Latest thinking about terraforming Mars, introducing cyanobacteria

3 Terraforming Mars 1

Terraforming Mars

While scientists believe that at one time, long ago, Mars had an atmosphere similar to Earth’s and was covered with flowing water, the reality today is quite different. In fact, the surface of Mars is so hostile that a vacation in Antarctica would seem pleasant by comparison.

In addition to the extreme cold, there is little atmosphere to speak of and virtually no oxygen. However, a team of students from Germany wants to change that. Their plan is to introduce cyanobacteria into the atmosphere which would convert the ample supplies of CO² into oxygen gas, thus paving the way for possible settlements.

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Scientists reinventing photosynthesis to feed the world

wheat-fields

If we could make the process more efficient, scientists estimate we could increase yields by 36 to 60 percent.

What if we ended up with 50% more rice and wheat by using the same amount of water and fertilizer? Sound impossible? No, just some chemistry and genetic engineering. Scientists have recently figured out the second of three steps to make photosynthesis a whole lot more efficient in plants.

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RoboBees will pollinate crops instead of real bees

robobee

As soon as 10 years from now these RoboBees could artificially pollinate a field of crops.

Honeybees pollinate nearly one-third of the food we eat but they have been dying at unprecedented rates because of a mysterious phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). The situation is so dire that in late June the White House gave a new task force just 180 days to devise a coping strategy to protect bees and other pollinators. The crisis is generally attributed to a mixture of disease, parasites, and pesticides.

 

 

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World’s first artificial leaf that converts water and light into oxygen

breathing leaf

The man-made leaf could help us breathe in space.

Lack of oxygen throughout the universe is one of the persistent challenges of manned space exploration. Trees and other plant life do us a real solid by taking in our bad breath and changing it back to clean, sweet O2 here on Earth. (Video)

 

 

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New LED light technology sheds light on the future of food

led lights

LED growing lights, delivering sunlight whatever the weather.

This century, the challenges of growing enough food to feed the world have grown more severe. We need to feed more people with limited agricultural land and resources. We need to make better use of land, light and logistics for an increasingly urban population. And we need to incorporate zero-waste and low-energy technologies into the task of food production. (Video)

 

 

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‘Prescriptive planting’ technology is set to disrupt the farming industry

tractor-mounted computers

Tractor-mounted computers help farmers make decisions about planting crops.

The word innovation usually brings to mind small startups doing clever things with cutting-edge technology. But it is also vital in large, long-established industries—and they do not come much larger or older than agriculture. Farmers can be terrible managers, so it is no surprise that they are nervous about a new idea called prescriptive planting, which is set to disrupt their business.

 

 

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Toshiba’s new vegetable factory to bring perfect produce to Japan

toshiba plant facotry

Toshiba plant factory

When you hear the name Toshiba, you probably think about electronics products like televisions and computers. Thanks to its CT and other diagnostic imaging machines and technology, Toshiba has made a name for itself in the healthcare industry, too. Now, the company wants to go further to promote their healthcare initiatives, by introducing 100 percent pesticide-free vegetable factories in Japan.

 

 

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Top 15 emerging agriculture technologies that will change the world

drone

Automation will help agriculture via large-scale robotic and microrobots.

Below are 15 emerging technologies related to agricultural and natural manufacturing under four key areas of accelerating change: Sensors, Food, Automation and Engineering.

 

 

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Tokyo’s urban train stations turned into farms in an effort to ‘green the city’

urban farm

Soradofarms

When you think of Tokyo you you think of smog and skyscrapers, and people, lots of people – you don’t really think of green spaces.  But in an effort to ‘green the city’, officials have given up the space on the roof train stations to make community gardens.

 

 

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Bionic plants use nanotechnology to boost photosynthesis

bionic-plant2

Researchers embedded carbon nanotubes in the chloroplasts of the plants to create “artificial antennae.”

Plants make life possible. Chloroplasts are the tiny organelles with a plant’s leaves. The chloroplasts use incoming sunlight to split water molecules and then knit together the energy-rich carbon and hydrogen compounds found in everything from food to fossil fuels. The leftover “waste” is the oxygen that we and the rest of the animal kingdom depend on to survive and thrive.
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‘Doomsday vault’ keeps over 800,000 plant species on ice

doomsday vault

Svalbard Global Seed Vault

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, or “doomsday vault,” on a remote Norwegian island in the Arctic Circle took its first deposits in March 2008. The vault’s builders had spent some $7 million and 12 months blasting a tunnel and three chambers into the mountainside’s hard permafrost. To be stored within? Treasure.

 

 

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.