New Atlas

Robotics Audio available

Food-focused autonomous robot arm knows how to use the forks

Michael Irving March 13, 2019

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an autonomous robot arm that can figure out the best way to pick up food of any shape and bring it up to a user’s mouth, which should make mealtimes easier for people with limited mobility.

The Assistive Dexterous Arm (ADA) knows how much force to apply to pick up different types ...

Science

Strange link between food allergies and multiple sclerosis bolstered by new study

Rich Haridy February 20, 2019

An intriguing new study has described a clear association in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients between food allergies and disease activity. The correlation adds weight to the growing hypothesis suggesting the inflammatory activity behind MS is modulated, to a degree, by a mechanism in the gut.

Research has revealed only food allergies seemed to correlate with increased MS disease activity, and not ...

Science Audio available

The science of the perfect cheese fondue

David Szondy February 20, 2019

How does one mix up the perfect cheese fondue? After studying how the ingredients interact with one another, scientists have found the dish is really a complex multiphase system caused by the flow behavior or rheology of the cheese, wine, and starches.

Science

High-tech fixes for our food supply headline IBM's annual 5 in 5 list

Michael Irving February 11, 2019

IBM’s annual 5 in 5 list is here. This time, all five technologies in this year’s list are designed to fix problems in every step of the food supply chain, from seed to your plate.

IBM's 5 in 5 list for 2019 focuses on technology that will improve the food supply ...

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

New meta-study concludes breakfast is not the most important meal of the day

Rich Haridy January 30, 2019

Recent research has raised doubts over the veracity of the commonly held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and a new meta-analysis concludes there is no good evidence to suggest eating breakfast promotes weight loss or improves metabolic rates later in the day.

Collecting data from 13 different trials, a meta-analysis found skipping breakfast does not lead to weight ...

Science

Scientists safely reproduce the taste of toxic pufferfish – fugu tofu, anyone?

Ben Coxworth January 24, 2019

Some seafood aficionados swear that you just HAVE to try pufferfish sushi – unfortunately, though, if it isn't prepared correctly, it'll kill you. Scientists from China and the UK have developed a safer alternative, by replicating the flavor of the fish without any of the poison.

A Takifugu obscurus pufferfish ... prepare it with care

Science Audio available

New-and-improved protein-rich rice has higher yields

Ben Coxworth January 23, 2019

According to the ASA, it's an unfortunate fact that many people in developing nations don't get enough protein in their diets. What they often do get a lot of, however, is rice. So, scientists have improved upon a type of rice that has over 50 percent more protein than regular varieties.

Prof. Herry Utomo evaluates the growth of new generations of high-protein rice lines

Robotics

Starship's autonomous food-toting robots begin $2 deliveries for hungry students

Nick Lavars January 22, 2019

Students and educators at Virginia’s George Mason University are about to get a taste of the future of food delivery, with Starship Technologies today launching a new service involving the largest fleet yet of its six-wheeled autonomous robots.

Starship's unmanned food delivery robots will carry out deliveries at George Mason University in usually "15 ...

Environment Audio available

How to feed 10 billion people: Landmark report lays out a sustainable diet for the planet

Nick Lavars January 17, 2019

Billed as a planetary health diet for both the Earth and its people, the set of diet guideline put forward by the EAT-Lancet Commission gun for nothing short of a "Great Food Transformation," something they say would feed 10 billion people, save lives and avoid large-scale environmental destruction.

Scientists are calling for the global population to move towards a more plant-based diet

Science Audio available

Bioengineered rice delivers significant increases in grain yields

Rich Haridy January 13, 2019

Research has demonstrated a novel technique to enhance photosynthetic efficiency in rice crops can increase grain yields by up to 27 percent. The study follows other recent demonstrations of food bioengineering designed to enhance worldwide food productivity by improving the photosynthesis process.

On the far left is a wild, unenhanced rice plant, and the other three display improved ...