Persistence of Hygiene Theater After the Pandemic

The Daily Dive

Even as more parts of the country continue to fully reopen from the pandemic, you’re going to keep seeing what many are calling “Hygiene Theater.” Think plexiglass dividers, scanning QR codes for menus, and the constant cleaning of surfaces, despite surface contact not being a significant transmitter of the virus. These actions have much more to do with making customers feel better than it does with science. Marc Fisher, senior editor at The Washington Post, joins us for how long this “hygiene theater” may last.

Next, we have a new tech alert. Over the next few weeks, a company named Kernel will be shipping out a high tech helmet that can read your mind. It can analyze electrical impulses and blood flow and researchers hope it can help gain insight into brain aging, mental disorders, strokes, and even what happens to the brain during meditation and even psychedelic trips. Kernel’s CEO, Bryan Johnson is an interesting character himself and hopes that these helmets can further our understanding of the brain. Ashlee Vance, writer at Bloomberg Businessweek, joins us for more.

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