A quick look at everything that tickled my fancy this past week:
6 in 1 Tent:
Here’s something that is an immediate must have for outdoor enthusiasts: a 6 in 1 tent/hammock combination that will absolutely blow your mind.
New Atlas sums it up best:
“We’ve seen ground tents that jump up and hang out in trees, inflatable tents that double as rafts, and hammock shelters that drape over your shoulders and work as rain gear. But we still weren’t prepared for the pure multifunctional chaos presented in the Beluga from French company Qaou. Instead of stopping at two or three functions, this Swiss Army-like tent performs six, and that’s not even counting its ability to connect with other Belugas and create multi-person super-tents. The Beluga treats campers to everything from Saturday afternoon couples’ hangs to full-on off-grid camper communes.”
Metal Eating Bacteria
An accidental discovery has uncovered something long suspected but never proven: the idea of metal eating bacteria.
Mashable explains:
“Scientists have described this new bacteria and its ability to metabolize metal into useful energy in a new paper published in the journal, Nature. Co-author of the study, Prof Jared Leadbetter from Caltech explains, ‘These are the first bacteria found to use manganese as their source of fuel.’
Leadbetter was performing experiments with a chalk-like form of manganese and before leaving to work off-campus for a few months, had left the apparatus in the lab sink. So, the glass jar that held the manganese was soaked in tap water for several months.
Upon returning, the microbiology professor, to his surprise, found that jar was coated with some dark material. The material turned out to be oxidized manganese, which led Leadbetter to think that this could be the result of certain microbes that have been predicted to exist over a century ago. So, researchers performed various tests that led them to believe that this newfound bacteria had likely come from the tap water itself.
In their study, researchers explain how the bacteria can use manganese to convert carbon dioxide into biomass via chemosynthesis. While fungi and bacteria are known to be able to oxidize manganese, this is the first instance where a bacteria can use the process towards its growth.”
DNA Data Storage:
Thanks to a new data storage technique it is now possible to encode entire movies in DNA.
According to the Charlotte Observer:
“Scientists have been experimenting with storing information on strands of DNA for years. It’s a technical process that is 5 million times more efficient than current storage methods, according to researchers.
Now, an interdisciplinary team developed a new algorithm to do it ‘with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency,’ a news release from the University of Texas at Austin said.
And their first order of business? Encode the entire ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on intertwined DNA strands translated into Esperanto — an international language with consistent grammar rules created to make communication between people from different countries easier.”
Emoji Keyboard:
Now you can type in emoji. Or at least find the emojis you want to use a lot quicker.
Smithsonian Magazine explains:
The keyboard, made by a company called EmojiWorks, is the result of a weird communication quandary. Emoji are an extremely efficient way to convey complex messages through images, but they’re really difficult to type. Though both Macs and PCs support emoji and have “secret” emoji keyboards, they’re not easily accessible. Instant messenger programs aren’t much better; they often require an emoji search that makes it tough to quickly send praise hands or dancing girls.
The EmojiWorks keyboard could change all of that, writes McCormick. Instead of forcing people to search for characters, the keyboard features emoji alternatives on every key along with a red ’emoji”\’ key that unlocks each one. A unicorn is typed with ’emoji+1′ and a peace sign uses ’emoji+w.’ There’s even an uber-emoji option with multiple skin tones, hot dogs, and the always-essential pizza emoji. (It shares space with its close counterpart, the taco.)”
Are any of these the Greatest Idea Ever?
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