Hacking the Human OS
Medicine has always sought to understand the human body’s operating system. Now, with biometric sensors and big data analytics, we’re learning how to fix the bugs
If you wear a fitness tracker, you’re already generating scads of health-related data. It’s the start of a grand experiment. Doctors are now trying to answer a vital question: Can they use your data to make you stronger, healthier, and happier?
IEEE Spectrum’s three-part report begins with “Reading the Code,” which explores the futuristic hardware that will gather your biometric data. Your information will go to the cloud, where analytics software will set to work—as we describe in “Analyzing the Code.” Our third section, “Changing the Code,” looks ahead to the technological interventions, informed by vast amounts of data about how your body works, that may usher in a fundamental revolution in medicine.
Part 1: Reading the Code

A Temporary Tattoo That Senses Through Your Skin
The Biostamp can replace today's clunky biomedical sensors 28 May

Diabetes Has a New Enemy: Robo-Pancreas
Sensors, actuators, and algorithms can automatically control blood sugar 27 May

Infographic: The Quantified Olympian: Wearables for Elite Athletes
Baseball pitchers, cyclists, and other competitors seek an edge with new gadgets 27 May
Video: Motus Pitching Sleeve

The Race to Build a Real-Life Version of the “Star Trek” Tricorder
Can a $10 million prize turn a sci-fi device into real technology? 29 May
Infographic: 5 Ways to Turn Your Smartphone Into a Doctor
Part 2: Analyzing the Code

The Tech Giants’ Plan to Mine Our Bodies for Data—and Profit
Apple, Google, and Samsung want to capitalize on your personal health data. But is there really big money in it? 28 May

100,000 People, 250 Biomarkers, and the Quest for Good Health
The 100K Wellness Project aims to meticulously monitor subjects for 25 years 28 May

Big Data Beats Cancer
One woman’s fight against cancer in the new era of precision medicine 28 May

How Computer Modelers Took On the Ebola Outbreak
Did real-time epidemic modeling save lives in West Africa? 28 May
Part 3: Changing the Code

Medical Microbots Take a Fantastic Voyage Into Reality
Engineers explore ways to take robotics to the limits of size and function 1 Jun
Video: Medical Microbots Perform Surgery

The Vagus Nerve: A Back Door for Brain Hacking
Doctors stimulate a nerve in the neck to treat epilepsy, heart failure, stroke, arthritis, and a half dozen other ailments 29 May
Infographic: How Vagus Nerve Stimulation Works

Infographic: 8 Must-Have Implants for the Cyborg Patient
Next-gen medical devices include artificial hearts, neurostimulators to restore vision, and chips to dispense birth control 5 Jun

IBM’s Dr. Watson Will See You...Someday
The game-show-winning AI struggles to find the answers in health care 29 May
What Our Experts Say

You Should Get Paid for Your Biometric Data, Says Leslie Saxon
Big companies could share revenue from the data you upload through fitness trackers and health apps 28 May

We Must Protect Bionic Bodies From Hacking, Says Kevin Fu
It’s time for manufacturers to get serious about cybersecurity for implanted medical devices 28 May

Kári Stefánsson Says Medical Privacy Is Overrated
Our reluctance to share our medical data isn’t just preventing breakthroughs, it’s “morally unacceptable” 28 May

B.J. Fogg Explains Why Fitness Gadgets Fail
Technologies that aim to change behavior shouldn’t focus on motivation 29 May

In the Quest for Personalized Medicine, Beware the Data Deluge, says Theresa MacPhail
Big data is good for identifying gaps in knowledge but not so good for prediction 28 May

New Technologies Let Patients Wrest Control From Doctors, Says Eric Topol
Medicine can change if patients and payers demand it 27 May
Also in this Issue

Spectral Lines: Big Data Is Transforming Medicine
New self-monitoring devices will help collect our vital stats into powerful databases, allowing us to prevent or predict health problems as well as treatment sucess or failure 28 May

Technically Speaking: Know Your Wearables Slang
Jerktech, earables, and citizen-terminals all mark a brave new wearable world 22 May

Resources: Monitor Diabetes From Your Smart Watch
Connecting a smart watch to a glucose sensor lets parents keep tabs on diabetic children 20 May

News: Smart Sewers for Public Health
With robotic samplers in sewage tunnels, public health officials will study the city’s microbiome 10 April
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