Recipes don’t necessarily need to be changed to encourage eco-friendly meal choices
Robert Nishi/Alamy
The innovative design of menus available at all times increases the likelihood of selecting healthy, climate-conscious food choices without altering recipes.
This technique lowered the carbon footprint of meals consumed by 300 individuals at the University of Bristol in the UK by a significant 300 people and reduced saturated fat content by 6%.
“We managed to attain these reductions without the consumers realizing it,” states team member Annika Flynn from the university.
Given that students typically received the same 15 meals each week, the only change was in the presentation of the meals. “We haven’t modified the recipes,” says Flynn. “Everything remains consistent; it’s merely about when the orders and meals are served.”
For instance, if beef lasagna is a favored choice and lentil curry is presented as a more sustainable and healthier alternative, many may still opt for the lasagna. However, if the lentil curry is offered alongside a less popular option, diners may be more likely to select the curry.
“Our observations indicate that most interventions encourage consumers to eat slightly more,” Flynn notes. “However, the likelihood of choosing specific foods or dishes primarily relies on the appeal of the options provided.”
The researchers then examined the menus at 12 National Health Services hospitals across the UK. They project that their methods could diminish the carbon footprint of NHS hospital foods by as much as 29% and cut saturated fat content by up to 32%.
This approach to influencing decisions is termed “nudging.” This study was conducted in a subtle manner, without consumer awareness, as part of a larger initiative focused on sustainable nutrition, environment, and agriculture.
A stealthy strategy can complement efforts to motivate individuals to consciously select healthier or more eco-friendly food options, Flynn asserts. “We can implement both approaches.”
“The key is making it all work together,” comments Charlotte Hardman from the University of Liverpool in the UK. Providing an environment conducive to better choices makes it much simpler for people, she adds.
Flynn mentions her considerations for optimizing their approach, stating, “Ultimately, we aim to develop a user-friendly interface that enables catering providers to customize menus.”
If your teeth are facing damage, innovative toothpastes may soon appear on the market in the coming years. Some of their ingredients may surprise you.
Toothpaste derived from your own hair could offer an effective and eco-friendly method to safeguard and restore damaged tooth enamel during the initial stages of decay, according to new research from King’s College London.
The research team has found that keratin, a protein present in hair, skin, and nails, creates protective layers that emulate the structure and function of natural tooth enamel when interacting with saliva. In their experiments, scientists extracted keratin from animal wool, which is similar to human hair.
The Science Behind the Hair Toothpaste: Explainer (Credit: King’s College London)
Enamel loss and decay are ongoing issues for dental professionals. Factors such as acidic food and drinks, aging, and inadequate oral hygiene contribute to the gradual deterioration of the teeth’s protective layer.
This deterioration can result in tooth sensitivity, discomfort, and, ultimately, tooth loss. “Unlike bone and hair, enamel does not regenerate,” states Dr. Sherif Elshalkawi, Senior Author and Consultant of Prosthetics at King’s College London. “Once lost, it is gone forever.”
While fluoride toothpaste can help slow the process, this groundbreaking keratin-based solution has shown potential to stop it completely.
When combined with naturally occurring minerals in saliva, it forms a dense crystal-like layer that shields teeth, sealing off exposed nerve channels. As these nerves are responsible for sensitivity, this novel treatment not only aids in preventing enamel breakdown but also alleviates current symptoms.
This research has been published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, detailing how scientists extracted keratin from animal wool to form a structured scaffold on the teeth that continues to attract calcium and phosphate ions, ultimately creating a protective enamel-like coat.
This substance can be used daily in regular toothpaste or applied professionally as a gel, similar to nail polish, for targeted restorative treatment. El Sharkawi suggests that this affordable, sustainable method could be available to the public in the next two to three years.
“Keratin presents a revolutionary alternative to existing dental care practices,” comments Sara Gamea, a doctoral researcher at King’s College and lead author of the study.
“It not only draws on biological waste such as hair and skin for a continuous supply but also reduces reliance on conventional plastic resins often used in restorative dentistry, which are harmful and less durable.”
“Keratin also offers a more natural appearance than these alternatives, as it can better match the original tooth color.”
read more:
Top Image: Dr. Sherif Elshalkawi presents the animal wool utilized in this groundbreaking treatment (credit: King’s College London)
What effect might it have on adolescents and young children to see the positive expressions on the faces of strangers eating raw broccoli?
Katie Edwards of Aston University in the UK, along with colleagues from the same university and the University of Birmingham, also in the UK, set out to find out.
There's no need to mince words about what they found: in their own words, “Contrary to our hypothesis, the facial expression of the model while eating broccoli did not significantly affect their initial willingness to try it.”
