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Innovation

Farm Robots

A new autonomous driving algorithm is showing promise for farm robots—particularly in high-bed cultivation systems used for crops like strawberries and tomatoes. These raised beds help reduce the strain of manual harvesting, but with ongoing labor shortages, even they aren’t enough. That’s where robotics may offer a breakthrough.

Developed by Assistant Professor Takuya Fujinaga of Osaka Metropolitan University, the algorithm enables farm robots to navigate in two key modes: traveling between fixed locations and moving precisely alongside raised crop beds. The system uses lidar—laser-based technology also found in self-driving cars and smartphones—to continuously map the robot’s surroundings. This allows it to stay straight, aligned, and at a consistent distance from plants, both in simulation and real-world conditions.

The implications go far beyond harvesting. “If robots can move more accurately in these environments, they can take on more jobs—not just harvesting, but things like disease monitoring and pruning,” Fujinaga explained. As the technology becomes more practical and scalable, it could significantly improve farm efficiency and help ease the labor burden, especially on farms relying on labor-intensive high-bed setups.

The findings were published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.

We had a chance to talk with Kenzan Boo, co-founder and CTO of Nook, a modern savings app, offering higher APY’s.

Kenzan spent years as an engineering manager at Coinbase, where he helped build and scale the secure infrastructure behind billions of dollars in assets. Now, with a team of former Coinbase colleagues and backing from Coinbase Ventures, he’s focused on building a savings platform that actually puts users first.

“Most banks keep over 80% of the profits they generate with your deposits and give you almost nothing back,” he said. “We built Nook to change that.”

With Nook, you can earn around 8% APY, earning interest in real-time and without any lockup periods or penalties. As a welcome, they even add a $20 bonus when you deposit $20 or more - something Kenzan said was important to them.

“It’s a way to say thanks for giving us a chance,” he said. “And if you want to withdraw everything tomorrow, you can - including the bonus. We think if people experience what we’ve built, they’ll want to stay.”

If you’ve been frustrated with your savings options lately, it’s worth taking a look at what they’re building.

Culture

Church Transformed into Pool

Two Dutch architecture firms, MVRDV and Zecc Architecten, have been selected to transform the historic St. Francis of Assisi Church in Heerlen into a public swimming pool. The century-old church, a designated national monument, ceased religious services in 2023. Now, under the aptly named project “Holy Water,” the building will be adapted for modern use while carefully preserving its architectural heritage.

The design includes an adjustable pool floor that can shift to suit different age groups or activities and can even be leveled entirely for cultural and community events. Visitors will enter through the original aisles, leading to changing rooms and a restaurant positioned at the back of the church. These areas will be separated from the pool by glass walls, protecting the historic interior from moisture while maintaining a sense of openness.

Several original elements will be creatively repurposed: pews will become benches and bar tables, the pulpit will serve as a lifeguard stand, and a custom mosaic floor will echo the stained-glass windows and original materials. Lighting inspired by the church’s fixtures will double as lane markers above the pool. To protect the structure, the space will feature insulated roofing and climate control, with moisture-sensitive areas sectioned off. As Heerlen faces a shortage of public pools, the project promises both a practical amenity and a meaningful revival of a landmark—scheduled to open by late 2027.

Environment

Bonobos’ Unique Language

Bonobos, one of our closest evolutionary relatives, may possess a key linguistic ability once thought to be uniquely human. A new study from Harvard and the University of Zurich reveals that wild bonobos combine vocal sounds in structured ways that mirror how humans form phrases. This challenges the long-standing view that complex, compositional communication—the ability to build meaning from smaller vocal units—is exclusive to our species.

Researchers observed bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo and used linguistic tools to decode their vocal repertoire. They first cataloged individual calls and their meanings, then analyzed how bonobos combine them. The findings show that these combinations follow patterns similar to human language, including both basic constructions like “blond dancer” and more layered ones such as “bad dancer,” where one element modifies the other.

“This is the first time anyone’s mapped out an entire animal vocal system and tracked how meaning changes through combinations,” said lead researcher Mélissa Berthet. According to senior author Simon Townsend, the structure of these call sequences strongly resembles human phrasing, suggesting that this capacity may have evolved before the emergence of Homo sapiens. As Harvard’s Martin Surbeck notes, the shared ancestry between humans and bonobos, which dates back 7 to 13 million years, hints that the roots of language may lie far deeper in our evolutionary past than previously believed.

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For Clemens, Julia, James, and Nina 

Beneath the sun, where dreams take flight,  
Clemens crafts visions with endless delight.  
Julia’s spark ignites the day,  
Her laughter spreads in a brilliant display.  

James brings wisdom, calm, and ch
And Nina’s heart, so kind and bold,  
Turns everyday moments into gold.  

Together they shine like news anew,  
Finding bright spots, perspectives true.  
The world may twist and tumble fast,  

But their spirit stands, steadfast.  
Cheers to this crew, with joy imbued,  
In the light of positivity pursued 

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

I’m a three-digit number. The sum of my digits is 12. If you subtract 99 from me, you get the digits in reverse order.
What number am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers

— beady little (I’s) eyes 👀 Bill Kophfamer got this early! 🌞 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

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