There are thousands of surveillance cameras in Chicago – by some estimates, as many as 45,000.
This is one of the highest numbers per capita in the US. Chicago has one of the largest license plate reader systems in the country, and has the ability to access audio and video surveillance from independent agencies such as Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District and public transit system, as well as many residential and commercial security systems such as Ring doorbell cameras.
Law enforcement and security advocates say this massive surveillance system protects public safety and works well.
But activists and many residents say it is a surveillance panopticon that has chilling effects on behavior and violates guarantees of privacy and free speech. Read the full story.
-Rod McCullum
Future Job Title: Breast Biomechanic
Twenty years ago, Joanna Wakefield-Scurr was experiencing constant pain in her breasts. Her doctor couldn’t diagnose the cause but said a good, supportive bra might help. Wakefield-Schure, a professor of biomechanics, thought she could do a little research and find science-backed alternatives. Two decades later, she’s still watching.
Wakefield-Scurr now leads an 18-person team in the Breast Health Research Group at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. And as more women take up high-impact sports, the need to understand what makes a good bra grows, she says her lab can’t keep up with the demand. Read the full story.
-Sarah Harrison
