Watch This: To a Computer Program, Your Heartbeat is Visible in the Color of Your Face

80beats
By Veronique Greenwood
Jul 24, 2012 8:57 PMNov 19, 2019 10:54 PM

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

http://youtu.be/ONZcjs1Pjmk#t=1m25s Did you know your face actually turns slightly red each time your heart beats, when fresh blood pumps through it? Neither did I, and that's because it's so slight that our visual perception system doesn't pick up on it. Ah, but what if you could use a computer program to magnify the changes so they become visible? That's just what computer scientists at MIT did, and the result is fascinating: watch the video above (starting at 1:25) and see how with every heartbeat, a man's face turns tomato red, then fades to a pallid yellow. The program is so precise that it can accurately calculate a person's heart rate from the color changes. [via Technology Review]

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 LabX Media Group