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Archive for the ‘food’ category: Page 235

Jul 23, 2018

Tesla Model 3 Has Highest Profit Margin of Any Electric Vehicle

Posted by in categories: engineering, food, sustainability

The engineering firm Munro & Associates made waves recently when it tore the new Tesla Model 3 apart both literally and figuratively. The company dismantles and studies cars and other products, and CEO Sandy Munro was very vocal about his feelings regarding Tesla’s newest electric vehicle. He said the build quality was like a Kia from the 90s. Now, the company has completed its analysis. While Munro’s opinion on the fit and finish hasn’t changed, he has expressed downright shock that the Model 3 is highly profitable for Tesla.

The initial Munro & Associates analysis of the Model 3 called out issues like clunky door handles and windows that bounce around inside the door panels. The exterior panels of the Model 3 also drew Munro’s ire. The gaps are substantially larger than the more expensive Teslas — even conventional cars that cost thousands less look more polished on the outside, according to Munro.

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Jul 23, 2018

This Drug Combo Extends Lifespan and Healthspan in Mice

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, food, life extension

Aging may seem like the most natural—and inevitable—thing in life. Yet according to a new study in Nature Medicine, rejuvenating an aging body may be as easy as kitchen renovations. Simply swap drill and hammer for a cocktail of two drugs already on the market; rather than pulling out decrepit cabinets, kill off aged “zombie” cells.

These so-called senescent cells are a curious oddity: they’re frail, beat-up, and unable to perform their usual roles. Yet they simply refuse to die. What’s more, zombie cells actively leak inflammatory chemicals into their surroundings, damaging nearby tissue and—in a sense—“spreading” the negative effects of aging.

Yet because they’re extremely rare, amounting to only eight percent of the body’s cells at most, scientists have long wondered just how much they contribute to the aging process.

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Jul 23, 2018

Yanmar’s robotic tractors bring autonomous vehicles out to farm

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI, sustainability

We’ve had autonomous cars, autonomous trucks, and autonomous buses, and now Osaka-based diesel engine manufacturer Yanmar is introducing a new line of robotic tractors. On October 1, 2018, the company is releasing its 2-series tractors equipped with the Smartpilot autonomous operating system and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that allow them to operate in autonomous and semi-autonomous modes.

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Jul 23, 2018

Material formed from crab shells and trees could replace flexible plastic packaging

Posted by in categories: chemistry, engineering, food, sustainability

From liquid laundry detergent packaged in cardboard to compostable plastic cups, consumer products these days are increasingly touting their sustainable and renewable origins.

Now researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have created a material derived from crab shells and tree fibers that has the potential to replace the flexible used to keep food fresh.

The new material, which is described July 23 in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, is made by spraying multiple layers of chitin from crab shells and cellulose from trees to form a flexible film similar to plastic packaging film.

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Jul 22, 2018

2018 Speakers

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, food, genetics, robotics/AI, transhumanism

I’m excited to share I’ll be speaking/debating at the upcoming #Biohack the Planet 2018 conference in Oakland on Aug 31 & Sept 1. Many interesting biohackers will be there. Tickets are still available and very reasonably priced right now, but they will likely sell out. Hope to see you there! Here’s the speaker list: http://biohacktheplanet.com/2018-speakers/ #transhumanism #biohacker & ticket page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/biohack-the-planet-2018-ticket


Bryan Johnson is the founder and CEO of Kernel, OS Fund and Braintree.

In 2016, Bryan invested $100M in Kernel to build advanced neural interfaces to treat disease and dysfunction, illuminate the mechanisms of intelligence, and extend cognition. Kernel is on a mission to dramatically increase our quality of life as healthy lifespans extend. He believes that the future of humanity will be defined by the combination of human and artificial intelligence (HI +AI). In 2014, Bryan invested $100M to start OS Fund which invests in entrepreneurs commercializing breakthrough discoveries in genomics, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, precision automation, and new materials development. Bryan founded Braintree in 2007, later acquiring Venmo, which he sold to Ebay in 2013 for $800M. He is an outdoor-adventure enthusiast, pilot, and author of a children’s book, Code 7.

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Jul 22, 2018

Traces of the Fukushima Meltdown Can Be Found in California Wines

Posted by in categories: food, particle physics

Researchers found increased levels of radioactive particles in wines made after Japan’s Fukushima meltdown.

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Jul 21, 2018

I used a robot mop to clean my floors to see if it could do a better job — and it took care of a thankless household chore with ease

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI

Although i dont really like the idea of a different robot for every job, because you will get nickel and dimed to death.


If you love scrubbing the floors of your kitchen and bathrooms, then don’t get an iRobot Braava Jet 240. If you would rather let a plucky little robot do the mopping for you, then do get one, and leave this thankless household chore behind forever.

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Jul 20, 2018

Beets and carrots could lead to stronger and greener buildings

Posted by in categories: food, materials

According to engineers, root vegetables aren’t only good for the body. Their fibres could also help make concrete mixtures stronger and more eco-friendly.

Construction projects have a significant impact on our environment. To combat this, stakeholders in the academic and industrial sectors have been looking for ways to make the industry more environment friendly. The EU-funded project B-SMART will be contributing to these efforts by focusing on concrete and the more culpable of its ingredients: cement.

Led by Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, the project will be investigating how nanoplatelets extracted from the fibres of can make concrete mixtures more robust and more environment friendly. So far, initial tests have shown that adding nanoplatelets from sugar beet or carrot to these mixtures greatly enhances the mechanical properties of concrete.

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Jul 19, 2018

The public doesn’t trust GMOs. Will it trust CRISPR?

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, food

There’s a huge opportunity to improve agriculture with gene editing. But we need to give CRISPR a chance.

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Jul 18, 2018

From picking to pollinating, agribots are pushing farming into the future

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI

The Robots are Coming!


Agricultural scientists are turning to emerging technologies, such as robotics and AI, to help deal with the challenges associated with modern-day farming. Here are some of the tech being harvested today.

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