Circle of Life
In the 1960s, young intellectuals in the West encouraged each other to adopt the philosophy and path of Zen Buddhism. They were encouraged to “walk the Zen path” and “become one with the universe” in order to live a thoughtful, wise and good life.
Sixty years later, thinking and conversation have advanced.
No alternative to this has been widely adopted in the West in the 2020s, but feedback suggests a Venn diagram.
Like Zen, Venn diagrams aim to provide a simpler understanding of seemingly complex things. Venn diagram masters might describe the practice like this: Venn diagrams use overlapping circles or similar shapes to show logical relationships between different types of items.
Adopt the philosophy and method of the Venn diagram. Recognize and nurture the overlaps in your life. Draw a Venn diagram of the characteristics of all the people, places, and things in your life from birth to the present. The Venn diagram overlaps will reveal commonalities. Embrace them. Identify with the few.
Ven, let's go.
The talent for titration
Psychics, whether trivial or not, have a reputation for being either you get it all or you get nothing. John Hancock tells Feedback about an exception to that, perhaps a partial exception:
He says, “I can consistently pour almost half a 339ml bottle of beer so that the height of the beer in two identical glasses is within 1mm, 2mm at most. I can do this in one go, unassisted, and I seem to know when to stop pouring.”
(Feedback: The name Hancock is well known to Americans. On January 4, 1776, the late John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence, a document that egged on Britain. Hancock wrote it in such large, bold letters that his name became synonymous with “a man's handwritten signature.” In the U.S., people still say “Sign John Hancock.” The late John Hancock, unlike today's John Hancock, hated doing things by halves.)
Questionable discomfort
A recent addition to Feedback's collection is called “The Title Tells You Everything You Need to Know.”
“The pain one may experience when executed in various ways” probably came as a surprise to magazine readers. Sensing It was published in 1993, and in 1997 Harold Hillman of the University of Surrey in the UK was awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize.
If you've come across similarly impressive examples, please submit them to Telltale titles, c/o Feedback, along with citation details.
Teflon Diet
Teflon, prized as a “non-stick” coating for frying pans and other cookware, may become a common additive to foods, especially in weight-control diets.
The 2016 paper has an intelligent and intriguing title:Consuming polytetrafluoroethylene is a way to increase food volume and feel full without increasing calorie content.“US authors Rotem Naftalovich, Daniel Naftalovich and Frank Greenway explain that polytetrafluoroethylene (also known as PTFE or Teflon) is a plastic. They claim its benefits: “Animal feeding studies showed that rats fed a diet of 25% PTFE for 90 days showed no signs of toxicity and lost weight.”
They further hypothesized that “incorporating PTFE powder into foods (1 part food to 1 part PTFE) and increasing the portion size of the food would significantly increase satiety and decrease caloric intake.”
Polytetrafluoroethylene “does not impart flavor (as evidenced by its use in tongue piercings) and therefore does not affect the taste of food,” they write, and is “highly inert, meaning it does not react with food in the body.”
This makes it an “ideal ingredient to use as a bulking agent for foods that are not metabolized” and can be used in foods that don't make you feel stuffed.
Do you have a story for feedback? Send it to feedback@newscientist.com or New Scientist, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY. Review of mailed items is delayed
You can submit articles for Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week's and past Feedback can be found on our website.
The Biden administration revealed updated vehicle emissions standards on Wednesday, described as the most ambitious effort yet to reduce global warming emissions from passenger vehicles.
While the new regulations relax the original tailpipe limits proposed last year, they will ultimately align more closely with the stringent standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
These standards will be enforced in conjunction with the sale of electric vehicles, which must meet the requirements. The auto industry had opposed the EPA’s initial standards, announced in April last year, citing a slowdown in sales growth. The administration, however, remains committed to its ambitious plans to decrease emissions from passenger cars contributing to global warming.
Under the finalized rule, the EPA will mandate that by 2032, 56% of new vehicle sales should be electric vehicles, with at least 13% being plug-in hybrids or partially electric vehicles, along with more fuel-efficient gasoline-powered cars that get higher mileage.
The EPA estimates that these new standards will result in annual savings of $100 billion, over 7 billion tons of avoided global warming carbon emissions over the next three decades, reduced healthcare costs, fewer deaths, and more than $60 billion in healthcare savings, ultimately leading to overall cost savings in fuel, maintenance, and repairs.
On January 2, 2008, exhaust gas blows out of a car’s tailpipe in San Francisco. David Paul Morris/Getty Images File
The EPA rule pertains to model years between 2027 and 2032, covering new emissions from new passenger cars, light trucks, pickup trucks, as well as greenhouse gas emissions like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that contribute to global warming. It will also significantly reduce other forms of air pollution. The EPA asserts that the rule will help combat the climate crisis by substantially decreasing air pollution while promoting the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies. The finalization of the rules follows a record increase in sales of clean vehicles, including plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles, last year.
