Tocky on 7/9/2022 at 16:09
Guaranteed to be the first spy gadget to get stepped on.
mxleader on 7/9/2022 at 18:29
I'm onboard with R/C cockroaches if they can fetch snacks.
Cipheron on 7/9/2022 at 21:39
Quote Posted by mxleader
I'm onboard with R/C cockroaches if they can fetch snacks.
Combine that with the cockroach milk idea ... uh, maybe not.
Komag on 21/9/2022 at 10:41
Straight out of 5th Element!
Cipheron on 5/10/2022 at 02:24
(
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/04/wax-worm-saliva-rapidly-breaks-down-plastic-bags-scientists-discover)
Quote:
Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives.
The enzymes are the first reported to break down polyethylene within hours at room temperature and could lead to cost-effective ways of recycling the plastic.
The discovery came after one scientist, an amateur beekeeper, cleaned out an infested hive and found the larvae started eating holes in a plastic refuse bag. The researchers said the study showed insect saliva may be “a depository of degrading enzymes which could revolutionise [the cleanup of polluting waste]”.
Polyethylene makes up 30% of all plastic production and is used in bags and other packaging that make up a significant part of worldwide plastic pollution. The only recycling at scale today uses mechanical processes and creates lower-value products.
Chemical breakdown could create valuable chemicals or, with some further processing, new plastic, thereby avoiding the need for new virgin plastic made from oil. The enzymes can be easily synthesised and overcome a bottleneck in plastic degradation, the researchers said, which is the initial breaking of the polymer chains. That usually requires a lot of heating, but the enzymes work at normal temperatures, in water and at neutral pH.
“My beehives were plagued with wax worms, so I started cleaning them, putting the worms in a plastic bag,” said Dr Federica Bertocchini, at the Biological Research Centre in Madrid. “After a while, I noticed lots of holes and we found it wasn't only chewing, it was [chemical breakdown], so that was the beginning of the story.”
demagogue on 5/10/2022 at 03:10
I can just imagine what the remote controlled animal scene will look like within a few decades. A pack of police dogs wearing uniforms and electronic skull caps stopping you on the street and barking orders at you. Panda greeters and guides at zoos. Grizzly bear soldiers in body armor on the battlefield. Fairy tale movies with live action animals playing their parts. Assassin R/C flies covertly buzzing towards their prey.
I don't know how much I like this timeline.
lowenz on 5/10/2022 at 10:38
It's just Wolfenstein! :D