Latest Stories from Jamie
Phykos creates AI seaweed planting vessels to naturally store carbon
With the aim of creating more natural carbon banks, Phykos has pioneered an autonomous device capable of growing seaweed in shallow water and dragging it out to the open ocean. As you’ve probably heard by now, seaweed is good for a whole lot more than livening up your weekly stir fry. One of nature’s most remarkable allies when it comes to sustainability, seaweed is thought to sequester nearly 200 million...
NYC improves conditions for gig economy delivery drivers
As the gig economy takes on an increasing number of contractors every year, New York City is determined to look after workers with its most widespread service: app-based food delivery. These days, enjoying grub from our favourite restaurants and fast-food outlets is all but a few clicks (and usually a half hour wait) away, thanks to the gig economy. In the last five years or so, food apps like Uber Eats,...
Apple is collecting iPhone data to help detect underlying mental health issues
Apple believes health data gathered from our iPhones, such as sleep patterns and typing behaviour, may help to identify underlying mental health conditions or cognitive decline. We’ve all experienced that dystopian moment when a targeted phone ad pops up for an item you were just talking about. But this is a whole other level of eerie. Apple is reportedly intrigued by the possibility of using live iPhone data to bring...
Tomato vines power cloud server in Warm Earth exhibition
Exploring the idea of technology entering a symbiotic relationship with nature, design graduate Ilja Schamle has built a cloud server powered by tomato vines. If it had the potential to knock digits off your electricity bill, would you take up gardening? An Eindhoven design graduate named Ilja Schamle has long wanted to explore the possibility of technology entering a symbiotic relationship with nature, and her latest creation is raising eyebrows at...
Tottenham Hotspur host world’s first net zero football match
Sky and Tottenham partnered for the first net zero match in elite level football on Sunday. Supported by COP26 and the Premier League, #GameZero is striving to drive emissions down in stadiums throughout England’s top division. As 60,000 poured into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a tense London derby on Sunday, #GameZero provided a promising backdrop for a more sustainable future in English football. It may be too soon to approach...
Climate inaction looms over Afghanistan under the Taliban
The Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan has put the nation’s climate plans on hold. Threatened by food insecurity and major droughts, the region may struggle to bounce back. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan wasn’t just a threat to citizens on a humanitarian and human rights front, it has also jeopardised prior plans to address the region’s worsening climate. Before the Taliban’s unanointed takeover, Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency had planned a...
El Salvador citizens up in arms as Bitcoin becomes legal tender
All businesses with the capacity to accept crypto payments must legally do so in El Salvador. But why exactly are citizens up in arms over the changes imposed by President Nayib Bukele? Once a novel business endeavour among young US traders, crypto currency is continuously spreading – much like a virus, if you ask the citizens of El Salvador. On Wednesday (15/09), thousands of Salvadorans took to the streets to protest...
Is voice AI on the verge of a marketing explosion?
AI speech synthesisers may feel like a novel gimmick now, but as the technology becomes more sophisticated, could we see a full-scale integration into the marketing world? Apparently, AI audio synthesisers are about to get a whole load more sophisticated than Eminem’s rap generator. Like that’s even possible. Despite the many ethical issues surrounding the recreational use of AI and its potential for nefarious uses - with non-consensual deepfake porn, doctored...
Potty training cows could put a dent in nitrous oxide emissions
In a bid to finally address the massive environmental toll of livestock emissions, scientists have decided to potty train cows. Yes, you read that right. Early signs are positive. If you can potty train a child, you can potty train a cow. At least that was the theory posited by a group of environmental scientists, not to sate their famed German sense of humour, but to cut back on huge emissions...
Can fungi become a pillar for toxic waste clean ups?
In the last 20 years, mushrooms have proved a natural and cost-effective way of cleaning oil spills, contaminated soil, and toxic metals from lakes. Given our current climate crisis, should we be utilising fungi more? If you’re of the opinion that mushrooms are only good for a tasty risotto or brief invincibility in Super Mario, this deep dive into the environmental application of fungi will blow your mind more than...
