THE INVENTION AWARDS

THE TEN

INVENTIONSOF THE YEARPRINTED ELECTRONICS +NEEDLE-FREEVACCINES +SMART FRYING PAN +FLYING CAR AND MORE!

BRE PETTIS, co-founderof MakerBot Industries,3-D printed everything on thiscover (including himself ).

SMARTM AY 2 0 1 5

THE

HACKERSGUIDEHOMES

SHOULDWE CONTACTALIENS?

PLUS!ACTION CAMERAS,BIONIC BOOTS, ANDAN ELEVATORTHAT WILL RESHAPESKYLINES

P G. 34

WorldMags.netISNT 100% NEW.THE NEWEST THING IN BATTERIES

Introducing Energizer EcoAdvanced

Our longest-lasting alkaline is also theWORLDS FIRST AA battery made with 4% RECYCLED BATTERIES.

2015 EnergizerEnergizer, Energizer Bunny design, EcoAdvanced, cardand label graphics and other marks are trademarks of Energizer.

energizer.com/ecoadvancedWorldMags.net

MAY 2015

WorldMags.net

P HOTO GR AP H S BY K A R EE M BLAC K ; S ET D ES I GN BY A M Y TAY LO R FO R BA - RE PS ; ST Y L I N G BY N E W HA RT OHA N I A N ; GROOMI N G BY J I L L MCKAY ; FAS HI ON , COV E R: S HI RT BY CA LVI N K LE I N ; TI E BYLOR IS D I R A N ; J EA N S BY M AV I J EA N S ; S N E A KE R S BY P UM A ; WATC H, P R E NT I S S S OW N ; FAS HI ON , I N S I DE F E AT URE : S HI RT BY G- STA R RAW ; J E A N S BY MAV I JE A N S ; JACK E T BY G - STA R RAW ; SN E A K E RS BY P U MA

For daily updates: facebook.com/popsci

05CONTENTS

15

Departments

The Rise of theIncredible, Edible Insect

Feed

Next

06 From the Editor08 Peer Review

25 Naturesstrongest material,dethroned26 A geologistdetermined toblueprint Earth28 Maglevelevators that willreshape skylines30 Are India PaleAles an endangered species?32 Phone home:Time to messagealiens

BROOKE BORE L

PAGE 44

34PAGE

NINTH ANNUALINVENTION AWARDSWith the help of ace inventorBre Pettis, we celebrate 10ingenious creations that startedout as scrappy ideas. Plus,Pettis shares his advice formaking products thattruly break ground.

Volume 286 No.5

FeaturingTheyre high in protein, minerals, and goodfats and far more sustainable than beef.Welcome to the new food movement.

Nothing but the TruthYou cant take emotion out of sciencenor should you.AL AN L I GH T M AN

PAGE 50

The Hackers Guide toSmart Homes

Popular Sciences five-step plan for turningyour home into a data-gathering intelligentenvironmentwith or without Siri.C ORI NNE I OZ Z I O

Now11 The SonyWalkman returnsbetter than ever12 Ten things welove this month14 A 1,250hphybrid racecar16 Your favoritetechnologies camefrom a Worlds Fair18 How Pebbleplans to win thesmartwatch wars22 Action camerasfor everyone

PAGE 52

The Church of ChurchGeorge Church already revolutionizedbiology once. Now, he wants to store datain DNA, bring back extinct species, wipeout malaria, and map the brain.

FEED

72 Hack yourcars infotainmentsystem74 Meet theengineer behindthrilling rides

End Matter79 Ask Us Anything: Do babiesuse the same facialexpressions asadults?86 From theArchives

Manual65 Use softrobotics to build aspare hand68 Bionic boots fora 25mph stroll70 Hackett turnsa junked TV into acrystal radio

J E NE E N I NT E RL AND I

PAGE 56

Bre Pett i ss t roveincludes characte rsfrom his 3-D printedm ov ie, M argo .

ON THE COVERPhotograph by Kareem Black

WorldMags.net

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 05

F E E D M AY 2 0 1 5From the Editor

WorldMags.net

Elementsof Invention

THE ONLY THING THATSTANDS OUT ABOUTSUCCESSFULINVENTORS IS THATTHEY AREEXCEPTIONALLY RARE.AND ONE OF THEM ISON OUR COVER.

