Canadian startup Sami Robotics is expanding its SAMI robotic harvesting platform from broccoli to romaine lettuce, one of the crops still heavily dependent on manual harvesting. SAMI uses 12–18 robotic arms working simultaneously, with AI and machine vision identifying harvest-ready heads; each arm can complete a picking cycle in under three seconds. In July 2026, Sami became the first recipient of a Western Growers-sponsored residency at Reservoir Farms in Salinas, California, where the technology is being tested and refined under real commercial farming conditions.

Info sources:

1. Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology Selects Sami Robotics for First Sponsored Residency at Reservoir Farms: https://www.wga.com/press-releases/western-growers-center-for-innovation-technology-selects-sami-robotics-for-first-sponsored-residency-at-reservoir-farms/

2. SAMI platform and capabilities: https://samirobotics.com/en

3. Sami Robotics scales up broccoli harvesting as it builds towards a multi-crop, multi-task platform: https://www.futurefarming.com/crop-solutions/sami-robotics-scales-up-broccoli-harvesting-as-it-builds-towards-a-multi-crop-multi-task-platform/

4. SAMI Robotics Becomes First Recipient of the Western Growers–Reservoir Farms Sponsorship Program: https://www.wga.com/news/sami-robotics-first-recipient-western-growers-sponsorship-program/

Climate change is already leading to lasting damage to the Sundarbans mangrove forest and causing families and farmers to lose their livelihoods.

Viewing trust as behaviors, not feelings, can help explain why some heed Aaron Rodgers’ advice over Dr. Fauci’s – and what experts can do about it

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany and the University of Tsukuba, Japan have developed the world’s first heat-driven, solid-state elastocaloric cooling system that uses thermal energy instead of electricity. The device uses two ultra-thin nickel-titanium shape-memory films: one converts heat into mechanical motion, while the other uses that motion to produce cooling through elastocaloric effects. In laboratory tests, the prototype achieved a 12.9°C temperature difference in the refrigerant and operated using an external heat source of 130°C. The technology could eventually eliminate electric compressors and high-GWP refrigerants while using industrial waste heat, electronics heat, or vehicle heat to provide sustainable cooling: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1141913

Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-026-02122-6

HyperStrong has begun building a 400 MW/1.6 GWh battery storage project in Germany for LEAG Clean Power, while Sunotec has also started installing a separate 100 MW/441 MWh system in the country.

StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy successfully mined the first quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction on mainnet using Quantum-Safe Bitcoin (QSB), a method designed to protect funds against future quantum computing attacks without requiring a network soft fork or protocol changes. By replacing vulnerable elliptic-curve signatures with hash-based cryptography, QSB functions within Bitcoin's existing rules as an emergency escape hatch for users to secure vulnerable funds. However, the approach serves primarily as a last resort rather than a standard payment method, as it requires substantial off-chain GPU computing power costing hundreds of dollars per transaction: https://thequantuminsider.com/2026/08/27/starkware-researcher-demonstrates-quantum-resistant-bitcoin-transaction/

The Lake Washington I-90 floating-bridge light rail is an engineering first because railway tracks normally require a very stable, precisely aligned foundation, while the bridge itself moves with lake levels, wind, waves, temperature and train loads. Engineers strengthened the floating concrete pontoons with post-tensioning and developed the CESuRa (Curved Element Supported Rail) system, which uses bearings and curved supports to passively accommodate vertical, lateral and rotational movements at the transition between fixed and floating sections. More than 9,000 lightweight concrete blocks bonded with high-strength epoxy support the rails without drilling into the bridge deck, while measures address vibration, stray electrical currents and corrosion. Full-scale testing subjected the system to simulated bridge movements and train loads, collecting more than 500 channels of data and demonstrating safe operation up to 55 mph.

