Link About It: This Week’s Picks

A 3D-printed neighborhood, at-home insemination tools, alternative education and more innovation from around the globe

Hawaii Moves to Ban Single-Use Takeout Containers Part of a comprehensive plan to drastically reduce single-use plastic reliance within the state, Hawaii passed a ban on plastic takeout containers—plates, bowls, cups, utensils, straws, foam containers, and more. The plan (formally named Bill 40) will roll out over two years, allowing restaurants and other purveyors the opportunity to convert to more sustainable options. Two exceptions will …

43,900-Year-Old Cave Art Depicts Ancient Hunting Scene

Predating the next oldest depiction of a human/animal hunting scene by 4,000 years, this 43,900-year-old scene painted on cave walls on Sulawesi (an island in central Indonesia) is now believed to be the oldest—and includes one of the most complex discoveries yet. It reshapes our long-held conceptions about the practice of hunting by depicting therianthropes, predominantly human figures with a distinguishing animal feature. In this …

Google Launches Assistant Interpreter Mode

Available today on iOS and Android, Interpreter Mode translates conversations in real time through a process similar to Google’s preexisting Translate page. According to the company, the feature can be prompted by saying phrases like, “Hey Google, help me speak Thai” or “Hey Google, be my German translator.” Simply recite a phrase and an automated process will translate it and play it back in the …