Pumpin' iron

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Trump turns up pressure campaign on Fed to cut interest rates; smartwatches and other wearables overestimate calorie burn; and why 1,000 people around the world buried their underpants…👀

Let’s get into it!

According to a study published in PLOS One by researchers at Florida International University, wearables like smartwatches and Fitbits overestimate how many calories users burn in a given workout—in some cases, dramatically.

The researchers tested four popular wearables against proven devices used in a clinical setting, and found the devices overstated calorie burns by 15% to 25%. Apple’s Smartwatch was the most accurate, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Garmin Forerunner 955 were the least.

"You can't treat the calories burned number it gives you as an accurate number, because it's not," said Jason Kostrna, the study's lead author and an associate professor of kinesiology and exercise science in FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education.

"You could be hundreds of calories off each week and easily end up in a calorie surplus when you think you're in a calorie deficit."

Kostrna and his team also found the inaccuracies became more apparent for participants with higher levels of body fat. They couldn’t conclusively determine why but suggested it has something to do with a faulty algorithm used by most device manufacturers.

A massive study investigating the age-old question surrounding “nature versus nurture” found the notion that “DNA is destiny” is quite an overstatement, and that personalities are much more determined by environmental factors than genetic ones.

"If we'd want to know someone's personality at an individual level, genetics isn't really a fruitful path; we can simply measure personality and get a very clear picture, genes wouldn't add anything there," said genetic epidemiologist Michel Nivard of the University of Bristol in the UK, a senior author of the study.

"What genes do offer us is a way to link personality, in the aggregate across groups of people, to all other outcomes we have ever previously studied with a genome-wide association study."

The researchers looked at the personality trait data of 46 cohorts, with largest analysis of data accounting for 1.14 million people. It was one of the broadest studies in history for trying to ascertain just how much genetics influence personality traits.

They determined no single expression of DNA could translate to a proclivity for any one personality trait. Whereas the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s, for example, can be identified with the presence of just one gene, personality traits can only be associatively linked to DNA combinations by identifying combinations in large datasets and cross-referencing them with personality traits held by those within the set.

The health of soil under any given patch of earth can tell scientists a whole lot about what’s going on in that particular area, including how susceptible it is to the threats of climate change.

For example, if soil is plentiful in organic compounds, it’s likely a lively area, full of biodiversity and fertility. If the soil isn’t healthy, there will be fewer organic compounds, more decomposition, with a higher amount of carbon being emitted from the ground.

The traditional way of measuring these factors is by burying teabags to analyze the rate at which they decompose, creating what’s referred to as the “teabag index,” or just “TBI.”

A team of researchers and volunteers from around the world—led by study co-author and University of Zurich agroecologist Marcel van der Heijden—decided there was a better (and funnier) way of measuring soil health: using cotton underpants.

1,000 volunteers were mailed two pairs of cotton undies and science kits for conducting their analyses. Their study was published in the journal Plants People Planet.

They wrote that, unlike TBI, underpants, “provide a direct visual and haptic measure of decomposition that is easier to interpret.” This makes it “an ideal tool to be used in citizen science projects and to raise awareness for soil-related issues.”

AC/DC’s Power Up tour is scheduled to roll through Toronto on Sept. 16, bringing high voltage electricity similar to that of a storm that ran through the city last week, basically destroying an entire section of Rogers Stadium.

At a glance, one could almost amusingly conclude the damage was mother nature’s rendition of an AC/DC song itself. Not so amusingly, Live Nation (which owns the stadium) is yet to offer any real details on how it plans to fix the wreckage prior to the Aussie rockers landing in the city.

As a result, the City of Toronto has ordered the multinational conglomerate to fix the mess in time for the highly-anticipated concert. As first reported by Global News, “a seven-part order sets out a series of conditions Live Nation must meet before it is allowed to host people in its outdoor Toronto venue.”

Live Nation’s proposal is expected today, according to a spokesman for the company.

“The inspection, assessment and remediation of structures affected by significant weather events, like a red-level storm of this nature, is a standard process, and we remain engaged with the City as that work continues,” the spokesman said.

AC/DC is yet to comment on the issue. The Toronto date is the third-last scheduled show of the tour, suggesting if the damage isn’t fixed in time, the show will likely be cancelled.

Same actor, different actor

We’re back with another round of same actor, different character, except this time we’re lookin’ at TV shows. Find out how well you know the repertoire of these actors, with today’s trivia 😏 📺️