Robo-Jelly | Hive Health | Worm Milk

Remember, daylight savings tomorrow doesn’t mean we lose an hour. It means we’re one hour closer to the next casualSTEM!

-Steve

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Robo-Jelly

Jelly cyborgs have entered the chat. Researchers enhanced jellyfish to study how climate-change affects the deep ocean.

• Sensor-equipped jellyfish slowly collect data on dives

• Adding a pacemaker increased swim speed

• 3D-printed “hats” improved aerodynamics

New and fully-enhanced bio-hybrid jellies swim up to 4.5x faster than their natural counterparts. Further developments will enable researcher steering, though bio-ethicists are reviewing animal welfare concerns. My new phobia: chased by robo-jelly.

Aerodynamic jelly

Hive Health

Bees can tell us how they’re feeling, if we listen. Measuring honeybee response after tapping the outside of their hive acts like a wellness checkup.

• Electromagnetic shaker gently taps the hive

• Accelerometer records response vibrations

• Recordings account for seasonal variation due to temp.

Healthy bees vibrate less during busy summer months and more when huddled together in the winter. Non-invasive inspections enable proactive management while minimizing unnecessary stress for the hive. But have they tried playing music?

chill BEEts to buzz to

Worm Milk

Worm-like amphibians produce “milk” for their hatchlings. Ringed caecilians were just observed raising offspring in ways thought to be exclusively mammalian.

• Feeding is triggered by hatchlings’ squeaking and nibbling

• Milk-like fluid is excreted from the oviduct

• Rich in fat and nutrients

Ringed caecilians spend their first 2 months by mom’s side and grow 130% in the first week. This discovery has prompted reviewing parental evolution across the animal kingdom and a deeper dive into milk production. Think I’ll stick to oat milk.

Baby caecilians eyes >>>

Real Artificial Intelligence

Unnatural Selection

Last week: “What would you call our new leap weekend day?”

Every 4 years on Sunleap we play hopscotch with 29 squares.

st3v on site

Sound Check

Bees may be happy if you tap their hive, but they will be ecstatic when you tap into their jive. DJ st3v aobee keeps them buzzin!

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