Moon Gardens | Mind-Arm | Droney Appleseed - The Convo Kit #48

Dealing with Covid this week, I learned how to feel instead of taste. Tingly and slightly painful? Sriracha! Watery with a dry after taste? Coffee!

Experiencing flavors in new ways is fun, but as soon as this is over I’m feasting on my absolute favorite: candy orange slices.

-Steve

P.S. Any TV series recommendations for quarantine?

Join The Convo for weekly briefings on science, space, and tech news!

Moon Gardens

Scientists successfully grew the first plants in lunar soil, aka regolith. Samples from the Apollo missions were used to learn how Earthly plants fare in foreign sediment.

• Thale cress was tested due to its popular use in biology research

• Control soil: volcanic ash

• RNA studies revealed the regolith plants were more stressed than soil/ash plants

These results could help future astronauts grow plants in habitats on the moon and beyond. An important factor for future space diets, oxygen generation, and backyard hobbies.

Striking gray-dirt

Home Made Arm

Looking for something to do when you’re bored? A 17-year-old student built a mind-controlled prosthetic arm that doesn’t require surgery in their spare time.

• Originally built using rubber bands and a $75 3D-printer

• Sensors translate brainwaves into movements via Bluetooth

• 95% accuracy (commercial designs = 74%)

After 6 months of progress, MIT offered funding and technical supervision. The current iteration costs $300 to build and could be sold far cheaper than current alternatives.

Droney Appleseed

AirSeed Technology’s automated drones shoot trees into the ground. Well, they shoot seeds that will become trees and help fight deforestation.

• 40,000 seeds planted per day

• Drones work in two shifts: scouting and planting

• Growth progress is automated similar to the initial scouting shift

Specialized pods ensure the seeds make it into the ground. They include starter nutrients not available at the drop site so every seed has a fighting chance. After they're done saving our forests, AirSeed can always disrupt the landscaping industry.

Raining seeds 

“Green” Mining

First Mode’s nuGen is a zero-emission truck joining the Anglo American mining fleet. The ironically green vehicle is powered by a 100 kW hydrogen fuel cell.

• Three stories tall, weighing an agile 200 tons

• Hauling capacity: 290 tons

• Hydrogen is sourced from local renewable power plant

Anglo American aims to reduce up to 80% of their diesel emissions using similar trucks. Greener mining is nice, but feels off. If the planet were our bodies, this is sort of like walking to get fast food instead of ordering it.

Mean green machine

Rise of Skydweller (updated from TCK #9)

Aptly-named Skydweller will continue patrolling the skies autonomously for the US Navy after a recent contract extension. The aircraft can fly 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.

Fly forever

1 More Thing

Prosthetic mind-control

Thank you for reading!

Missed last week’s Convo?

Catch-up here: Fire Raft | Hecho en Bolivia | Particle Parity - The Convo Kit #47

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