Lifeboat Foundation

On the 17th of August 2021, the EU authorized the use of insects as feed for farmed animals such as chickens and pigs. This was a disastrous decision for sentient beings, as it may greatly increase the number of beings who will suffer in animal agriculture. Sadly, this was just one in a series of disastrous decisions that the EU has made regarding insect farming in the last couple of years. Most recently, in February 2022, they authorized the farming of house crickets for human consumption, after having made similar decisions for the farming of mealworms and migratory locusts in 2021.

Many such catastrophic decisions probably lie ahead, seeing that the EU is currently reviewing applications for the farming of nine additional kinds of insects. This brief posts reviews some reflections and potential lessons in light of these harmful legislative decisions.

EPFL scientists have crafted a biological system that mimics an electronic bandpass filter, a novel sensor that could revolutionize self-regulated biological mechanisms in synthetic biology.

Synthetic biology holds the promise of enhancing and modifying biological systems into innumerable new technologies for the benefit of society. This engineering approach to biology has already reaped benefits in the fields of drug delivery, agriculture, and energy production.

In a paper published in Nature Chemical Biology, EPFL researchers at the Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering (LPDI) at the School of Engineering have taken an important step in designing more performative biological systems.

Back in 2021, a test of cephalopod smarts reinforced how important it is for us humans to not underestimate animal intelligence.

Cuttlefish were given a new version of the marshmallow test, and the results may demonstrate that there’s more going on in their strange little brains than we knew.

Their ability to learn and adapt, the researchers said, could have evolved to give cuttlefish an edge in the cutthroat eat-or-be-eaten marine world they live in.

Scientists teach parrots to trade metal rings for walnuts.

Animals often share food, but these birds understand that metal rings can be exchanged for treats, and they share the rings with no promise of reward.

Continue reading “Parrots Will Share Currency to Help Their Pals Purchase Food” »

A team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology has created the first-ever rechargeable edible battery made out of gold foil, nori seaweed, and beeswax. A charger you can eat? Sounds good to us.

The Italian Institute of Technology has really brought innovation to the table at the Maker Faire in Rome. The team of researchers has created the first-ever rechargeable edible battery made out of gold foil, nori seaweed, and beeswax.

Continue reading “Edible electronics: The future of sustainable devices is in your food” »

In experiments conducted on the toothpaste no major side effects were reported.

Busracavus/iStock.

Peanuts are one of the most common food allergens, and peanut allergies tend to persist into adulthood more frequently than allergies to other foods. Peanut allergies are common, particularly in Western countries. The prevalence of peanut allergies appears to be increasing, and it is estimated that about 2.9 percent of the population in the United States suffers from the condition.

Continue reading “Scientists invent toothpaste that can treat peanut allergies” »

Only 2% of Alzheimer’s is 100% genetic. The rest is up to your daily habits.

Up Next ► 4 ways to hack your memory https://youtu.be/SCsztDMGP7o.

Continue reading “5 ways to build an Alzheimer’s-resistant brain | Lisa Genova” »

It’s no secret that foundation models have transformed AI in the digital world. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, LLaMA, and Bard revolutionized AI for language. While OpenAI’s GPT models aren’t the only large language model available, they have achieved the most mainstream recognition for taking text and image inputs and delivering human-like responses — even with some tasks requiring complex problem-solving and advanced reasoning.

ChatGPT’s viral and widespread adoption has largely shaped how society understands this new moment for artificial intelligence.

The next advancement that will define AI for generations is robotics. Building AI-powered robots that can learn how to interact with the physical world will enhance all forms of repetitive work in sectors ranging from logistics, transportation, and manufacturing to retail, agriculture, and even healthcare. It will also unlock as many efficiencies in the physical world as we’ve seen in the digital world over the past few decades.

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most economically and societally impactful crops in the world, providing a significant percentage of all protein for animal consumption on a global scale, and playing key roles in oil production, manufacturing, and biofuel applications. In 2022, an estimated 4.3 billion bushels of soybeans were produced in the United States, a decrease of almost 200 million bushels compared to the previous year.

To keep up with the growing demand for soy-based animal feed, the USDA projects soybean acreage will increase by 19.6% by 2032. Hybrid breeding in soybean has the potential to increase the productivity of one of the most planted and consumed crops in the Americas, yet it has remained largely unexplored.

New research by scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Cornell University provides a key enabling technology to produce obligate outcrossing in soybean. The newly published study, “Introduction of barnase/barstar in soybean produces a rescuable male sterility system for hybrid breeding” in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, has revealed that obligate outcrossing with the Barnase/Barstar lines provides a new resource that can be used to amplify hybrid seed sets, enabling large-scale trials for heterosis in this major crop.