Robot agility

https://youtu.be/X2UxtKLZnNo?si=B2wg_oesxsuJEb9m

Wow this is some impressive robot agility over some very challenging terrain. 

NYTimes: Why Coffee Prices Are Soaring (Again)

Why Coffee Prices Are Soaring (Again) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/28/business/coffee-prices-climate-change.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Coffee prices likely to go up and stay up for 2 years. 

Climate change caused drought in Brazil. 

Supply chain bottlenecks

Inflation

In general, suitable areas to grow coffee shrink every year for multiple reasons - climate change and deforestation. 

Take off shoes indoors to limit exposure to micro-plastics

The recent Washington Post article on taking shoes off in the house emphasizes the hygiene concerns associated with wearing shoes indoors.

 * It highlights the fact that shoe bottoms carry a significant amount of bacteria and viruses. This includes harmful pathogens like E. coli and fecal matter, which can be tracked into the home and potentially spread illness.

 * The article also acknowledges that this is a deeply ingrained, emotional subject with varying cultural norms.

Essentially, the Post article supports the "shoes off" policy based on hygiene and health considerations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2023/10/02/take-shoes-off-indoors-house/

https://youtu.be/tyuu6NYuo1Q?si=Pb6M8eeWpctf8ZRZ

Scientific studies. 

The effect of removing shoes rule on particle concentrations and dust composition in schools. 2020

"Finnish schools, shoes are taken off by coat racks near the classrooms (shoe schools). The new course of action is to take shoes off right when entering the building (sock schools)...concentrations in corridors were significantly higher in shoe schools compared to sock schools...elemental concentrations (Li, Al, Si, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ba, Pb) in settled dust were also higher in shoe schools compared to sock schools" 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719362680

"Contaminants tracked in from outside, such as lawn pesticides and lead dust from work or home renovation: Use a doormat, remove shoes at the door, and plant shrubs and grass to help reduce dust levels and limit the potential to track dust indoors." 

https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2818/

"...estimated that between 9,000 and 400,000 metric tonnes of microplastics are released from shoes globally per year from regular use...trail running events deposit significant plastic fibres and rubber fragments onto soil...100 runners release about 425,000 rubber particles over a 10 km race...85% of used shoes in the UK were sent to the dump rather than recycled or reused...once they're in the landfill, shoe plastics degrade...and release ethylene and methane, two potent greenhouse gases" 

https://www.asparagusmagazine.com/articles/reducing-plastic-pollution-from-shoes-through-recycling-and-repair

Spritz of water on coffee beans before grinding

https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-flavor-can-be-improved-with-a-simple-trick/

Adding just half a mL of water to coffee before grinding dissipates static electricity, makes a better grind without clumping, and extracts more flavor when brewing. 

How using LSD led to the most important invention of our time: PCR.

https://youtu.be/zaXKQ70q4KQ?si=9zsAFC7gkMeuvZ9N

Coffee-infused concrete

https://youtu.be/O8QuNPIGlc8?si=XBWq95lv9Ho3vVEd

Australian researchers are using recycled coffee grounds to create stronger (and more sustainable) concrete. They heat the coffee grounds in the absence of oxygen to create biochar, a charcoal-like substance that can replace up to 15% of the sand used in concrete. This not only makes the concrete stronger but also reduces the amount of cement needed, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

 * 60 million tons of coffee grounds are produced worldwide each year.

 * 60-70% of coffee grounds end up in landfills, where it produces methane. 

 * The coffee-infused concrete is up to 30% stronger than traditional concrete.

Although it can only replace 15% of the sand in concrete, that important because, believe it or not,  we're running out of sand. 

https://youtu.be/6KzP-tobpMU?si=WolcpQntnCXcCTaW

3:19 Most sand eroded by wind is very round and doesn't help bind the concrete together. The more useful angular sand is in short supply. And 0:19 Concrete is the second biggest raw material consumed by humans after water. 

Concrete production produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases, "resulting in approximately 8% of the world's anthropogenic CO2 emissions, and about 25% of all industry carbon emissions."* https://news.asu.edu/20231017-curbing-concretes-carbon-emissions-innovations-cement-manufacturing

An enterprising teenager started a business of making sand from recycled glass. 

https://youtu.be/dIOTsBhFF7M?si=Wkv15AVJ3fRGK6_c

As with coffee biochar, only up to 20% of sand can be replaced with glass before it becomes detrimental to the final concrete product. 

"It was found that 20% of cement can be replaced with waste glass of 20 μm without detrimental effects on the mechanical properties. Replacements higher than 30% can cause negative impacts as insufficient amounts of CaCO3 remain to react with the silica from the glass, known as the dilution effect." 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498420300569

https://youtu.be/tKjIybiWYTU?si=Z-xjBqm2OzKxIhpd

A new concept places recycled plastic spheres into concrete slabs to achieve similar strength with less weight. 

For a similarly sized slab, voids 6:57 decrease the shear stress capacity by 55% without having reinforcing steel around them, which can be mitigated if you 8:42 only place the voids away from areas of shear stress.. 

When done right, a "waffle" design of the voids can make 0:35 installation of utilities easier. 

https://youtu.be/cmxXFM2kqBU?si=nVZAVSB2MjbbKJpb

Also, this company makes prefab insulated concrete panels to reduce waste and speed construction. 

https://youtu.be/zv_jfTIKKv4?si=SjDAkU29koy1A6BV

The company is backed by actor Michael Keaton. 

https://youtu.be/gXMG1Kz6se0?si=kKVhPq8VC-P-8C5t

Level 5 whitewater rafting

https://youtu.be/lnIkHG_hSsw?si=EDfPikT8dGooCEsu

Here's a crazy sport in Washington State. What happens if a huge log starts coming down the river? As one of the comments says: "Human beings - coming up with ways to die since day 1."

https://youtu.be/4QtTfCkfVPw?si=0ftOHEfvptFgJq4V

Remove scammers' remote control software

 Free software to remove remote control software

seraph secure  mentioned at 16:27

https://youtu.be/qO5u_smv2AU?si=P5K2FUfxbI2O-PVz&t=987

Why don't rails buckle?

https://youtu.be/Rdj5-6t6QI8?si=HO1liSTMqFUh33dS

Rails are placed under tension, generally 25:55 at the upper end of tension strain for temperature, since it's easier to detect (by conductivity) a fracture from shrinking of the rail versus buckling from expansion which would keep conductivity intact.