A

pragmatic; he was said to have setquotas for himselfa small breakthrough every 10 days and a big oneevery six months.The only thing that stands outabout successful inventors is thatthey are exceptionally rare. And oneof them is on our cover this month.In 2007, Bre Pettis, an artist andformer schoolteacher, co-foundedthe hackerspace NYC Resistor. Itsmembers wanted a 3-D printer,but the technology, which hadbeen around since the 1980s, was

expensive and its application,almost exclusively industrial. A fewhackers started working with opensource designs. Pettis partneredwith two of them, and they debutedtheir rst consumer product, theCupCake CNC, in 2009. The inventionbecame a business, MakerBotIndustries, which Pettis sold fouryears later for around $400 million.Hes now on to his next project, BoldMachines, a 3-Dprinting workshopthat helps artists and entrepreneurstransition quickly from rough ideasto working prototypes. We basicallyaccelerate the future, Pettis says.Every May, Popular Sciencepublishes the Invention Awards, inwhich we celebrate the years bestindependent inventionsthosescrappy creations born of a garageor workshop, not an industrial lab.Who better to help us assemble thatlist than Bre Pettis? Together, we dugup some extraordinary awardees, asyoull see beginning on page 34, and

Alan Lightman

Andrew Terranova

Kareem Black

Jeneen Interlandi

As a scientist, Alan Lightman hasmade fundamental contributions tothe field of astrophysics. As a writer,he has published dozens of celebratednovels and essays. Science and artsreflect the full range of the humanmind, Lightman says. We are bothrational and intuitive, deliberate andspontaneous. He reflects on thehuman nature of scientific researchin Nothing but the Truth (page 50).

I enjoy working on projects thatentertain me and my kids, saysengineer and tinkerer AndrewTerranova. Hes built a toy airplanefrom a hot water heater, a steampunkbank that eats money, and severalexhibits for a childrens museum.Robots are a special favorite. Thismonth, he dabbles in soft robotics forWave Hello to a Soft Robot Hand(page 65) in Manual.

The innovation workshop BoldMachines is filled with 3-Dprintedgadgets, 80s boomboxes, even aDeLorean. The space and its contents,lovingly curated by Bre Pettis, inspiredthe playful aesthetic of this monthscover image. It was like being insidea comic book, says photographerKareem Black. There was a 15-yearold boy inside me going insane. It wasthe biggest toy factory ever.

When writer Jeneen Interlandi metGeorge Church in his Harvard lab, shewas in familiar territory. A decadeprior, she worked in a genetics lab justacross the street. He is in a wholeother stratosphere of genius butremains very personable, says Interlandi, who profiled the renowned scientist for The Church of Church (page56). Talking with him reminded me ofhow much I love molecular biology.

s editor in chief of PopularScience, I get asked a lot of questions. Some ofthem are reasonable: Why is the sky blue? (Airmolecules scatter blue light more effectivelythan red.) Some of them are not: Why cant Icommunicate with my cat? (Try listening.) Butthe most persistent question is, What does

it take to become a great inventor?My typical response: If I had thatkind of lightning in a bottle, Id bedrinking it myself. Besides goodtiming and even better luck, its hardto pinpoint what makes certaininventors successful. They tend tobe creative, exceptionally persistent,and tolerant of risk. But beyondthat, they are just people, and peoplecome in all stripes. Tesla and daVinci were ingenious. Steve Jobswas fastidious and business-minded.Thomas Edison was ruthlessly

Pettis shared his tips for aspiringinventors. He also graciously helpedus 3-D print the Popular Sciencelogo on the cover and uploaded thedesign les to Thingiverse.com sothat you can print it too.No story about invention, however, would be complete without acaveat. Not all those featured willmake it. Developing a successfulprototype and developing a successful company are not necessarily thesame skill. But all the ideas havetremendous potential, as do theinventors behind them. You neverknow. You just may see one of themon our cover one day.Enjoy the magazine.Cli RansomEditor in Chief

06 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

R A N S O M : M A R I U S BU G GE ; C OU RT ESY C ON T R IB U TO R S

Contributors

WorldMags.net

COMMANDING.A high performance, ultra telephoto zoom.Portable, durable and performs to thehighest of photographic standards.Powerful and commanding.

NN'%(04)4.Case, Hood (LH1164-01), Shoulder strap included.USA 4 Year Service Protection

4*(."64#%PDLUpdate, adjust & personalize. Customizationnever thought possible. Sold separately.

SIGMA Corporation of America | 15 Fleetwood Court | Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, U.S.A. | Tel: (631) 585-1144 | www.SigmaPhoto.comFollow us Twitter @sigma_photo and Facebook.com/sigmacorporationofamerica

WorldMags.net

F E E D M AY 2 0 1 5Peer Review

Show us!

Which 21st-century invention has changed your life most?

