Eating Sea Urchins Could Restore the Ocean’s Ecosystem

Contrary to reports that conservation is the only way to save our oceans, one company’s hypothesis suggests that eating more sea urchins (urchin roe or uni in Japanese) could actually help restore balance in the aquatic ecosystem. Urchinomics (the aptly named organization testing this theory) found urchins thriving in waters now abandoned by predators due to pollution, heating or overfishing. Increased urchin populations means trouble …

The Future of Space Food

MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative focuses on all kinds of research and preparation for “the day when humanity becomes a space-native civilization, as comfortable in the cosmos as we have been on Earth.” The team (made up of 50+ graduate students, staff, scientists, designers, and engineers) works on countless aspects of space travel, but hones in on two central topics: boredom and food. These …

Dead Sea Dates Successfully Grown From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds

Using 2,000-year-old seeds originally unearthed from a fortress in the Middle East and caves at the mouth of the Dead Sea, researchers at the Hadassah Medical Center have successfully grown new date palms. After soaking them in an activating solution, 34 seeds were plotted in precise, research-specific potting soil and then watched as they grew. Six seeds sprouted and each plant was carefully assessed. Research …