Opportunities and risks of self-quantification
The research project “Quantified Self – Schnittstelle zwischen Lifestyle und Medizin” (Quantified Self – Interface between Lifestyle and Medicine) examines the consequences of self-quantification technologies. Prof. Heidrun Becker and Ursula Meidert from the Institute of Occupational Therapy presented the study at the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology of the University of Zurich. An article summarising the presentation has been published.
Whether we’re running in the woods, sleeping or sitting in front of the television, nowadays, we can constantly monitor our own body. An ever-growing number of bodily functions and activities, such as heart rate, menstrual cycle, food consumed or steps walked, can be measured by smartphone applications and inexpensive sensors that are worn on the body. This self-quantification is meant to improve our quality of life and our health, but it also poses risks, and handling health-relevant data is a delicate matter.
On behalf of TA-SWISS, Prof. Heidrun Becker is leading an interdisciplinary project to explore the possibilities of self-quantification and its consequences. On 3 April 2017, Prof. Becker and research assistant Ursula Meidert presented the current state of knowledge in the event series “Wissen-schaf(f)t Wissen” run by the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology at the University of Zurich. The general manager of the Centre, Sabina Huber-Reggi, has written an article summarising the presentation.
- More on the research project (in German)
- Go to the article about the presentation (in German)