WorldMags.netSend your images toshowandtell@popsci.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Cliff RansomDesign Director Todd DetwilerExecutive Editor Jennifer Bogo

SELLING POINTSIn Cultured Couture [March 2015], writer DanielGrushkin took readers inside designer Suzanne Leesbiotech lab, where she grows leather from cells.I worked in cotton productionback in the bad old days ofweekly insecticide applications.So Grushkins statement thatcotton farming typically usesintensive pesticides stood outto me as stunningly out-of-datein an otherwise fascinatingpiece. American cotton farmersstill use insecticides but nothinglike in the early 1990s. Now,they spend money on the latestinsect-resistant GMO seed.Ben Barstow, Palouse, Wash.Editors note: According tothe USDA, the combined useof insecticides, herbicides,fungicides, and other pesticideson cotton fields has, in fact, remained constant since the late1980s. Although it is true thatgenetically engineered cottonnow enables farmers to use

EDITORIALManaging Editor Jill C. ShomerEditorial Production Manager Felicia PardoArticles Editor Kevin GrayInformation Editor Katie Peek, Ph.D.Technology Editor Michael NuezProjects Editor Sophie BushwickAssociate Editors Lois Parshley, Jen SchwartzAssistant Editors Breanna Draxler, Lindsey KratochwillEditorial Assistant Mac IrvineCopy Editors Joe Mejia, Leah ZibulskyResearchers Shannon Palus, Ajai Raj, Erika VillaniEditorial Intern Junnie KwonART AND PHOTOGRAPHYPhoto Director Thomas PayneDigital Associate Art Director Michael MorenoDesigner Zachary GilyardPOPULARSCIENCE.COMOnline Director Dave MosherSenior Editor Paul AdamsAssistant Editors Sarah Fecht, Loren GrushContributing Writers Kelsey D. Atherton, Mary Beth Griggs,Dan Moren, Alexandra OssolaWeb Intern Lydia Ramsey

Matthew Stylianou

48 /

less insecticide, it has led to the increasedapplication of the herbicide glyphosate.I was particularly intrigued by the possibility of clothes that adapt to climatewhile reading about Suzanne Lee growingclothing. You could have the same jacketserving as a windbreaker in the spring anda parka in the winter. You could also have ashirt that brightens in the sun and darkensat night, thus regulating heat.Douglas R. Benn, Spokane, Wash.

We Apologize Hitting the deadline for The Science of Stress [March 2015] proved a little, well,stressful. That may be why we mixed up the labels for the stress monitors on page 47.Theyre correctly pictured on popsci.com/stresstest.

A HI STO RY O F IN VE N TION

Popular Science has been covering innovation since the magazines inception in 1872.(This years Invention Awards start on page 34.) Heres how often the word inventionhas appeared in our pages, either in articles or advertisements.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSBrooke Borel, Tom Clynes, Matthew de Paula, Clay Dillow, Nicole Dyer,Daniel Engber, Tom Foster, Hackett, Mike Haney, Joseph Hooper, Corinne Iozzio,Gregory Mone, Adam Piore, P.W. Singer, Erik SofgeBONNIER TECHNOLOGY GROUPGroup Editorial Director Anthony LicataGroup Publisher Gregory D. GattoChief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Burnham MurphyFinancial Director Tara BiscielloEastern Sales Director Jeff TimmNortheast Advertising Office Margaret Kalaher, Matt Levy, Amanda SmythMidwest Managers Carl Benson, Doug LeipprandtAd Assistant Lindsay KuhlmannWest Coast Account Managers Stacey Lakind, Sara Laird OShaughnessyDetroit Advertising Director Jeff RobergeDetroit Manager Ed BartleyDirect Response Sales Shawn Lindeman, Frank McCaffrey, Chip ParhamDigital Campaign Managers Amanda AlimoDigital Campaign CoordinatorJustin ZiccardiDigital Marketing Producer Joey SternGroup Sales Development Director Alex GarciaSenior Sales Development Manager Amanda GastelumSales Development Managers Kate Gregory, Charlotte GrimaCreative Services Director Ingrid M. ReslmaierMarketing Design Directors Jonathan Berger, Gabe RamirezMarketing Design Manager Sarah HughesDigital Design Manager Steve GianacaGroup Events & Promotion Director Beth HetrickPromotions Managers Eshonda Caraway-Evans, Lynsey WhiteConsumer Marketing Director Bob CohnPublic Relations Manager Molly BattlesHuman Resources Director Kim PutmanProduction Manager Erika HernandezCorp. Production Director Jeff CassellGroup Production Director Laurel Kurnides

Appearences per issue100

Annual spikesoccur duringthe InventionAwards, whichbegan in 2007.

A surge of the wordinvention coincidedwith the first fullcolor issue in 1917.

