Cell-Based Living Robots Can Reproduce Themselves

Plus, it's time to fear the fungi.

The Futurist uncovers unique and inspiring topics that feed your curiosity. Curated articles on technology, science, and culture delivered to your inbox. Not for you? Unsubscribe anytime below. /wild IT'S TIME TO FEAR THE FUNGI There are plenty of things in this world that might keep you up at night. There's COVID-19, of course, but if you're anxious like me you could probably rattle off a very long list of additional fears: getting hit by a car, cancer, being poisoned by an ill-advised gas station meal, getting caught in a wildfire, electrocuting yourself plugging your laptop in at a dodgy cafe. But what is likely not high on your list is fungi. Unfortunately, that might be changing. ArsTechnica /money THIS NEWSLETTER DELIVERS UNBIASED INTEL ON ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX You don't need a financial advisor to get trustworthy advice for making the most of your investments. Subscribe to the Alternative Assets newsletter, and you'll get a wealth of data-driven intel on the many investment opportunities around us — going way beyond just stocks. From buzzy NFTs to sports cards and collectibles, Alternative Assets analyzes the investment landscape and provides recommendations that consistently outperform benchmarks. Get guidance on new markets so you can grow your money the smart way. Sign up for free and start diversifying your investment portfolio today. [Partner] /science THE SCIENCE OF MIND READING During the past few decades, the state of neuroscientific mind reading has advanced substantially. Cognitive psychologists armed with an fMRI machine can tell whether a person is having depressive thoughts; they can see which concepts a student has mastered by comparing his brain patterns with those of his teacher. By analyzing brain scans, a computer system can edit together crude reconstructions of movie clips you've watched. 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While the intent of the policy is good, the wording of the policy itself has led to confusion about what is actually banned, and some free speech experts worry it will make it harder to share newsworthy videos and photos on Twitter. Vice /explore FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, ROAD TRIPPERS, AND BUSINESS FOLKS SWEAR BY THIS TRAVEL BRAND No matter what kind of traveler you are, having gear that makes sense is essential. You need functionality, flexibility, lightness, and durability. You wouldn't mind having good looks either. The co-founders at Gravel design sustainable travel-tested gear that's a joy to use and has raving reviews from road trippers, pilots, and other wanderers. It all started with a toiletry bag that killed it on Kickstarter and now there's a line of blankets, accessories, and backpacks to help you get from point A to point B without any fuss. And with the lifetime repair-or-replace warranty, you won't have to worry about mileage. Gravel /ai CELL-BASED LIVING ROBOTS CAN REPRODUCE THEMSELVES It might soon be easy to build living robots — because they'll build themselves. New Scientist reports Harvard University, Tufts University, and University of Vermont researchers have learned that their frog cell-based Xenobots can self-reproduce. The custom organisms can collect "hundreds" of individual cells in their dishes to spontaneously assemble baby bots that grow up within a few days. As this happens over and over, you could use the reproduction to amass however many robots you need to deliver drugs, remove microplastics from rivers, or otherwise complete small-scale tasks. Engadget /festive @annalena.lindqvist /bites Wanna learn coding but can't pick a specialty? 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