Boxed Water | Mars, TX | Mongoose Babies - The Convo Kit #9

Six weekends left this summer. The Convo Kit is here to make sure you don’t waste them talking about the weather…unless it’s drones making rain.

Join The Convo for weekly briefings to kick start your weekend!

Pool in a Box

Modpool upcycles shipping containers into swimming pools. "Modpools" are delivered ready to use with a pump, filtration system, and Wi-Fi.

• Lasts 30 years

• Controllable via smart app

• Can be split into a hot tub/pool

Shipping containers have more life than toothpaste at the end of the tube. From housing, to farming, to 3D-printing factories, these boxes satisfy our desire to demonstrate eco-awareness and relive the glory days of childhood imagination + a cardboard box.

Also available with a transparent pool wall.

Related listen: Over-encumbered exporters watch empty containers leave.

Mars, TX

NASA is looking for volunteers to simulate life on Mars. Candidates must be between ages 30-55 and have an extensive STEM background.

• Simulation location: Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

• 1,700 sq. foot Martian habitat

• 3D printed by ICON

The project will test psychological responses to various stressors associated with living in isolation. Volunteers will also experience virtual space walks. If they ask, reading Convo Kits qualifies as “extensive” STEM experience, maybe.

Images of ICON’s mockup available on digitaltrends.

Synchronous Birthing

Banded Mongoose packs welcome all new members on the same night. Creating a "veil of ignorance" where every pup receives the same unbiased care. Scientists found smaller pups quickly caught up in growth during controlled studies.

• One litter = up to 20 pups

• Up to 12 mothers can sync delivery

• New pups receive 1:1 guidance for 90 days when leaving the den

Cute baby mongoose? Check. Communal care that makes you say “awwww”? Check. Dark backstory they don’t tell you about? Check-mate. Pups born outside of this group cycle are usually killed by elder-females. Basically a Disney movie waiting to happen.

Look! Baby mongoose pics!

A Dog-eDog World

Xiaomi joins the robo-dog club with (can’t believe this name was still available) CyberDog. One thousand Xiaomi fans, engineers, and robotics enthusiasts will be the first to enjoy our latest electro-doggo.

• 11 sensors enable environment interaction

• Can recognize faces and posture

• How much?: $1,540

This open-source addition to our growing kennel of dogebots can identify and follow an individual in a crowd. The posture identification may provide more utility for anyone with back pain after a long hard day of slouching.

Almost as cute as baby mongoose pics: Cyberdog’s shrug.

eDog treats: TCKs #2 and #5 leave the doggy door open for a robo-pup to join NASA’s Martian simulation and become an instant social media celebrity.

Rise of Skydweller

Aptly-named Skydweller will autonomously patrol the skies for the US Navy. The aircraft can remain in the sky for 90 days thanks to solar panels and backup hydrogen fuel cells.

• 2,900 sq. feet of photovoltaic cells

• Wingspan = 236 feet

• Power: Up to 2 kW

Combining automation with solar power reportedly saves around 100 takeoff and landing procedures. Minimizing risk and freeing up personnel is always a good thing, doing it with renewable energy is plant-based icing on the locally-sourced cake.

More details and a pic of the w i d e aircraft on Interesting Engineering.

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