in reducing college-aged drinking harms.