The revised rules will push back the strict pollution standards’ implementation from 2027 to 2029 after the auto industry argued against the feasibility of the proposed benchmarks. By 2032, the rules will be bolstered to nearly meet the EPA’s recommended thresholds.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan affirmed to reporters that the final rule will yield pollution reductions equal to or greater than those outlined in the proposal. In addition to addressing carbon pollution, Regan emphasized that the ultimate standard will also lessen other severe air pollutants contributing to heart attacks, respiratory issues, exacerbating asthma, and diminishing lung function.
Regan stressed the critical nature of these new standards for public health, American jobs, the economy, and the planet. The standard is designed to be technology-neutral and performance-based, granting auto and truck manufacturers the flexibility to choose pollution control technology that aligns with their customer needs while meeting environmental and public health objectives.
The adjustments in the regulations seem aimed at addressing the strong industry resistance to the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles and the public’s hesitation to fully embrace new technology. Legal challenges in conservative courts also pose a legitimate threat.
With a conservative majority, the Supreme Court has increasingly restricted the power of federal agencies, including the EPA, in recent years. The court has limited the EPA’s ability to combat air and water pollution, further hindering their capability to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.
President Joe Biden has made fighting climate change a central feature of his presidency, with a focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
To achieve these goals, a Democratic president needs cooperation from the auto industry and political backing from auto workers, a crucial voting bloc. The United Auto Workers union, supporting Biden, endorses the transition to electric vehicles but aims to safeguard jobs and ensure that industry pays competitive wages to workers involved in producing EVs and batteries.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed confidence in the EPA’s final rule, stating that the administration understands that achieving such goals takes time and remains committed to climate action.
peer-to-peer car sharing company Moving filed its first earnings report since going public a year ago Via SPAC combination. The company’s third-quarter earnings report details that while revenue is growing rapidly, it still doesn’t generate enough sales to cover expenses.
Getaround reported gross bookings of $69 million in the third quarter, resulting in revenue of $23.8 million in the period, up from $16.7 million in the year-ago period. In the first nine months of 2023, Getaround’s revenue reached his $54 million.
But while Getaround’s reported 42% year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter has been well-received by investors, who have sent the stock up 75% in after-hours trading at the time of writing, the company is not. Still out of the forest.
Getaround’s operating expenses in the third quarter were worth $42.9 million, compared to the equivalent of $128 million for the first three quarters of this year, both numbers significantly higher than its gross profit for both periods. Still, Getaround has made some progress on the profitability front. In the third quarter, the company had a net GAAP loss of $27.3 million, an improvement of 16% from the third quarter of 2022 report. Using a more generous profit calculation, Get Around remained unprofitable in the latest quarter, with his adjusted EBITDA reported at -$11.3 million. Over the three-month period, it improved by 43% year-over-year.
Getaround is targeting gross bookings in the range of $200 million to $205 million for the full year of 2023. The company did not disclose revenue targets for this year, but third-quarter revenue reflects an annual run rate of more than $95 million. Getaround expects its 2023 adjusted EBITDA loss to be in the range of $68 million to $70 million.
Getaround ended the third quarter with $22.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. This number is a significant departure from the $64.3 million reported in cash and equivalents at the end of the third quarter of 2022. The company got some good news in the form of a $3 million infusion from Madrick Capital. Madrick Capital has an existing $15 million note with the company, which was expanded to provide a little more headroom for the getaround.
Getaround stock closed regular trading at about $0.17 on Thursday, ahead of the release of third-quarter data.
Rebuilding
Getaround is working to clean up its cost base, including reducing the company’s workforce. 10% of staff In February, the company announced that it would cut costs by $25 million to $30 million a year to achieve sustainability. The layoffs came a day after Getaround was declared a state of emergency. Delisting Notice from the New York Stock Exchange This is because the stock price was trading too low.
Now that the stock price has risen significantly following the earnings report, GetAround is still worth less than $1 per share, meaning it is still at risk of being delisted.Several SPAC combinations were executed reverse stock split This is probably why earnings per share have remained in the 100 yen range.
Getaround has also received other delisting notices for failing to timely file annual and quarterly reports. The company has not filed its 2022 annual report and just filed its third quarter earnings report. Getaround has not yet filed its first and second quarter results. The company says it will need more time to complete the audit and has now completed it.
Getaround CEO Sam Zaid told TechCrunch: Mr. Zaid would not comment on whether GetAround would seek a reverse stock split to boost its stock price.
car sharing companies too Acquires assets of startup HyreCar This will increase Getaround’s operating costs in the short term. Getaround hopes the scale provided by the acquisition will help accelerate its path to profitability.
This article has been updated with information from Getaround’s CEO.
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