​What will we eat if an asteroid hits? ● Smart toilets will become a reality ● China will also train taikonauts from other countries

What will we eat if an asteroid hits?

Dinosaurs are known to have disappeared about 66 million years ago due to the collision of the Earth with a giant asteroid. However, not all of them died then. Most met their end later when ecosystems collapsed one after another as sunlight was blocked by dust blown into the atmosphere.

Basically, without sunlight, there would be no photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, plants died out first. Without a food source, herbivores soon appeared, followed by carnivores. That was the process in a nutshell. Now American science journalist Brian Walsh has raised the question of a repeat of such a catastrophic scenario in our time.

In principle, not all people would suddenly disappear, just as the dinosaurs did not disappear. But they won’t have much to eat either. However, for those lucky enough to avoid the immediate effects of an asteroid collision, there are solutions to overcome these disadvantages. If you planned to be among the survivors, here they are.

Archaeological evidence shows us that while plants suffered greatly, fungi flourished during the same time period. They don’t need light, so they don’t need photosynthesis, and they can grow on wood even in a state of severe decay. If you don’t have wood, tree leaves will also work. With a little willpower and organization, you have a chance to survive the apocalypse.

Insects can also be a source of protein, which can be grown using the same resources as mushrooms. Given the modern trends, you have time to get used to them. And last but not least, an American journalist tells us, if you hold your stomach, you can grow rodents. They also do not need light, reproduce quickly and do not require much food.

As you can see, there is a solution, the main thing is fighting spirit, in the style of Robinson Crusoe. Ah, you can apply the same solutions to a supervolcano. The consequences are approximately the same as from an asteroid impact. Be strong and everything will be fine!

Smart toilets will become a reality

Now that you have eaten, let’s see how your health is. Today, if you want to know what is wrong with your body, you need to see a doctor. But how soon the need for months-long appointments, waiting and, perhaps, salaries will disappear, and you will find out what diseases you have right from home. According to a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, this is thanks to smart toilets.

A prototype has already been created at Stanford University in California and is currently being tested. The creator of the smart toilet, Professor Seung-min Park, claims in the aforementioned study that his device can extract important information from…what it’s doing there. Based on the accumulated information, the toilet can determine a large number of states. In this way, you also get rid of the obstacles of submitting samples to the laboratory.

If you leave it on, the toilet will record every time you use it and note how many times you’ve peed or number two, then give you a full report every 87 days. But above all, Seung Min Park dreams of a world where smart toilets are also public. Thus, the American scientist claims, possible outbreaks of epidemics could be detected immediately.

Once detected, such outbreaks will be isolated, the sick identified, and the danger suppressed. Well, wouldn’t that be a much better and safer world?

China will also train taikonauts from other countries

China will soon begin a program to train taikonauts from several countries, people who will help China’s space ambitions succeed, Beijing authorities said recently. In particular, China will respond to several countries’ requests for cooperation in future space missions.

All applicants will undergo a rigorous selection process before arriving in China and starting their studies. They will be trained to work on the Shenzhou spacecraft, as well as live aboard the space station. It is not clear whether all those selected will be required to learn Chinese, although Chinese officials want their language to be the official language aboard the Tiangong station.

It is clear that there will be no American citizens among the future taikonauts. In case you didn’t know, the US is prohibited by law (the Wolff Amendment) from cooperating with Beijing in the space program. Actually, China built its own space station precisely because it was excluded from missions to the International Space Station (ISS) at the initiative of the Americans.

For now, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher has also given no specific guidance on future cooperation with China, saying that SSI is the current priority. How long this will last is unknown, but SSI is expected to be phased out by the end of this decade. In this situation, where Tiangong remains the only space station, it is possible that the discussions will take on a slightly less tense emphasis.

Follow our Facebook page, HotNews Science, to be able to receive live information and curiosities from the world of science in real time!

Photo source: profimediaimages.ro