755025

1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

Chairman Tomas FranznChief Executive Officer Dave FreygangExecutive Vice President Eric ZinczenkoChief Content Officer David RitchieChief Financial Officer Todd DeBoerChief Operating Officer Lisa EarlywineChief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Burnham MurphyChief Digital Revenue Ofcer Sean HolzmanVice President, Integrated Sales John GraneyVice President, Consumer Marketing John ReeseVice President, Digital Audience Development Jennifer AndersonVice President, Digital Operations David ButlerVice President, Public Relations Perri DorsetGeneral Counsel Jeremy Thompson

For reprints, e-mail: reprints@bonniercorp.com.FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS, such as renewals,address changes, email preferences, billing, and account status, go to popsci.com/cs. Youcan also call 800-289-9399 or 515-237-3697, or write to Popular Science,P.O. Box 6364, Harlan, IA 51593-1864.

08 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

This product is fromsustainably managedforests and controlledsources.

WorldMags.netA Better Nights SleepStarts at the Ceiling

Haiku with SenseME creates more comfortable bedroomsand more restful nights automatically. With award-winningdesign, top-ranked efficiency, smart technology and silentoperation, Haiku with SenseME is a beautifully innovativeaddition to any bedroom.

Connectswith

Free Shipping on Haiku: visit bigassfans.com/psfree

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.netED I TED BY

Michael Nuez & Lindsey Kratochwill

SPECSMemory capacity128 GB withexpandablemicroSD slotPlayable formatsMP3, WMA, FLAC,WAV, and AppleLossless amongothersBattery life60 hours playingMP3s; 33 hoursplaying hi-resaudioPrice $1,200

RETURN OFTHE SONYWALKMANPortable music players are everywhere you turn: smartphones, tablets, iPods, and laptops. But to thetrue audiophile, its all junk. Thatsbecause most play compressedsound filesgreat for jam-packingyour hard drive with music, badfor sound quality. The new SonyWalkman ZX2 aims to fix that.This portable hi-fi music playeris a far cry from the originalWalkman that launched a millionmixtapes when it debuted in 1979.The ZX2 plays just about every filetype on the planet, and when itspaired with a headphone amplifier,there arent many products that canmatch it for quality and toneevenNeil Youngs Ponos Player.If youve already committedyour iTunes money to a monsterdigital collection, dont start hittingthe delete key. Sonys DSEE HXtechnology upgrades those compressed files so that they soundlike studio-quality high resolution.That means you can crank up thevolume as loud as you want andnever worry about distortion.MICHA E L NU E Z

P H OTO G RA PH BY

Sam Kaplan

WorldMags.net

P OP U L A R S C IE NC E

/ 11

N O W M AY 2 0 1 5

WorldMags.net1

ObsessedSome things are just betterLIN DSEY K R ATO CHW ILL

Writer Henry Hemming brings to life thegenius of GeoreyPyke, an inventor andwar reporter (amongother things), whoonce convinced Winston Churchill to buildan aircraft carrier outof ice. Thats just oneodd turn in the adventurous tale. $27

2 OSPREYATMOS AGOspreys new packshoulders some of abackpackers burdenwith its new 3-Dsuspension: a layerof seamless mesh, ahip belt, a tensionedperipheral frame,and a load-balancingharness. The t willtempt you to pack afew extra luxuries.From $230

3 WIHA BI-CUTSUPER CUTThe power buttonon Wihas wire andchain cutter doublesthe tools leverage bychanging its pivotpoint. Its great forwhen you need tomake an extra toughcut. From $40

4 SUNZAPPDeveloped by communications rm KleinBuendel in partnership with NOAA andthe University of NewMexico, the sunZappsmartphone app usesUV light forecasts totell you when to applysunscreen. The catch:Advice only works ifyou follow it. Free

5 GROWThis collectors editiongame imitates life.Players build a 3-D

12 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

board into a tree andin the process guideits growth. To win,players fend o beetleattacks and cultivatethe healthiest owersof their color. $125

3

6 INTELCOMPUTE STICKA TV can become afull-edged PC withIntels Compute Stick.The dongle-size devicecomes loaded withWindows, 2 GB ofRAM, 32 GB of storage,and even a USB port.Go on, build yourPowerPoint on the bigscreen. $150

4

5

7 HUSHEarplugs are great forblocking out a snoringroommate or a nightowl neighbor. Butthey mue importantnoises too. Hush earplugs use Bluetooth tosend alerts when youralarm goes o or anemergency call comesthrough. $150

6

TKEEP I !YFROST

8

8 YETI RAMBLERCOLSTERHot summers callfor cold beveragesand that requiressomething more thana plain old foam cozy.Yeti gave the Colsterdouble-wall insulationto vacuum-seal coolair in and a gasket tohold your cold one inplace. $30

