Animals ‘shapeshifting’ in response to climate crisis, research finds

A scientific study indicates that several warm-blooded animals have already begun to evolve to adaot ti global warming via "shapeshifting": larger beaks for certain birds and bigger wings for bats in warm climates.

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A Bioartificial Pancreas Could Substantially Enhance Type-1 Diabetes Treatment

A team of biomedical engineers has developed an artificial pancreas that functions autonomously. Since it operates using human cells, it does not require refilling and could potentially replace current Type 1 diabetes treatments like insulin pumps.

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Firm raises $15m to bring back woolly mammoth from extinction

In September 2021, a firm raised the funds necessary to launch a project which aims to reintroduce extinct wooly mammoths to the earth, in the Arctic. The team hopes to achieve this by mixing the genome of frozen mammoth specimens with that of an elephant. The first births are planned for 2027 if all goes well. The article highlights the many potential problems that could plague the project and its justifications.

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How a Bunch of Lava Lamps Protect Us From Hackers

Lava lamps are more than just kitsch decorations, they're also objects in constant, unpredictable motion. This is precisely why a hundred lava lamps cover a wall at tech company Cloudflare. The lamps are constantly being filmed, and the constantly changing image provides the company's encryption codes--Cloudflare provides website protection services. To make them even more random and harder to crack, a pendulum in London and a Geiger computer in Singapore also impact the encryption process.

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Scientists 3D print living brain cells

A team of scientists has successfully 3D printed living mouse braincells. "Most" of the neurons survived. The researchers tempered their success, explaining that while the long-term goal is to 3D print cells to treat neurodegenerative diseases, for example, they are currently far from being able to do so. In the meantime, the experiment aims to help advance research.

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Pig Kidney Successfully Transplanted From Hog to Human

A medical advance in xenotransplants: a pig kidney was transplanted to a braindead woman and functioned normally for 54 hours. The patient's ventilator was unplugged after that, leading to her death. The operation was carried out in New York City at an NYU facility thanks to a grant from United Therapeutics. The company's CEO, Martine Rothblatt, is a self-avowed transhumanist who hopes to build pig farms for transplant purposes.

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A New Origami Lunar Habitat Can Unfold Into 750 Times Its Own Size

Danish architecture firm Saga has become a specialist in designing habitats for the Moon and Mars. One of its projects, Lunark, could house two people on the Moon. It is foldable, for easy transporation, but can nevertheless withstand high pressure. The Lunark testers, who spent 60 days inside the module in Greenland, found that it intrigued a polar bear.

Note from the archivist: Since then, Saga has unveiled a new prototype: Rosie. This time it's not foldable; it can be 3D printed in a single piece and is designed to be transported by space shuttle.

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Elle avale son AirPod au lieu d’un médicament et envoie un message vocal depuis son ventre

An American woman accidentally swallowed a bluetooth earbud, mistaking it for a pill. She realized her error when she used Apple's Find Airbuds feature, which made it beep from inside her body. She has since expelled it naturally, but she never reused it.

Note from the archivist: She tells her story on her TikTok account @iamcarliiib. The tale inspired a Flat Eye story line.

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Controversial ‘suicide pod’ that ‘kills peacefully’ gets go-ahead in Switzerland

Sarco's inventor (the name comes from sarcophagus, of course) had been trying to make his "unique" device--a 3D printed capsule that allows users to commit suicide "gently"--work since 2017. In late 2021, the device was finally authorized in Switzerland. The inventor also wants to make the blueprint public so anyone can print their own Sarco.

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Chemical emitted by babies could make men more docile, women more aggressive

Hexadecanal is a chemical substance emitted by humans--and especially by babies--that makes men less aggressive and women more aggressive. Scientists believe it may be an evolutionary development designed to promote infant survival by protecting them from a potential attack from their father and encouraging their mother to defend them.

Note from the archivist: Found via the agregator Ycombinator with this comment: “I don't know if this is the same chemical that is released by decaying humans, but the few times I was exposed to decaying human bodies (forgotten elderly people in apartment complexes), I felt an overwhelming calming feeling.” Which in turn inspired this comment from the development team: “Narrative fuel for Flat Eye”.

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