BIG BROTHER TOILET JUST TAKING THE PEE
Booze and urine trouble
A BIG Brother toilet could soon tell bosses if staff have been drinking or are on drugs.
Scientists are working on a loo that analyses urine and sends the results to a smartphone or laptop.
The tests can reveal if people are using alcohol or drugs and if they are smokers, pregnant or depressed.
It has sparked fears over privacy and whether it could send careers down the pan.
The intelligent bog, expected to cost around £1,000, could be secretly installed to check on employees.
And it could be used by people to keep an eye on whether their partner uses drink or drugs.
But scientists say it could save the NHS millions by discovering health problems earlier, and helping people monitor their own health. The team from Cambridge University will show off a prototype at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition in London this week.
They will debate the ethics of the loo and the possibility of its data being shared with others.
Jeremy Baumberg, professor of nano science at Cambridge University, said: “We are testing public opinion because we are well aware of the sensitivities of private medical data. “But the potential benefits of this new technology in preventing illness and saving the NHS millions of pounds is immense.”
The Star Says: Page 6