InvisiSnacks | Shroom-Bot | Facebuds

This week I learned 4/10 cats like to play fetch, compared to 8/10 dogs.

And 5/10 people are uncomfortable with non-simplified fractions. 😬

-Steve

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InvisiSnacks

Fan favorite junk foods contain the key ingredient for invisibility, Yellow 5. Applying the dye to mice skin makes it transparent.

• Absorbs blue light and reduces light scattering in tissue (i.e. skin)

• Enabling red and orange light can penetrate deeper

• Mouse neurons and blood vessels became visible to naked eye

Washing the dye off reverses invisibility and current tests show no significant toxicity. Similar effects could one day be used to revolutionize human imaging, though our skin is 10x thicker and requires further safety research. …stops eating M&Ms.

Dorito Dust (don’t try this at home)

Shroom-Bot

Fungi can now control robotic bodies. Researchers developed biohybrid robots using king oyster mushroom mycelium.

• Mycelium = web-like fungal root structure

• Naturally responds to environmental cues w/ electric signals

• Captured signals convert into robotic actions

Researchers altered stimuli to manipulate shroom-bot movement in wheeled and legged bodies. Fungi’s ability to thrive in harsh conditions and sense environmental changes could assist in agriculture via soil optimizing robots. Toad from Mario Kart?

See shroom-bot “run”

Facebuds

Blind cavefish make up for their lack of eyes with a face full of taste buds. Regressive evolution sees former eye sockets filled with fat and scales.

• Regressive evolution = losing unnecessary traits

• Face-taste buds start appearing ~5 months of age

• Still closely related to surface-dwelling cousins

We don’t fully understand the benefits of this trait, or why some continue adding face-buds into adulthood. Ongoing research will uncover how blind cavefish face-tasting benefits their survival. I see.

So is their whole face a tongue?

Unnatural Selection

Last week: “Which would you rather be?”

What’s a shark gotta doo doo doo doo doo doo to get a vote around here?

st3v on site

Snack Testing

Good news: st3v volunteered to test yellow 5 invisibility.

Bad news: …we can’t find him and the candy keeps disappearing.

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