Good Morning! 🌞 

We recently ran an article about tipping. We followed it up with some polls. Here is what you’ll said.

Should we tip less:
- 65% said they think servers should be paid a higher wage, and be tipped less
- 35% said they think we should continue tipping as we do now.

We followed that up with a poll about automated tipping prompts at checkout:
- 68% said they were very tired of getting tip prompts during checkout
- 25% said they are not bother by getting tip prompts
- 7% said that the prompts should only appear for certain purchases

Very interesting results. I expected more people to go for the “certain purchases” option on the second prompt.

Innovation

Farming Robots to Save Our Health?!

Last week, we did a story on the Verdant Robotics awesome weed killing robots. It is an autonomous platform that is the only ag-robot in the U.S. market capable of simultaneously weeding, fertilizing, and treating plants for pests and diseases.

However, another player in the game does one thing possible even better, and a combination of the two could be even bigger.

In the year 2021, Carbon Robotics introduced the third iteration of its Autonomous Weeder, a cutting-edge smart farming robot designed to identify and eradicate weeds using high-powered lasers. Building upon the technology used in that robot, the company has also developed the LaserWeeder, a tractor-pulled contraption that boasts twice the weed-eliminating capabilities.

The Weed Challenge: 

Weeds are a persistent challenge in agriculture, as they vie with crops for crucial resources like space, sunlight, and soil nutrients. Additionally, they can create opportunities for insect pests to damage crops, making weed control a top priority for farmers.

Traditional methods for dealing with weeds include chemical herbicides, which can effectively kill these pesky plants but also pose risks by contaminating water sources and affecting soil health. Manual removal of weeds is another option, but it's labor-intensive and increasingly difficult to manage due to labor shortages in the agriculture industry.

The Farming Robots:

The Autonomous Weeder resembles a large cube mounted on wheels. This innovative robot tackles the weed problem without harming soil or water and operates autonomously, reducing the reliance on human labor.

As it moves along rows of crops, the robot employs 12 cameras to scan the ground. An onboard AI-powered computer identifies weeds, and the robot's carbon dioxide lasers swiftly eliminate them.

The Autonomous Weeder is capable of eradicating over 100,000 weeds per hour and can cover 15 to 20 acres of crops in a single day. In comparison, Myers noted that a human laborer can typically weed only about one acre of onions in a day.

The new LaserWeeder, while not autonomous, can be pulled by a row tractor, requiring a driver to operate it. However, it boasts three times the number of lasers compared to the autonomous version. In just one hour, it can cover two acres and eliminate a staggering 200,000 weeds.

Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder of Carbon Robotics, emphasized the effectiveness and benefits of their laser weeding technology, stating, "We've demonstrated the effectiveness of our laser weeding technology and the significant advantages it brings to farmers, including healthier crops and soil, reduced herbicide use, and lowered chemical and labor expenses."

Cost Savings: 

While the specific cost is not listed on Carbon Robotics' website, the company claims that growers adopting the LaserWeeder are experiencing an 80% reduction in weeding costs. Furthermore, the device pays for itself within two to three years.

The Incredible Possibility:

What about combining the LaserWeeder and Verdant Robotics, SprayBox?

You could theoretically take the millimeter accurate fertilizing, plant treating, and ai mapping of the SprayBox, and add the laser weeder. While it may not be better for all situations, it could be used to eliminate all weedkiller spraying. Which could be a big deal for a lot of farming situations and our health!

Culture

The Most Controversial Digit: Thanks to the Greeks!

Ancient Greeks started the trend of flipping the middle finger about 2,500 years ago, using it to offend and taunt. While it now conveys a clear "f**k you," it is often used in a more anti-authoritarian/mind your won business sort of way. Back then, it was used more directly as a crude sexual reference, historians say.

The gesture, possibly representing an erect penis, was a joke, insult, or sexual proposition in classical times. Aristophanes, a Greek playwright, was purportedly a fan of the gesture, referencing "the long finger" in his plays.

The middle finger made its way to Rome, possibly known as "digitus impudicus," where Emperor Caligula forced subjects to kiss it. According to middle-finger historian Desmond Morris, the modern raised middle finger symbolizes genitalia.

During the Middle Ages, the middle finger's popularity waned due to the Catholic Church's disapproval of sexual gestures. It resurfaced in the US in the late 19th century with Italian immigrants.

The transition from the "finger" to the "bird" occurred in the 1960s, becoming a silent version of disapproval. It's now a favorite of “anti-authority” rebels pioneered by the likes of Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer, symbolizing reaching one's breaking point.

Today, "flipping the bird" is so vulgar that it's often blurred in media, causing controversy, as seen when a BBC presenter unintentionally directed it toward viewers during a live broadcast.

World News

Indian Teen's Dementia Care Innovation

Hemesh Chadalavada, a self-proclaimed 'nerd' fascinated by robotics, embarked on a mission to address the challenges faced by Alzheimer's patients, inspired by his grandmother's struggle with the disease. Witnessing an incident where his grandmother left the gas on fueled his determination to find a solution.

In 2018, at the age of 12, Hemesh observed his grandmother's difficulties and questioned how accidents could be avoided in his absence.

Drawing insights from a visit to an Alzheimer's care center in India and based on their feedback, aiming for a lightweight and unobtrusive solution. That’s when Hemesh fine-tuned the Alpha Monitor, a badge-like monitoring device that sends out alerts if the person wearing it wanders off or falls. 

In 2022, Hemesh clinched victory at the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow science fair, outperforming 18,000 entries and securing a $120,000 grant. This accomplishment garnered the admiration of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Despite being a high school student, Hemesh is determined about bringing the Alpha Monitor to market by September. His plans include pursuing further studies in robotics abroad.

Science

The Star That Left Astronomers…Star-Struck!

Researchers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) stumbled upon a celestial anomaly, aptly named 'Barbenheimer Star,' challenging established notions of stellar evolution. This colossal star, J0931+0038, caught the attention of astronomers due to its unique explosion, leaving behind an unusual residue of elemental ashes visible even billions of years later.

Lead author Alex Ji, of the University of Chicago and SDSS, employed 'stellar archaeology' to trace the star's origins. Much like reconstructing the past through present evidence, astronomers deciphered ancient cosmic conditions by analyzing today's stars as chemical time capsules.

The Barbenheimer Star, identified by the SDSS Milky Way Mapper program, stood out with its distinct chemical composition. An unusually low magnesium content prompted further investigation, leading to the discovery of a star with an array of unique features. It exhibited low abundances of odd-numbered elements, a surplus of elements near iron, and an overabundance of heavier elements like strontium and palladium, setting it apart from other stars.

The star's peculiarities extend beyond its composition. With an estimated mass 50 to 80 times that of our Sun, the Barbenheimer Star challenges existing theories about massive stars collapsing into black holes without a preceding supernova. Astonishingly, current models of element formation fail to explain the observed pattern of elements, raising questions about our understanding of stellar processes.

Sanjana Curtis of the University of California, Berkeley, co-lead of the study, emphasizes the need for more comprehensive computer simulations and additional observations to unravel the mystery. Despite the perplexing nature of the Barbenheimer Star, the SDSS team remains optimistic about future discoveries, given the swift identification of this cosmic enigma.

As Keith Hawkins, SDSS spokesperson, puts it, "The Universe directed this movie; we are just the camera crew. We don't yet know how the story will end." The Barbenheimer Star offers a glimpse into the vast complexities of the universe, leaving astronomers eagerly anticipating more blockbuster revelations in the years to come.

Mind Stretchers

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Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
The bus driver was walking 😆 

Albert Knox came in first with the correct answer!

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 the 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.