The Youth Blog

In the literal sense of the term, a green robot is being developed by a team of scientists led by Andy Adamatzky and they are calling it Plasmobot. The plasmodium algae, a slimy mould found in damp places in UK is its basis.

Plasmodium branches its protoplasm in search of nutrients and finds the shortest distance to get it. It is stimulated by sunlight or other chemical stimuli. By feeding it oat flakes it oscillates and grows in a specified direction carrying objects with it. Similarly, plasmobot will span the shortest distance between objects and carry signals in specified directions. The robots will have parallel inputs and outputs, a network of sensors and the number crunching power of super computers. It will be a fully controllable and programmable amorphous intelligent robot. Seems typical sci-fi stuff doesn’t it!

Scientists at the University of Reading are developing a new robot which is controlled by a biological brain. Such robots have been designed before but there is always a computer in the loop for decoding information. The ‘brain’ will be made of neuron cultured on an MEA (Multi Electrode Array), which will control the robot, via a Bluetooth connection. This venture will provide an insight into the working of the human brain and is expected to help aging people and in finding a remedy for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other brain related diseases. The MEA is a dish with around 60 electrodes which receive electrical signals from the cells thus sending a message to the robot which will make it move and help it in navigating around obstacles. Scientists are also planning to find out how memories manifest themselves in the neurons by observing how the robot behaves on being repeatedly sent to familiar locations.

Foot Note- Before developing a biological brain for a robot, could not they find a way to install one in humans? I seriously believe some people need them real bad.

mmmmmmm

It is said that it takes a lot of skill, effort, time and experience to produce a quality wine and hence one should take time to savour it. For all the connoisseurs out there who fancy a bit of red themselves, here is just the thing to tickle your taste buds and your grey cells. The Magnetising Wine Plug In gives a whole new dimension to your wine drinking experience. Just plug it to the neck of your bottle and observe how it instantly smoothens the taste and reduces the tannic effect of the wine. The plug in has different setting modes to create 8 different structures of taste. When the wine passes through a specific magnetic field, the field instantly changes the physical state of the young wine to a deluxe wine. The magnetic field changes the physical states of the wine like surface tension, PH values etc, but no Chemical changes take place. So what are you waiting for? Pull out the youngest wine in your bar and get ready for a royal experience.