9 QARDIOBASEWeighing yourself isnot often a pleasantaair. Qardio lightensthe mood with its newsmart scale. Amongother capabilities, itpresents your resultsin emoticons andwith haptic feedback,instead of harsh, unfeeling numbers. $149

7

9

10TOMORROWLANDInspired by Walt Disneysvision of futurism, thistime-travel adventurefollows a science-obsessedteen who stumbles intoa world of technologicalpossibility. Shes met thereby a former boy genius,played by George Clooney,naturally. May 22

WorldMags.net

C LOC KW I S E F R OM TO P L EFT : C O URT ESY P E R S EU S BO O K S ; C O URT ESY O SP RE Y ; COURT ESY CRI CKE T GA MES ; COURT ESY QA RDI O; COURT ESY WA LT DI S N E YP I C T U R ES ; C OU RT ESY H US H; C OU RT ESY Y ET I ; C O URT ESY I N T E L; C O URT ESY KL E I N B UE N DE L ; COURT ESY W I HA

1 THE INGENIOUSMR. PYKE

WorldMags.net

MATTER YOUR RIDE.GET A FREE INSURANCE QUOTE TODAY.

GEICO.COM1-800-947-AUTOLOCAL OFFICE

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Motorcycle coverage is underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Boat and PWC coverages are written through Seaworthy Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathawayafliate, and through other non-afliated insurance companies, and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Geckoimage 1999-2015. 2015 GEICO

WorldMags.net

N O W M AY 20 1 5

WorldMags.net

Speed Lab

A 1,250 Horsepower MonsterWhen it comes to maneuveringa 200-mile-per-hour racecar, autoengineers tend to hew to a long-heldbelief: Rear-wheel drive is betterthan front-wheel drive for handlingand weight distribution. Nissans

new GT-R LM Nismo may turn thatnotion on its head. Its the onlyfront-wheel-drive racer in the eliteLM P1 prototype class at the 24Hours of Le Mans World EnduranceChampionship, which starts June13, in Le Mans, France.Nissan engineers placed the

The GT-R LMNismos gener ates about 500horsepowerwith its combustion engine.The ERS adds600700 more.

GT-Rs twin-turbo V6 engine upfront to shift the weight there. Its acounterintuitive approach: Engineerstypically distribute weight evenly forbalanced handling. But behind theGT-Rs engine sits a kinetic energy recovery system (ERS), which capturesenergy during braking and stores itfor later use. Most teams in the LMP1 class employ ERS for added horsepower and acceleration, but Nissansteam found a clever way to exploit it.Moving the engine forwardmakes the front brakes work harder.That creates more kinetic energyto harvest and could boost the carschances of winning. But the biggestpayo could come otrack, whenNissan applies the same technologyto increase acceleration and fueleconomy in its production vehicles.M AT T H E W D E PAU L A

1

2

3

4

At the CyberAutoChallenge in February, a 14-yearold hacked a carusing $15 worthof Radio Shackcomputer parts.The stunt, put onby auto parts makerDelphi, shows howvulnerable carswith cloud-basednavigation andinfotainmentsystems havebecome.

The UnitedKingdom will seethe first driverlesscars on publicstreets this year,when OxfordUniversity beginstesting a modifiedNissan Leaf. Themove puts the U.K.ahead of the U.S.,where public testing is bogged downin bureaucraticred tape.

The IntelligentDamage DetectionSystem beingdeveloped byGerman partssupplier Hella usessmall piezoelectricsensors placedbehind autobody panels. Thesensors generatean electric chargeunder pressure,indicating whenthe vehicles shelltakes damage.

Auto parts supplier Continentalis building anaugmented realityapp to guide mechanics throughproblems. The tablet app connectswirelessly to a carand walks a userthrough diagnosisand repair. Continental expects thetool to be availablein late 2016.

28014 /

Number of miles (roughly) that the 2017 Audi R8 e -Tronelectric spor ts car can run on fully charged batteries, more thandouble the range of the prev io us R8 e -Tron

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

DES I G N O F T H E M O N T H

Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6This two-seat concept car heraldsbig change for Bentley, especiallyafter two years of incrementalimprovements. Its a reinterpretationof Bentleys traditional stylingforexample, the grille is set lower andsquared offand modernizes thecockpit with a high-resolution touchscreen. It also uses new manufacturing techniques, such as 3-D metalprinting, for the front grille mesh,tailpipes, and door handles.

FR O M TOP : C O URT ESY N I S S AN ; C OU RT ESY B EN T L EY

CAR NEWS YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT

They satisfyyour right footWorldMags.netand your left brain.