Learn more here

1. Enabling an engineering first: Light rail on a floating bridge: https://www.ce.washington.edu/news/article/2017-08-15/enabling-engineering-first-light-rail-floating-bridge

2. An innovative new monitoring system makes 2 Line service across Lake Washington possible: https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/crosslake-explained-tracking-wind-wave-conditions-floating-bridge

3. A Long Time Coming: Light Rail Across Lake Washington: https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/long-time-coming-light-rail-across-lake-washington

4. Sound Transit opens Cross Lake Connection, first light rail over I-90 bridge komonews.com/news/local/sound-transit-cross-lake-connection-interstate-90-bridge-bellevue-eastside-redmond-light-rail-netowrk-project-infrastructure-specialized-track-systems

5. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tImk5T3iiU

AI is a kind of media – and we’ve seen before what new media can do to society.

A new study by researchers at MIT, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that short peptides can remain stable and fold into functional shapes within concentrated sulfuric acid, mirroring the acidic cloud layer of Venus. Using advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the team found that the lack of water in 98 percent sulfuric acid prevents destructive hydrolysis, allowing peptides such as HHQ, HHQ13, and K7 to fold into distinct structural motifs known as "omega loops." Facilitated by sulfuric acid molecules acting as a scaffold, these findings challenge long-held assumptions about the harshness of Venus-like environments and significantly expand the possibilities for where complex, functional biomolecules might exist across the universe: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-peptides-harsh-venus-conditions.html

Atmoce has launched an 8 kWh LFP residential battery featuring 5 kW output, extra-low-voltage architecture and 90% AC round-trip efficiency. The IP66-rated system offers up to 15,000 cycles, wall or floor mounting, and a 25-year warranty..

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has restarted science operations after an attempted orbital rescue mission by Katalyst Space's LINK spacecraft failed due to thruster and reaction wheel issues. Mission controllers re-enabled Swift's X-ray and Ultraviolet/Optical telescopes on August 26, following months in a low-drag configuration intended to preserve its altitude. Because the boost mission was called off, the nearly 22-year-old telescope's orbit continues to decay rapidly due to atmospheric drag, and NASA expects the spacecraft to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up later this year.

Researchers at Cornell University are developing HelioSkin, a lightweight, stretchable solar-collection fabric designed to wrap around complex architectural surfaces. Inspired by how plants track the Sun, the system combines flexible photovoltaics, 3D printing, kirigami/auxetic geometry and mechanical movement to optimize sunlight capture.

Unlike conventional rigid solar panels, HelioSkin could potentially cover curved buildings, canopies, stadiums and other unconventional structures. Cornell’s team is currently developing prototype solar canopies, with a longer-term goal of creating solar “skins” that can track the Sun and integrate clean-energy generation directly into architecture.

The bigger idea: the future of solar power may not be limited to rooftops—it could become a flexible layer woven into the built environment.

Info sources:

1. Solar solutions: Bio-inspired approach creates bespoke photovoltaics: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/02/solar-solutions-bio-inspired-approach-creates-bespoke-photovoltaics

2. Cornell Design Tech — HelioSkin project: https://designtech.cornell.edu/design-tech/design-tech-partnerships/

3. HelioSkin — Jenny Sabin Design Lab, Cornell University: https://www.sabinlab.com/helioskin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed Ezplaz Freeze Dried Plasma, marking the first FDA-approved freeze-dried plasma product in the United States. Unlike conventional fresh frozen plasma, which requires freezer storage and time-consuming thawing equipment,Ezplaz can be stored at room temperature for up to 12 months and reconstituted with sterile water in about 2.5 minutes. Packaged in lightweight plastic bags to prevent breakage during transport, it is designed for emergency situations—such as battlefields, disaster zones, rural areas, and ambulances—where standard plasma is unavailable. Approved for adults with severe bleeding or those needing rapid reversal of blood thinners, the product retains a safety profile comparable to traditional plasma while offering critical logistical advantages in trauma settings: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2853282 

FDA Approval: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-licenses-first-ever-freeze-dried-plasma-product-us

New Mexico-based startup Molten Salt Solutions (MSS) has secured a $7 million seed funding round to scale its domestic isotope-enrichment technology, moving from laboratory validation to pilot-scale production. Led by Dolby Family Ventures, the investment aims to address supply chain bottlenecks for enriched lithium-6—used to breed tritium fuel for fusion reactors—and lithium-7, which is required for advanced molten salt fission reactors. Founded by Los Alamos National Laboratory alumni, MSS claims its platform is 100 times more efficient than legacy enrichment methods, bringing its total raised capital to over $15 million as it expands domestic production capacity for next-generation nuclear systems.

