Recent progress in robotic topiary

The ever expanding list of professional activities that are in imminent danger of replacement by AI and/or robots has a new addition – Topiarists. A topiary-bot is currently under test at Wageningen University, The Netherlands, as part of the the university’s TrimBot2020 project. Which is seeking to “advance the robotics and computer vision technology needed […]

The Artificial Tree Electric Generator (patent)

HRL Laboratories – formerly the (Howard) Hughes Research Laboratories – have just been granted a US patent for their ‘Power generation through artificial transpiration ‘ invention. The power system – which could perhaps be described as an ‘artificial tree’ – generates power by drawing water through a turbine, driven by pressure differences caused by transpiration […]

Yet more plummeting dead mice over Guam

Krystal Paco reports, in Guam News: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s dead mice baits filled with acetaminophen being dropped from helicopters. As today marked the fourth mice drop atop forested areas of Anderson Airforce Base since September, U.S. Department of Agriculture assistant state director supervisory wildlife biologist Dan Vice explains the process […]

“Corpse Treatment Method”: The body of a tree, so to speak and also literally

This patent application describes how to use a human corpse to grow part of a copse: “Corpse Treatment Method,” U.S. Patent Application 12/160,699, Evert Dirk Van Ramshorst, filed January 15, 2007. “A new form of corpse treatment has also been developed: freeze-drying or lyophilization. In freeze-drying the body of the deceased is cooled to -18° […]

Yet another mathematician commits violence

Don Troop in the Chronicle of Higher Education reports yet another case of a mathematician committing a shocking act of violence: Math Prof Clobbers Gopher Mascot The year in college sports has brought us both mascot-on-mascot violence and mascot-on-fan violence. Last weekend the tables turned when a University of Minnesota fan landed a couple jabs […]