#1 selling diesel car brand in America.*Why has Volkswagen sold more diesel cars in the U.S. than every other brand combined? Because whenyour mind says efciency** and your foot says power, only Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel technologygives you the option of both. Fuel efcient. Not fun-decient. The Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel family.With the Touareg that gets up to 765 highway miles per tank and ve other turbocharged models thatget 40 highway mpg or more, theres one for everyone. Isnt it time for German engineering?

vw.com

*Based on IHS Automotive, Polk U.S. new total registrations for CY1987-April 2014 for VW competitive body styles (Sedan, Coupe, Hatchback, Convertible, Station Wagon, SUV). Excludes Vans and Light Trucks. **See www.fueleconomy.gov for EPAestimates. Your mileage will vary and depends on several factors, including your driving habits and vehicle condition. 765-mile range based on 29 highway mpg EPA estimates for a 2015 Touareg 3.0L TDI, 8-speed automatic transmission anda 26.4-gallon fuel tank. 31 city/46 highway mpg (2015 Jetta 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel, 6-speed manual transmission). 30 city/45 highway mpg (2015 Golf 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel, 6-speed manual transmission). 31 city/41 highway mpg (2015Beetle 2.0L TDI 6-speed manual transmission). 30 city/40 highway mpg (2015 Beetle Convertible 2.0L TDI 6-speed manual transmission). 30 city/44 highway mpg (2015 Passat 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel, 6-speed manual transmission). EPAestimates. Your mileage will vary and depends on several factors, including your driving habits and vehicle condition. 2015 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

WorldMags.net

Timeline

WorldMags.net

YOU OWEYOURDAILYROUTINETO THEWORLDSFAIR8 A.M.

Tuck into a carbheavy breakfastof ShreddedWheat, created byinventor HenryPerky, or, if theresa chill in the air,Cream of Wheat,invented by millerTom Amidon.These cereal-aislestaples bothdebuted at theWorld's ColumbianExposition in 1893in Chicago.

16 /

9 A.M.

Tune in to TheToday Show, courtesy of RCA. Thedefunct companypioneered the rsttelevision broadcast at the 1939New York WorldsFair, streaminglive footage ofFranklin DelanoRoosevelt on itsearly TVs, calledTRK-12s (fortheir 12-inch tubescreens).

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

11 A.M.

Plug in yourlaptop at the localStarbucks andthink of inventorHarvey Hubbell.He debuted thedetachable plugat the 1904 Louisiana PurchaseExposition in St.Louis. Before that,you hard-wireddevices to livepost terminalstime-consumingand dangerous.

2 P.M.

Skype with mom.If she complainsabout your newfangled technology,remind her thatBell Labs demoedthe Picturephoneat the 1964 NewYork WorldsFair. Huge linesformed to use itstiny screen andpush-button phoneto see and talk tovisitors at Disneyland in California.

4 P.M.

Kill some timeplaying CandyCrush Saga onyour smartphone,courtesy ofFormer Oak RidgeNational Laboratory scientist SamHurst. He wowedthe 1982 WorldsFair in Knoxville,Tennessee, witha curved-glasstouchscreen technology he latercalled Accutouch.

WorldMags.net

Begun in 1851, the Worlds Faironce served as an open showroomfor technical oddities, scientificbreakthroughs, and cultural mashups. Although it still draws millionsof visitors every five years, upstartslike the Consumer Electronics Showand Apples special media eventshave long since eclipsed its role inbreaking tech news. Today, the fairfocuses on global challenges: Thisyears Expo 2015, which startsMay 1, in Milan, Italy, will exploreworld hunger. Yet, its the WorldsFairs past that define our lives now;they exposed people to technologiesthat at the time seemed bizarre andfuturisticbut today seem quitefamiliar. A M A N D A G R E E N

7 P.M.

Find a date onOkCupid. Computer hook-ups goback to the 1964New York WorldsFair. Parker Pensconnected 1.2million fairgoersto pen pals aroundthe globe with acomputer thatmatched ages andinterests. It hadhoped to spur lifelong friendships(and pen buying).

10 P.M.

Head to an IMAXtheater withyour date to seeTomorrowland.The format rstcaptivated moviegoers at Expo 70in Osaka, Japan,with the 17-minuteIMAX-ready TigerChild. Dont forgetthe popcorn, rstpopularized at the1901 Pan-AmericanExposition inBualo, New York.

E LEM EN TA L I M AGI N G /G ET T Y I M AGES

N O W M AY 2 0 1 5

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

N O W M AY 20 1 5The Platform

WorldMags.net

HOW PEBBLES CEO PLANS TOWIN THE SMARTWATCH WARSEDITED AN D CO N D EN SED BY L I ND S E Y KRATOC H W I L L

Long before Apple dove into the smartwatch business thisspring, a little company called Pebble made a big splashand seta $10-million Kickstarter recordby debuting an intelligent timepiece that provides emails, texts, and music controls. Pebble Time,its newest iteration, ships this month and builds on the originalwith a color e-paper display and a built-in mic. But after Applesgorilla-size entry into the market, can Pebble stand its ground?Eric Migicovsky, the companys founder and CEO, gives us his viewand advice for his new competitors.

