Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Category: food – Page 98

The loss of pollinators, such as bees, is a huge challenge for global biodiversity and affects humanity by causing problems in food production. At Tampere University, researchers have now developed the first passively flying robot equipped with artificial muscle. Could this artificial fairy be utilized in pollination?

The development of stimuli-responsive polymers has brought about a wealth of material-related opportunities for next-generation small-scale, wirelessly controlled soft-bodied robots. For some time now, engineers have known how to use these materials to make small robots that can walk, swim and jump. So far, no one has been able to make them fly.

Researchers of the Light Robots group at Tampere University are now researching how to make smart material fly. Hao Zeng, Academy Research Fellow and the group leader, and Jianfeng Yang, a doctoral researcher, have come up with a new design for their project called FAIRY – Flying Aero-robots based on Light Responsive Materials Assembly. They have developed a polymer-assembly robot that flies by wind and is controlled by light.

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It sounds like the start of a Southern gothic horror thriller. Auburn University scientists have been putting alligator DNA in catfish. It’s delicious, but with less chance for infection. Don’t worry, it won’t bite back. MIT Technology Review recently highlighted the work of Rex Dunham, Baofeng Su and their colleagues at Auburn University, who have used genetic modification to reduce problems of disease in catfish farming.

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Food from thin air?

Food production, as we know it, is entirely dependent on land and weather conditions. Protein production is a massively disproportionate squanderer of the Earth’s resources. It’s time to enter the era of sustainable food production to liberate our planet from the burdens of agriculture.

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The incorporation of exotic DNA

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule composed of two long strands of nucleotides that coil around each other to form a double helix. It is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms that carries genetic instructions for development, functioning, growth, and reproduction. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

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Scientists in China have cloned what are being called ‘super cows’, local media has reported. These cows are reportedly able to produce huge amounts of milk in their lifetime. The cows have been cloned as part of a process to reduce China’s dependence on foreign breeds. According to China’s Global Times, about 70 per cent of China’s dairy cows are imported from other countries.

The ‘super cows’ are three calves which have been cloned by China’s Northwest University of Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology. These calves were born in Ningxia region in weeks leading to January 23, said reports in local media.

Jin Yaping, lead scientist of the project described the successful cloning as ‘breakthrough’.

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The built-in ion sensory technology mildly excites the taste buds on your tongue like they’ve never been stimulated before! The immediate results are enhanced flavor, heightened taste, and improved aftertaste. SpoonTEK science combines the power of advanced electronics with tongue sensory and the brain for an amazing eating experience. It’s not just any spoon—it’s the only spoon you will need to take your taste to the next level.

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Nerve cells require vast amounts of energy and oxygen which they receive through the bloodstream. This results in nerve tissue being densely intertwined with numerous blood vessels. However, what prevents neurons and vascular cells from interfering with each other during growth? Researchers from the Universities of Heidelberg and Bonn, in collaboration with international partners, have uncovered a mechanism that ensures this coordination. The findings have recently been published in the journal Neuron.

Nerve cells are highly energy-intensive, requiring a large amount of fuel. Approximately 20% of the calories we consume through food are dedicated to our brain, as the generation of voltage pulses (action potentials) and transmission between neurons is incredibly energy-demanding. For this reason, nerve tissue is usually crisscrossed by numerous blood vessels. They ensure a supply of nutrients and oxygen.

During embryonic development, a large number of vessels sprout in the brain and spinal cord, but also in the retina of the eye. Additionally, masses of neurons are formed there, which network with each other and with structures such as muscles and organs. Both processes have to be considerate of each other so as not to get in each other’s way. “We have identified a new mechanism that ensures this,” explains Prof. Dr. Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar, member of the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 and the Transdisciplinary Research Area Life & Health at the University of Bonn.

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Yesterday, the Whitehouse announced that the USA and the EU (European Union) signed an administrative agreement to bring AI experts together to advance AI research as prior outlined in the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) commitment.

This effort will further drive responsible advancements in AI to advance global complex challenges and develop a joint integrated research approach to achieve benefits in key research domains: extreme weather and climate forecasting, emergency response management, health and medicine, electric grid optimization, and agriculture optimization.

This article focuses on the AI leadership with the USA and the European Union in signing a new administrative agreement to do joint AI research in key global challenge areas like: climate change, healthcare, agriculture, etc.

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