After Nest, Verily's future seems bleak

Have the moonshots misfired? At least that’s what one will come to think looking at the recent reports about the bets. After the controversy surrounding Nest and Tony Fadell stepping down , the Biotech Life Sciences division Verily seems to be making news for all wrong reasons. We first heard about Google contact lenses in 2014, and it was in December 2015 that company’s Google X research and development unit picked Verily as its new name . Also, it was last year that reports about Google’s smart contact lens that will measure glucose levels in diabetics by analysing their tears may make its way market before 2019 hit headlines. While Google may want to revolutionise the world with its health innovations, some of them seem far from becoming a reality. Now, Health and medicine publication Stat, claims that the glucose-detecting smart contact lens for diabetics may not be a reality anytime soon rather have a long way to go. The report further adds that former employees aren’t even sure if it will ever see the light of day. Then there’s another just ambitious and futuristic product - a wrist band that can detect cancer. Well, the report cites an expert calling it ‘science fiction’ and nothing short of fantasy. Chief Andrew Conrad is said to believe in working at unimaginable things, but reports claim that all the health tech innovations are hype than reality. Google had announced the contact lenses back in 2014 that would help patients monitor their glucose levels sans the need to prick their fingertips for testing blood. However, some question the accuracy of Verily’s methods. In Stat’s report, chemist John Smith said, “This kind of ‘faith-based science’ has proven to be very expensive, and should not come from companies like Verily; but then, cost does not seem to be an issue there.” The report also points out on reaching out to Google, the search giant said Verily’s research is ‘inherently difficult’ but has the capacity to make difficult project come to life.