Popular Science: First things first.Why did you make crowdfunding andopen source part of your strategy?Eric Migicovsky: We were a smallcompanyonly five people. Whenwe launched, on Kickstarter, peopleall over the world pumped our tinyproject up to a scale we had neverimagined. But more important, theyspotted a product area that wascompletely new. No one was talkingabout smartwatches in 2012, exceptfor these people. Our users gave usimmense feedback, helped showwhat was working, what wasnt.That guided us and directly influencedwhat Pebble Time is.PS: You must have some worries aboutcompetition from Apple.EM: We focus on something no oneelse in the world focuses on. If you

49

continued on page 20

Number ofhours it tookPebb le T imeto raise its f irs t$1 m illion onKickstar ter

18 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

PHOTOGRA PHS BY

Cody Pickens

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

ADVERTISEMENT

N O W MAY 2015

WorldMags.netThe Platform / continued from page 18

Give us yourbest shotsfor a chanceto win anawesomephotoadventure

A low-wattage e - pa per display gives Pebble Time a weeklong battery life.

EMUST SETSMOMEONNTEST

PHOTO

C

Transitions adaptive lenses gobeyond vision correction. Theyadapt to changing light conditions toenhance how people see the world,beyond what nature gave them. Showus how you see the world by sendingus images that showcase the powerof light for a chance to win an allexpenses paid Mentor Series Trek andhave your winning image showcasedin Popular Science.Submit your images to

popsci.com/transitionscontest2015from April 15August 15, 2015

POWERED BY

look at the original Apple announcement,it shows a screen with a clock in the center and apps surrounding it. That struckme as another home screen I have tomanage. We've learned that apps are notthe correct paradigm or correct interaction model to use on your wrist.PS: So do you have advice for them?EM: Oh, definitely. We learned peoplelike using a watch as a watch. They wantsomething durable that they dont haveto treat carefully like a smartphone. Thefuture of smartwatches is not siloed appson your wrist. The future of smartwatchesis a blended timeline that lets you seewhats coming up next at a glance. Thatswhat Pebbles Timeline software does.PS: What are some of the trade-offs forsmartwatch wearers?EM: It doesnt replace your phone, firstoff. You cant make calls from our watch.Though, when you think about it, thats notwhat a watch should do. You have a phonefor that. What a watch does is tell time,and thats the way its been for the last100 years. Weve added this extra layerof context alongside time. Because 8 a.m.means something different for differentpeople. And Pebble Time helps you getinformation thats personal to you, thatsimportant to you, throughout your day.PS: What do you think the future holdsfor smartwatches?EM: Were in the early days of smart-

I THINK OURATTITUDEIS A LITTLEDIFFERENT. THISIS LITERALLY ALLWE DO. WE MAKEPEBBLE.watches. But Im excited about thefuture. If you looked at smartphones in2007, would you have predicted thingslike Uber? Spotify? Instagram? Were atthe same point with Pebble, where weredoing these crazy things that people love,but theres so much opportunity.PS: How has wearing a smartwatchaffected your life?EM: Ive been wearing a smartwatch forfive years; it's become incredibly intertwined with how I work. I rarely take outmy phone to check emails. If somethingimportant comes through, I see it. Butmore than anything, it allows me to relaxand know that I have something elsethat's helping me get stuff done.PS: Which watch did you wear before youinvented Pebble?EM: The funny thing is, I didnt actuallywear a watch before starting a smartwatch company.

WorldMags.net

20 /

POPUL AR SC I E NC E

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

N O W M AY 20 1 5Trending

WorldMags.net!ACTION !ACAMERLIKES!

1

3GOPRO HERO4BLACK

2

2

SONY 4K ACTIONCAMERA X1000V

1POLAROID CUBEPrice $100Max videoresolution1920x1080 at 30fpsMax photoresolution6 megapixelsMax storage32GB MicroSDBattery life90 minutesBest forTweensummer-campfilmmakers wholike one-buttonrecording

Price $500Max videoresolution1920x1080 at 60fpsMax photoresolution8.8 megapixelsStorage capacity16GB MemoryStick Micro(Mark 2)Battery life60 minutesBest forLifelogging momsand dads whodont mind fewermounts but stillwant great video

Price $500Max videoresolution3840x2160 at 30fpsMax photoresolution12 megapixelsMax storage64GB MicroSDBattery life60 minutesBest forAdrenaline fiendswho need the mostdurableand mostexpansivemountcollection

TINY, RUGGED CAMERASFOR EVERY PURPOSEFirst intended for BASE jumpers,mountain bikers, and skateboardersseeking YouTube glory in crisp HDvideo, action cameras have grownway beyond their original purpose.Compact and lightweight, theyhave become an unexpectedfavorite among daily commuters,casual hikers, and even parentsfeeding their kids, all looking tocapture modestbut, to them,memorablemoments.As the usage range has broadened, so have the cameras functions.

