Thursday, October 17th, 2024

Good Morning! 🌞 

Did you know that the Persians invented a form of air conditioning called windcatchers as far back as 4000 BC? Ingenious towers would capture the wind and naturally cool homes—such a brilliant solution long before modern technology.

There’s something about history in today’s newsletter, so make sure to give it a read! Who knows what other fascinating ideas from the past might inspire us today?

Innovation

Light Driven Microrobot

There’s an unseen microscopic world all around us, filled with tiny organisms like bacteria, which have special ways to move through thick, sticky fluids. Inspired by this, scientists have now created the first tiny robot that can move on its own in such dense environments, powered by light.

Developed by researchers from Tampere University in Finland and Anhui Jianzhu University in China, this small robot uses a unique material that reacts to laser light, making it spin and move through thick fluids. Traditional microorganisms like E. coli twist like a corkscrew, while others use hair-like parts to paddle. This new robot mimics those techniques by using a special rotating motion to get through the stickiness. According to lead researcher Zixuan Deng, this advancement could help in medical treatments, like delivering drugs through mucus or clearing blocked blood vessels. The robot’s doughnut-like shape, first theorized in 1977, has finally been successfully designed. This shape allows the robot to be guided by a single light beam and adapt its movement based on the space available.

Looking ahead, the researchers aim to test how these robots interact with each other, opening the door for even more complex capabilities, such as wireless control for precise tasks, inspired by the movement of living organisms.

Earth Sciences

Octopuses and Fish Team Up

The Red Sea, located between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, is brimming with marine life, including octopuses and over a thousand species of fish.

For these creatures, the daily mission is simple. “Anything that is smaller than them and can fit their mouth, they’re going to try to eat,” says Eduardo Sampaio, a behavioral biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany.

Sampaio became fascinated by reports of various species hunting together in large groups around coral reefs. “It’s not just one octopus with one fish,” Sampaio explains. “It’s one octopus with five, six, seven, or even ten different fish.” For years, the structure of these hunting parties was unclear. However, in a new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, Sampaio and his colleagues suggest that the animals share leadership roles in deciding how they hunt.

“This type of very complex dynamics that we think only emerged in complex societies,” he says, but “we can find this in the wild, even between animals that are not related.”

Shared Leadership in the Hunt

Sampaio points out that before this study, the general belief was that the octopus—particularly the day octopus—was doing all the work while the fish, mostly different species of goatfish, were just freeloading. The idea was that the octopus would hunt on its own, and the fish would swoop in to snatch the prey it flushed out.

But these conclusions were mostly drawn from observations at the surface. Sampaio suspected something more intricate was happening beneath the waves, so he took to scuba diving to get a closer look.

It wasn’t easy. First, he had to find the octopus, which is an expert at staying hidden. Then, you need it to be comfortable enough with your presence to continue hunting while you observe.” After a month of diving, Sampaio captured three to four hours of footage showing these mixed-species hunting groups in action.

He quickly realized these fish weren’t just passively following the octopus. “[T]hey move in a stop-and-go pattern,” Sampaio said. “And once this stopping occurs, there’s always fish that start to go around looking for prey.” “The fish explore the environment,”. “They find the prey. And then the octopus chooses between the options that the fish give—and [the octopus] moves there, flushing out prey. Then the whole group moves with the octopus.” he explained.

In this way, the fish act as scouts, and the octopus makes the final call. The group members and take on different roles. While feeding is first come, first serve, the repeated hunts ensure that all group members eventually get to eat. This teamwork benefits the fish by giving them access to prey hidden in crevices, which only the octopus can flush out. At the same time, the octopus enjoys a more abundant and efficient hunt than it would on its own.

The Consequences of Freeloading

However, not everyone plays by the rules. Blacktip groupers often linger nearby, waiting for a chance to steal a meal. When they spot prey, they dart in and try to grab it. But freeloading has its risks. Nearly half the time, the octopus retaliates by punching the groupers. The first time Sampaio saw it happen, he couldn’t stop laughing.

The octopus isn’t shy about punching other fish either if they’re not contributing to the hunt or if the group isn’t making progress. “And then this creates more movement in the group, and then the octopus stops punching.”Interestingly, some fish species also target freeloaders, chasing or attacking fish that aren’t pulling their weight. So they also have this understanding that a certain species or fish there is mostly free riding.

However, none of the fish ever attack the octopus. Sampaio doesn’t think it’s because the octopus is stronger; instead, “it seems there’s an understanding from the fish that if the octopus goes away, then no one” gets anything.

World News

Ancient Throne Room Discovered

Excavations at a pre-Inca site in northern Peru have uncovered a throne room, where a woman held court.

Overshadowed by the Incan Empire, the Moche culture is known for its building prowess and artistic achievements. Recent digs at the Pañamarca site have revealed a throne room decorated with murals. While murals are typical at Pañamarca, these new findings depict a powerful woman—a queen, priestess, or deity—seated on a throne, wielding a scepter, and receiving visitors. Her presence redefines perspectives on female leadership within this ancient culture. The Moche thrived from around 350 to 850 CE along Peru’s northwestern coast, leaving behind large adobe temples adorned with intricate murals, the best-known being the Temples of the Sun and Moon near Trujillo. However, Pañamarca, still under excavation, has revealed a different layer of Moche life and social structure, including the Hall of the Moche Imaginary. Here, walls and pillars display scenes of a woman connected with the moon, the sea, and spinning and weaving, all indicators of her authority.

Murals discovered in July feature scenes of women spinning and weaving, a procession of men carrying textiles, and the leader’s crown. Whether she is a queen, priestess, or goddess remains open for debate, but evidence—worn throne supports, greenstone beads, fine threads, and human hair—suggests a seventh-century female ruler occupied the throne.
In a statement, art historian Lisa Trever from Columbia University remarked on the significance of these murals in challenging prior assumptions about Moche gender roles. Further, the team has identified another structure, the Hall of the Braided Serpents, decorated with intertwined serpents and depictions of warriors and monsters. This hall, positioned above the plaza like theater seats, offered an exclusive view for those within while reinforcing the Moche’s complex social hierarchy.

Support Daily Upsider!

Help our mission to share positive, meaningful news! Your support keeps us going without the need to bombard you with annoying ads!

Mind Stretchers

⁉️

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
Current, serious, steady, or fast, It can also be either painful or beautiful, And sometimes it can forever last. What is it?
- A relationship! This one was kind of tricky but Albert Knox got the correct answer first! 🌞 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to[email protected]or reply to email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.