1. One Thing that Helps
We finally invented plastic that knows when to quit.
Rutgers University researchers have taken inspiration from nature to create plastics that self-destruct without the use of new chemicals. Turns out, synthetic plastics have internal structures that break down just as easily as natural polymers. The only problem is that these structures, or bonds, are shielded in plastic, which gives them their famous durability and obnoxious persistence.
The researchers pre-folded the molecules in plastic to make them easier to break. Think of it like folding a piece of paper along a crease. The crease makes it easier to tear the paper. The researchers introduced similar weaknesses to plastic that trigger self-destruction when introduced to stimuli.
The advent of self-destructing plastics is a step forward in reducing plastic’s troublesome footprint not only in nature but even in our bodies!
2. One to be Wary Of
Do you get cheaper deals when using an Android phone compared to an iPhone? Do you get different prices when you book a ride or shop online? If so, it could be more than just dynamic pricing.
We all know that airline tickets and hotel booking prices change from time to time. But with the introduction of AI, companies are now using algorithms to adjust their prices not only based on demand but also on your personal data. We call that surveillance pricing.
In surveillance pricing, a company may use your device type, location, purchase history, browsing history, and abandoned carts, among other data, to offer you the best price. By “best” I mean the maximum price that you might be willing to pay. In the US, the discrepancy can be as high as 23% for two different shoppers buying the same item!
For all those people who say they don't care that everything they do is being tracked. Here is just the first step in the process of using your data history against you. Strap in!
3. One to Amaze
“I’ll see you in my dreams” may sound romantic but it may actually be real.
Researchers at REMspace claim to have enabled two-way communication between people's dreams. They used a setup with a server, WiFi, sensors and a mysterious “apparatus” which may have been used to induce the participants to lucid dream. The participants wore a brainwave monitor connected to the server.
The researchers elicited a response from one lucid dreaming participant, uploaded it, and relayed it to another participant in a separate location. The response was then uploaded by the second participant back to the server in a complete communication loop.
I do feel like I might want to keep my dreams private sometimes, but the potential to collaborate and invent on a different level is completely intriguing.
The next step should be securing the server, unless we want some Inception-like hacking crashing our dreams!