3-D Printed Food: Here Comes The Replicator

One of the major problems we face as a nascent spacefaring civilization is how to provide explorers with enough supplies for long voyages in space.  Provisions take up room—a lot of room for a 1.5 year round trip to Mars—and require either long-term storage, or time and energy to maintain.  Well yet again it looks like 3-D printers are going to come to the rescue, this time, by providing 3-D printed food!

Ok, so its not exactly like a replicator from Star Trek, which turned energy directly into matter, but 3-D printed food might just be the answer not only for how to provide enough food for space travelers, but for the many hungry people down here on Earth. 

Using various powders, concentrates, and oils, it looks like it might be possible to store food in much more basic forms and 3-D print meals to order.  This means no more wasted food as only what is necessary for a portion will be used at any given time.  It also means that the storage area required could be significantly smaller than with traditional methods, such as MRE’s and other freeze-dried delicacies like astronaut ice cream.   Less payload means more room for fuel and other supplies, but it also means less the ship would way less, requiring proportionally less fuel in the first place. 

But what about down here on planet Earth, where literally millions and millions of people go hungry everyday?  Well, just like it space the transportation and storage of foodstuffs would be significantly less complicated and costly.  First off, the need for refrigeration might almost completely vanish, and more material could be transported at once.  Imagine stations set up all over the world where people can get freshly 3-D printed meals every day,  just like Mom used to make! 

As with so many recent scientific advancements this is one that could forever revolutionize our world!  

image source: [popularmechanics] [designyoutrust]

XBOX ONE: The Console Wars Begin Again

You may be a hardcore PlayStation fan, and that's ok. You may be a Wii U addict, and that's unfortunate. But for those of us loyal to the Xbox brand, today was an interesting event.

Microsoft debuted the Xbox One, the next generation of  its wildly successful Xbox franchise. Dozens of guests and Microsoft reps took the stage to introduce the new hardware and many of its bells and whistles. So heres what we've learned so far!

Massive technological upgrades. The new Xbox is powered by an 8 core CPU sporting 8GB of onboard RAM, coupled with a minimum 500GB HDD which makes the new Xbox a powerhouse of silicon. HDMI inputs as well as outputs allow you to route your TV signal and controls straight through your new gaming console, as well as (thankfully) Blu-Ray capability (which is a nice touch following Xbox 360's loss during the HD Disc wars).

It looks like the new Xbox One will NOT require an always on connection, however Microsoft IS trying to curtail the used game market. There may be an Xbox Live fee to install (or authorize) a previously used game on your console. And unfortunately it does look like backwards compatability is a no go.

Updates to the Kinnect system are right next door to mind blowing. The new camera setup is capable of monitoring motions down to the wrist and even finger level! Understanding of human musculature allows it to map muscle exertion and energy usage through posture and movement. And apparently, it can even monitor your heartrate via its dead electronic eyes! The new controller, while keeping the tried and true overall design, will allow the user to map reactivity of buttons to enhance gameplay for both pros and n00bs.

And the new changes to Xbox live will allow the system to monitor your game play capability in an effort to match you up with compatible online players for multiplayer excursions in your favorite games!

Couple all this with wildly higher polygon counts, AI for animals inside gameplay environments, a new Halo TV show coming out (can we say intereactive game/tv a la Defiance?), and integrated control over your entire home entertainment system, and the Xbox One is ready to take your voice commands into the next generation! Just walk into your living room, say "Xbox on!", and strap in!



Halo: The TV Series



Call of Duty: Ghosts



CoD Jungle Scene



Forza 5



                           

Now if we could just get 1 VS 100 back, we would ALL be happy!

 Image Source: [idigitaltimes] [Kotaku][Softpedia][Attackofthefanboy][MultiplayerblogMTV] [StrategyWiki] [CBSistatic]



Double Amputee Gets Upgraded: Yay Science!

Here's a video of Aimee Copeland, who contracted flesh-eating bacteria which lead to the double amputation of her hands, receiving a cybernetic upgrade!  While the story still comes across as inspirational CNN's "journalism" feels so saccharine that it actually sours the impact.  I wish they had covered more of the science behind the prostheses, but they probably felt it wouldn't have "played well" with the viewers.

This is one of those achievements that reshapes the world in a measurable way.  It is just the beginning of a better world for those who could use a new limb.  Advancements like this can lead to other societal improvements, like a lower unemployment rate:  if disabled people suddenly become re-abled, they can re-enter the workforce!  I wish CNN had done more to show the real impact of this technology not only on Aimee Copeland's life, but everyone's life.  

Whatever, I'm happy that this technology is becoming available (well, that $120,000 price tag for each does stir up some ethical questions) and that the real world impact of modern science is improving ever more people's lives!