AI chatbot conversations may feel private, but they should not be treated like confidential conversations. A Washington Post review found numerous cases in which chatbot transcripts became part of criminal or civil court proceedings, often after investigators or opposing parties accessed users’ devices. Employers may also have access to chats made through workplace accounts, while AI companies can disclose information when legally required or when they believe there is an imminent risk of serious harm. Users should therefore avoid sharing passwords, highly sensitive personal information or confidential material—and use temporary/private chat options where available: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/08/29/your-chatbot-discussions-are-not-private-you-may-think/

Human, Beware: The Secrets We Tell AI Chatbots Aren’t Private: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/human-beware-the-secrets-we-tell-ai-chatbots-arent-private/

Your ChatGPT conversations could end up in court, and they're not protected: https://www.techspot.com/news/113667-chatgpt-conversations-could-end-up-court-theyre-not.html

Two global Phase 3 clinical trials published in JAMA Dermatology revealed that upadacitinib (Rinvoq)—an oral JAK inhibitor commonly prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis—dramatically restored hair in patients with severe alopecia areata. The studies evaluated nearly 1,400 participants aged 12 to 64 who averaged an 84% loss of scalp hair at baseline. After 24 weeks of taking a daily 15 mg or 30 mg dose, roughly 45% to 55% of patients achieved 80% or greater scalp hair coverage, with a subset experiencing complete regrowth alongside notable improvements in eyebrow and eyelash density. By suppressing the inflammatory immune signals that attack hair follicles, the drug offers a powerful targeted mechanism, recently earning approval in the European Union for severe alopecia areata while currently undergoing FDA review in the U.S: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-common-arthritis-pill-repurposed-boost.html 

In Brief

• Researchers report that the drug upadacitinib, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, effectively treated the hair loss condition alopecia areata in two clinical trials.
• The medication, sold under the brand name Rinvoq, is a JAK inhibitor that can help block the immune system response responsible for alopecia areata.
• There are other JAK inhibitor medications currently available for hair loss, but experts say that upadacitinib could provide those with alopecia with another treatment option.

A commonly used medication to treat rheumatoid arthritis may help people with a serious hair loss condition, according to a new study: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/arthritis-drug-may-support-hair-regrowth-alopecia 

Study findings: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2852906

The MIT News article highlights the evolution of the Julia programming language, which began in 2009 as an MIT research project created to solve the trade-off between user-friendliness and execution speed in scientific computing. Designed to combine the ease of Python with the speed of C, Julia grew into an open-source language with over one million users across academia and industry for applications ranging from pharmaceutical design to climate modeling. Its commercial spinoff, JuliaHub, has expanded the language's reach by launching AI platforms like Dyad 3.0, which enables engineers to direct autonomous agents in designing complex physical systems while enforcing physical laws

AI-powered engineering platform built for the age of Software-Defined Machines: https://juliahub.com/

Aircraft-design company CoolFly has launched its Urban on August 13, 2026, a compact, standing electric VTOL (eVTOL) platform that is controlled primarily by shifting the pilot’s body weight rather than using a conventional control stick. The eight-rotor platform incorporates computerized flight stabilization to adjust thrust and maintain balance during flight. CoolFly quotes approximately 15–20 minutes of flight time, a range of about 23 km, and a top speed limited to 70 km/h.

