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.

[WT-20] See reference details

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.

[WT-21] See reference details

Electric cars with sound by composer Hans Zimmer

How can we make electric vehicles as loud as cars with combustion engines? BMW has entrusted award-winning composer Hams Zimmer with creating sounds for its electric cars. Zimmer has designed "sound worlds" for the inside of the car depending on the selected "driving mode" as well as an engine sound projected outside the car.

[SOL-17] See reference details

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.

[WT-22] See reference details

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”.

[WT-23] See reference details

An algorithm has been developed that creates artificial human DNA

Researchers at the University of Paris Saclay (France) and the University of Tartu (Estonia) used an AI to generate pieces of artificial human DNA. They see this accomplishment as useful for research: an artificial genome doesn't belong to anyone, so it's easier to do experiments on it.

[WT-34] See reference details

Un écran léchable en développement

A Japanese researched has developed TTTV or "Taste the TV", a screen that exudes flavors, which consumers taste by licking the surface. Possible uses: menu choices, all sorts of games, sharing a meal via video, etc.

[WT-24] See reference details

Sony is Working on a 3D Scanner that will Allow Users to Put Real-World Items Into Video Games

Sony is trying to obtain a patent for a smartphone app that would allow users to 3D scan a real object and then manifest it in the game they're playing.

Note from the archivist: There are plenty of augemented reality apps that use Lidar technology to 3D scan objects (Polycam, Scaniverse, etc.).

[WT-25] See reference details

Farmer Puts VR Headsets on Cows to Simulate Green Pastures

To motivate his cows, a Turkish farmer bought a virtual reality headset and fitted it to one of them, so it would feel like it's in a beautiful field, he says. He claims the cow then produced more milk. The article underscores the fact that this is a very expensive way to manage a symptom without resolving the real problem: his cows aren't happy.

Note from the archivist: The Mootrix (sorry, not sorry).

[SOL-19] See reference details

Life 3.0

In this 2017 book, Max Tegmark considers the present and future impacts of artificial intelligence on humanity.

[AI-17] See reference details