Pop quiz: Which is hotter?

• 96 °F

• 308.7 K

• 35.5 °C

• Hot coffee when you think it's ready but omg it is NOT

The answer to this, and so many of life's questions, is coffee. (bonus points if you knew the first three are equal!) For those still sipping the 200 °F elixir lately, may I introduce you to cold brew?

-Steve

Join The Convo for weekly briefings on the coolest STEM news!

Hack-a-Bug

Researchers at Rice University want to literally be a fly on the wall. They successfully remote-controlled the little buggers by altering their neurons.

• Flies were genetically engineered for heat sensitive neurons

• Iron oxide nanoparticles were then injected into their brains

• A magnetic field heated those particles and triggered a wing pose

A spread-wing pose was chosen due to its unlikely usage during testing. Researchers hope to build on this technology to provide minimally invasive therapy for human neurological disorders. For my fellow Westworld fans, yes.

Need the mi-fly password?

Star Babies

Distant star constellations are trending, but we also have some right here on Earth. Starfish embryos link up and float as living crystals.

• Accidentally discovered while studying embryonic development

• Embryos have little hairs to navigate through water

• They float up and assemble for multiple days

Each individual is surrounded by 6 others, forming a crystal-like shape. Then they begin to spin in one direction, creating a whirlpool that drags other embryos in. Why they do this is a mystery...maybe they're just jealous of JWST's pics.

Star(fish) gazing

Keyboard Art

Ever wanted to draw without, you know, learning how to? One million users will be given access to OpenAI’s DALL·E 2 AI during its recently launched beta.

• Beta users will be slowly added from a waitlist

• Uses Deep Learning to understand connections between objects

• Includes “Inpainting” = photoshop, but with text prompts

DALL·E 2 is a cool way to teach us how AI understands our world. Precautions taken to prevent deep fakes and explicit content will be tested with this large user group. Can’t wait to try “speech bubble robot controlling flies”!

Draw beta

Clickables

• Good thing professional bird watchers have cameras

• Meet farm animal influencers

• Bat ringtones and frog hunting

• Is cow manure energy green or brown?

• Cool maps of population density

st3v on site

Fly Simulator

These simulation games are getting sooo realistic.

Thank you for reading!

Missed last week’s Convo?

Catch-up here: Getting STARted | Shrimp Shock | Lab Grown Heart - The Convo Kit #57

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