All articles tagged with #skin color
The Apgar test, which assesses newborns on five metrics including skin color, often results in lower scores for Black infants and other babies of color, potentially leading to unnecessary medical treatments. Experts are calling for changes to the test, arguing that skin tone is a subjective and discriminatory measure that should not be part of a health evaluation.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has requested that the Grevin Museum in Paris change the skin color of his new wax figure, which currently depicts him with light skin. The actor, who is Black and Samoan, shared a video on Instagram poking fun at the figure and expressed his desire for it to be updated with accurate details. The museum used photos and videos to create the figure, and the sculptor stated that finding someone who matched Johnson's build and height was crucial. Johnson's team plans to reach out to the museum to discuss the necessary changes.
Sony AI researchers argue that current skin tone scales used to test AI algorithms for bias are limited in their focus on lightness or darkness of skin tone, overlooking biases against individuals with red and yellow skin hues. They propose a more "multidimensional" measurement of skin color based on the CIELAB color standard to address this issue and create more diverse and representative AI systems. The researchers found that current scales overrepresent lighter and redder skin tones, leading to less accurate AI systems. While some major AI players, including Google and Amazon, have welcomed Sony's research, others argue that simplicity is important in skin tone scales to ensure cognitive accuracy and reliability.
Researchers have identified 135 new genes that are responsible for pigmentation and melanin production in humans. Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the scientists systematically removed over 20,000 genes from melanocytes and observed the impact on melanin production. By separating cells with more or less melanin using a novel method, they identified both new and previously known genes that play important roles in regulating melanin production. The findings could help protect lighter-skinned individuals from skin cancer and lead to the development of melanin-modifying drugs for pigmentation diseases. The research could also be applied to identify genes that regulate melanin production in fungi and bacteria, potentially enabling the development of interventions against microbial diseases.