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Did you know that elephants can hear with their feet?

They pick up sub-sonic rumblings made by other elephants through vibrations in the ground. Elephants use this form of communication primarily for coordination among the herd and potentially as a warning system for distant threats.

Innovation

Vampire Drones?

Drones, especially quadcopters, have undeniably revolutionized various aspects of contemporary life, despite ongoing debates around privacy and safety.

They have transformed photography and videography with dramatic perspectives and enabled the delivery of food and essentials to remote locations. Yet, one significant limitation often overlooked is their relatively brief flight times, constrained by small battery capacities. This limits their range and the weight of their payloads unless they can land for a recharge. To address this, a novel approach has been explored that leverages a common and powerful energy source found in urban environments: the electrical power lines crisscrossing the sky.

The innovation comes from a team including Viet Duong Hoang, Frederik Falk Nyboe, Nicolaj Haarhøj Malle, and Emad Ebeid, who recognize that current battery technology forces drones to travel light, typically allowing for about an hour of flight. This sharply restricts how far and how long drones can operate unless they find a way to recharge during their missions, similar to how vehicles refuel or recharge while on the road. However, establishing drone "charging stations" could be impractical or costly.

Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have proposed a solution that bypasses the need for solar power, which they deemed too slow and insufficient for drones. Their design enables drones to attach themselves to power lines using a clamping mechanism. When the drone's battery dips below a certain level, it seeks out the nearest power line, positions itself underneath, and then ascends until it securely attaches to the cable. It then draws power through induction to both charge its battery and power the clamping mechanism.

This concept was put to the test with a drone designed for inspecting power lines, equipped with custom sensors and a gripper, operating autonomously. The drone successfully recharged itself five times during its mission, extending its operation time to two hours. This demonstrates the potential for delivery drones to utilize nearby power lines for recharging.

However, this recharging method is not without its challenges, given the current state of drone technology. The reliability of fully autonomous drones remains a concern, raising fears about potential accidents that could disrupt electrical services. While public drone charging stations might be a more straightforward solution, this is nonetheless a very interesting, and potentially useful, invention.

Environment

Not Everything is as Bad as it Seems Part 2

This is the second installment in a series we are writing on how not everything is as bad as it seems. You can check out part one here!

Malthusianism is a theory that states that population growth is potentially exponential while the growth of food supply or other resources is linear. This discrepancy may lead to a Malthusian catastrophe, where population growth surpasses agricultural production, resulting in famine or war and, consequently, poverty and population reduction.

This idea is closely associated with Thomas Robert Malthus, an early 19th century political economist. However, it is still a very popular sentiment held by many. After all, on the surface it seems to make since. We had a population of 1 billion during 1800, now we have over 7 billion. But is this idea actually true?

When viewing the global picture, reconciling Thomas Malthus' theory with reality presents a challenge. In fact, famine-related deaths have dramatically decreased since the 1800s. This contrast is stark and somewhat counterintuitive given the historical increase in population.

One might initially attribute this trend to advancements in agricultural productivity. Indeed, food availability on a per capita basis has seen a significant rise in recent decades, as evidenced by the increase in food production which has not only kept pace with but exceeded the growth in global population—primarily through enhanced yields per hectare.

Yet, this perspective oversimplifies the issue. A mere lack of food per capita is only one of several factors that can lead to famine deaths. Modern studies on famine suggest that the availability of food is not as critical as one might assume. Instead, these studies point to the pivotal role of public policy and violence. The majority of famines in the 20th and 21st centuries were significantly influenced by conflict, political repression, corruption, or economic mismanagement by authoritarian or colonial rulers.

This observation holds for the most severely food-insecure regions today, including the 2011 famine in Somalia, where food aid was severely limited or misdirected by the militant Islamist group al Shabaab and other groups.

Famine expert Stephen Devereux from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex encapsulates the evolution of famines across the 20th century, noting that the development of a global capacity to ensure food security coincided with governments' increased ability to enforce harmful policies.

Consequently, the recent history of famine does not align well with the Malthusian narrative. Against Malthus' predictions for rapidly growing populations, the per capita food supply has increased across all regions as populations have expanded. Furthermore, famines have become less frequent, not more. In the contemporary world, the presence or absence of famine and the effectiveness of prevention efforts are more significantly influenced by political actions and policy decisions than by mere population dynamics.

This is a very positive development, as it removes one of the big factors in causing famines. While famines are still undoubtedly a problem to be addressed in areas of the world. This steady decline is likely to continue and fears that we will run out of food is, luckily, unfounded.

If you want an in-depth look at how this all works, check out this great article.

World News

Ramadan Snack Unites Muslims and Non-Muslims

In Indonesia, during Ramadan, a street vendor's popular sundown snack draws crowds, regardless of whether they're fasting or not, sparking a friendly rivalry. Initially intended for Muslims, the snack now attracts non-Muslims. Traditional snacks like coconut milk compote and glutinous rice balls are popular.

Mr. Kusmanadi, the vendor, appreciates the participation of non-Muslims, viewing it as a positive aspect of Indonesian culture. Social media showcases interactions between non-Muslims and vendors, including quizzes on Islamic knowledge.

The trend originated from a Christian preacher's humorous remark during a sermon, which went viral on TikTok.

@pipihouston

Hunting takjil menuju detik-detik lebaran🥰 #huntingtakjil #kulinerbandung #placetogobandung #jajananbandung

Culture

8th Century Dolls' House Loaned to Museum

An 18th Century dolls' house, remarkably spared from a fire at a stately home, is now showcased at a museum in Kent. Belonging to Sarah Lethieullier, this dolls' house is hailed as one of the finest examples worldwide, boasting over 700 intricate fixtures and fittings. Surviving unscathed from a destructive fire at Uppark House in 1989, this meticulously adorned model from the 1730s is now on loan for the first time, gracing the Huguenot Museum in Rochester.

Originally crafted for the Lethieullier family, it found its way to Uppark when Sarah, a descendant of a prominent French Protestant Huguenot family, married Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh in 1746.

Tessa Murdoch of the Huguenot Museum Trust remarks on the educational role such dolls' houses played for Georgian women in managing households. She notes that the dollhouse served as a practical lesson for Sarah, instructing her in the care of household objects and the hierarchical organization of domestic staff.

The dolls' house will remain on display at the Huguenot Museum until May 2025.

Mind Stretchers

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Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Tomorrow

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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.

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