MIT Unveils New Robot Insect, Paving the Way Toward Rise of Robotic Pollinators
thedebrief.org
thedebrief.org
Our only way to ensure survival on and off the planet is to mimic their actions (in this case pollination) to ensure that if we do manage to push more and more species to extinction we have options for being able to continue after they are gone.
But it’s not the weapons that interest me so much as what people come up with as countermeasures. It’ll be fascinating to watch the next few years.
I'd rather have combat insects we can turn into pollinators once the ecosystem collapses than have nothing at all.
I basically have to fly to the Canary Islands to see starlight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmrDK_w0Yog
The paper itself links to some videos but I haven’t looked at those yet.
/? Robo beekeeping: https://www.google.com/search?q=robo+beekeeping
Beekeeping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beekeeping
FWIU bees like clover (and dandelions are their spring food source), which we typically kill with broadleaf herbicide for lawncare.
From https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38158625 :
> Is it possible to create a lawn weed killer (a broadleaf herbicide) that doesn't kill white dutch clover; because bees eat clover (and dandelions) and bees are essential?"
> [ Dandelion rubber is a sustainable alternative to microplastic tires ]
Pesticide toxicity to bees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_toxicity_to_bees :
> Pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, have been investigated in relation to risks for bees such as Colony Collapse Disorder. A 2018 review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides such as clothianidin represent a risk to wild bees and honeybees. [5][6] Neonicotinoids have been banned for all outdoor use in the entire European Union since 2018, but has a conditional approval in the U.S. and other parts of the world, where it is widely used. [7][8]
TIL dish soap kills wasps, yellow jackets, hornets nearly on contact.
From https://savethebee.org/garden-weeds-bees-love/ :
> Many are beneficial, like dandelions, milkweed, clover, goldenrod and nettle, for bees and other pollinators.
What they learned in their research was the more evenly and completely the pollen was spread, the more idyllic in shape the strawberry.
I found it presicient (though ultimately wrong) in terms of how it portrays what is essentially a big tech company.