How hops grown indoors could save the beer industry with cheaper, more flavourful choices

How hops grown indoors could save the beer industry with cheaper, more flavourful choices

Shrinking harvests of hops are making beer more expensive, but researchers are raising hopes that this indispensable brewing ingredient could be grown indoors to make it cheaper. Earlier this year, a Spanish business called Ekonoke said it had figured out how to grow hops indoors. Now Japan’s Kirin, which makes the beer of the same … Read more

A pink blob with beady eyes: Robot with ‘living skin’ and a pretty smile

A pink blob with beady eyes: Robot with ‘living skin’ and a pretty smile

A University of Tokyo professor, Shoji Takeuchi, has developed a robot with “living skin” that is gaining widespread attention online. The alien-like machine was created using engineered skin attached to a humanoid robot, building on Takeuchi’s previous work on walking mini-robots made with 3D-printed lab-grown meat, engineered skin, and biological muscle tissue.Takeuchi emphasised the importance … Read more