Although marketed as a new generation of personal eVTOL, the concept has an important historical precedent. In 1955, the U.S. Navy funded development of the Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee, a pilotable flying platform that also used a standing operator and rotor-based vertical flight. The key difference is technological: the Hiller platform relied on gasoline-powered ducted rotors and mechanical control, whereas CoolFly's Urban uses battery-electric distributed propulsion and computerized flight control. In that sense, Urban can be viewed as a modern electric reinterpretation of a concept demonstrated more than 70 years ago: https://www.aol.ca/articles/china-unveils-worlds-first-pilotable-184700000.html

Read more here: https://www.bgr.com/2241802/china-unveils-world-first-hovercraft-us-1950s/

The research explores how consumer wearables like EEG-equipped earbuds are quietly ushering in a "brain-as-interface" era where neural monitoring becomes routine in daily life. Author José M. Muñoz introduces the concept of "neurotechnological natives"—the upcoming generation growing up with tech that directly decodes and interacts with inner mental states rather than just external behavior. To address this shift, the author proposes an urgent research and regulatory agenda focusing on three key dimensions: technoscientific integration, cognitive development (such as impacts on identity, self-regulation, and inner speech), and sociocultural equity.

study: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.70381

The debate over Pluto’s status remains fiercely polarized two decades after the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified it as a dwarf planet in 2006. Many planetary scientists and advocates argue that the IAU’s requirement for a planet to "clear its neighbourhood" is scientifically flawed and arbitrary, preferring instead a geophysical definition based on an object's physical characteristics, such as geological activity and atmosphere. Conversely, astronomers maintain that dynamic criteria are essential to separate major solar system bodies from the hundreds of small, similar objects in the Kuiper Belt, emphasizing that dropping the orbital requirement would logically classify Earth's moon and other natural satellites as planets too.

MIT engineers have developed a wireless ultrasound wristband that can image muscles and tendons beneath the wrist and, using AI, reconstruct the position of individual fingers in real time. The system tracks 22 degrees of freedom with a latency of less than 120 milliseconds, providing detailed information about hand and finger movements without requiring cameras or wired sensors.

In demonstrations, the wearable successfully controlled a robotic hand, enabling it to play piano and manipulate objects including scissors, a pencil, and a tennis ball. It also correctly recognized all 26 letters of American Sign Language (ASL). Led by MIT engineer Xuanhe Zhao, with collaborators at the University of Southern California, the research was published in Nature Electronics. The technology could potentially advance prosthetic control, human–machine interfaces, robotics, and wearable gesture recognition.

Press Release: https://news.mit.edu/2026/wristband-enables-wearers-control-robotic-hand-with-own-movements-0325

Research findings: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-026-01594-4

Open Access Research: https://libraries.mit.edu/scholarly/publishing/find-oa-articles/

Did you know that one of the world’s oldest continuously operating businesses traces its origins back nearly 1,450 years?

Kongō Gumi, a Japanese temple and shrine construction company, traces its beginnings to 578 AD, when master carpenter Kongō Shigemitsu, one of three craftsmen traditionally said to have been brought from the Korean kingdom of Baekje, came to Japan to help construct Shitennō-ji Temple in Osaka. The Kongō family and its craftsmen subsequently became renowned for building, maintaining and restoring Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, passing their specialized knowledge through generations.

For centuries, the company remained remarkably focused on its core craft. Its lineage is traditionally traced through more than 40 generations, preserving specialized woodworking and temple-building techniques while adapting to wars, fires, natural disasters, changing technologies and economic upheavals.

Its remarkable run as an independent family business eventually ended in 2006, when financial difficulties and debt led to its acquisition by Takamatsu Construction Group. Kongō Gumi, however, survived as a company and continues its traditional temple and shrine construction work today.

What strikes me most isn't simply the longevity. It is the singular focus: one specialized craft, refined and transmitted across roughly 1,450 years. A powerful reminder that sometimes, enduring success comes not from constantly reinventing what you do, but from continually perfecting what you do best.

Good Sources:

1. Kongō Gumi's official history — its founding tradition, Shitennō-ji connection and historical development: https://www.kongogumi.co.jp/about_history.html

2. INSEAD case study — particularly useful for the 40-generation family-business history and the 2006 financial collapse: https://publishing.insead.edu/case/kongo-gumi-oldest-continuously-operating-business

3. Takamatsu Construction Group — current corporate history and Kongō Gumi's continuing role in traditional architecture: https://www.takamatsu-cg.co.jp/eng/about/esg/social/culture/post-3.html