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Scientists discover microbes that can digest plastics at cool temperatures
In a potentially encouraging sign for reducing environmental waste, researchers have discovered microbes from the Alps and the Arctic that can break down plastic without requiring high temperatures. Although this is only a preliminary finding, a more efficient and effective breakdown of industrial plastic waste in landfills would give scientists a new tool for trying to reduce its ecological damage.
Fungus headphones offer a glimpse at the renewable future of electronics
It turns out headphones are the perfect product to showcase the potential for growing electronics. The typical set has a mix of plastic, leather and mesh -- not the most environmentally friendly ingredients. To prove that we could swap those out for yeast, mushrooms and other microbe-grown materials, Finish design studio Aivan created headphones made from bioplastics and microbe derivatives.
ICYMI: The alcohol creating energy and removing pollution
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The University of Colorado, Boulder is diving into a beer project with a surprising twist: Researchers have managed to use beer brewing runoff to grow a species of fungus that not only cleans the water but can also be used to create lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is helping paralyzed people regain a sense of touch through a robotic arm, by implanting electrodes in the participant's brain. The flexible phone display for music is here, and the BMW concept motorcycle that had everyone talking is here. In case you're friends with someone on Tinder, they should know about this story. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
The Last of Us combat forces you to think through the situation, devs say
Naughty Dog is looking to make The Last of Us the most realistic fungal-zombie-apocalypse game ever created. Game director Bruce Straley and creative director Neil Druckmann let slip a few details about combat mechanics in a video interview with Game Informer: Health will not automatically regenerate; Ellie, your AI companion, will be intelligent enough to throw bricks and other materials at your enemies, and she won't break your "stealth" mode; and it may include Uncharted-esque playable cinematics, but in more intimate environments.Straley and Druckmann discuss combat moments as part strategy, part shooter, and say they're infusing the title with realistic reactions from NPCs and the protagonist alike. Watch the entire interview here.
Sparse The Last of Us story details emerge
Details of Naughty Dog's recently revealed post-apocalyptic horror show, The Last of Us, are still pretty slim, but we have learned a couple of things since the above trailer first debuted at Spike TV's own horror show, the annual Video Game Awards. Joel, a rough-and-tumble survivalist, and Ellie, a teenager "wise beyond her years," must defend themselves against scavenging bands of humans (as well as the fungus among us) in what Sony describes as "a character driven story" that "blends survival and action elements," as our intrepid duo travels across America. This could be good or bad, depending on how these two characters are implemented. We don't want to sound pessimistic, but we're concerned about the potential Resident Evil Zero-ness on our hands.
Latest speculation about Sony's The Last of Us blames ants for everything
Oh, this is fun. We don't care if we're playing right into Sony's marketing plan by speculating on the nature of its virally campaigned title, The Last of Us -- we love a good puzzle. And ants. And lethal, cadaver-loving fungus. There has been a lot of speculation about The Last of Us' origin and plot since Sony's limited reveal last week, but it has consistently seemed clear that the game involves bullet ants, apocalyptic chaos and the Cordyceps fungus. PlayStation Lifestyle has rummaged through the clues online and put together a slightly clearer picture of the game: The Last of Us' YouTube account was created in July 2006 (yes, more than five years ago and before the PS3 was a thing), and in the same month it released a research and development presentation about group-animal movements on the PS3. The research leader is involved heavily in stigmergy, a concept of swarm behavior, which is connected to bullet ants. Yes, it all comes back to the ants. At the end of Sony's promo video (above), we can hear a series of clicking -- which is how bullet ants communicate with each other -- and then a high-pitched, inhuman scream -- which is how bullet ants call entire swarms to one area. The scream can be heard meters away, even by humans, PlayStation Lifestyle writes. In The Last of Us, Texas and New Mexico are infected, and bullet ants live just south of there, in Brazil's Atlantic Forest. For more information on bullet ants than you ever thought you'd want, check out PlayStation Lifestyle's research synthesis, and tune in tonight to our liveblog coverage of the VGAs for what we expect will be an official announcement.