22 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

Sony recently upped its gamewith a 4K cam. Polaroid put newdurable mounts on its mostinexpensive model. And GoPro,the category leader with about 13.7million cameras sold in six years,installed a faster processor andincreased shooting speed from 15frames per second to 30. Whetheryoure a daredevil looking for hi-resglory and crash-proof durabilityor a lifelogger demonstrating winetasting skills, theres an actioncamera for you. MICHAEL NUEZ

WorldMags.net

3

PHOTOGRA PH BY

Will Styer

WorldMags.net

How can I keepmy phone, networkand number forhalf the cost?

Connect the dotsto nd out.1

2

The Bring Your Own Phone Plan.Keep the phone you love and cut your bill in half. No contracts.No mystery fees. Learn more at StraightTalkBYOP.com.

Half the Cost is based on a service comparison of the two largest contract carriers monthly online published prices for comparable individual contract plans and the Straight Talk Wireless 30-Day $45 Unlimited talk, text and rst 3 GBof high-speed data service plan, excluding the cost of the phone, additional fees and limited time promotions. Source: Contract carriers websites, January 2015. Straight Talk reserves the right to terminate your service for unauthorizedor abnormal usage. Please refer always to the latest Terms and Conditions of Service at StraightTalk.com.

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

Teeth ba rely longer than thed i a meter o f a hu m a n h a i r a l l owlimpets to scrape food from ro cks.

WorldMags.netJen Schwartz & Breanna Draxler

FR O M TOP : J ER RY M O N KM AN (M YN )/ N AT U R E P I C T U R E LI B R A RY/ C O R B IS ; A . BA RB E R, UN I V E RS I T Y OF PORTS MOUT H/ N .PUGN O, UN I V E RS I T Y OF T RE N TO

E D I TE D BY

Next

Spider silk had a good run asnatures strongest material. Butrecently, limpet teethmade ofmineral nanofiberswere found to beup to five times stronger. Asa Barber,an engineering professor at theUniversity of Portsmouth in England,measured the stretching force neededto break the aquatic snails teeth andsays theyre comparable to manmade carbon fiber, only more flexible.We can take these features we seein nature into the lab, he says, tohelp drive better designs for planesand cars. JUN N IE K WO N

WorldMags.net

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 25

N E X T M AY 2 0 1 5

WorldMags.netJess PelezGeeking Out

On blueprinting Earths ecosystems

When humans extract resources liketrees and coal, repairing the damageis often limited to Lets throw somedirt in a hole. Thats partly whatinspired me to start the nonprofitBlueprint Earth. We want to lay thegroundwork for a much higher standard. Even though we understand thateverything in nature is interconnected,science has become so specializedthat no one really knows how to put acomplete environment back together.The goal is to combine the work beingdone in individual disciplinesfromthe granular to the macro level.In our first project, were workingwith scientists, engineers, andstudents to catalog one squarekilometer of the Mojave Desert. Werecreating a blueprint of the geology,biology, hydrology, and atmosphereto understand how they all interact.Once weve mapped the data, welltest our blueprint by re-creating thatsection of desertthe spring, thetoads, the fungiin a giant warehouse nearby. The know-how exists;scientists are already simulatinggeologic features, like landslides andlava flows, in labs. Were never goingto be quite as good as Earth itself,but lets figure out how close isclose enough.The initial purpose is to makesomething functional. Take a placedamaged by deforestation, like Haiti.We could blueprint an analogous areaof the Dominican Republic, which ishealthy, and try to replicate it in Haitito help the environment heal in a waythat isnt possible now.Further down the road, we hopeour data will be useful for spaceexploration and help programs likeNASA and SpaceX do optimizedterra-engineering. Something thisbig-picture can seem terrifying, butwhen its framed as a collaborationover many lifetimes, its not.

Restoring environments afterhuman intrusion or natural disastersis complicated: Theres still muchwe dont know about the interplayof microbes and mammals, aquifersand air pollution. But geologist JessPelez thinks the solution is assimple (and as complex) as cataloging our ecosystems, one at a time.

We want to handoff this projectto the nextgenerationlikea seed bank forenvironments.

AS TO LD TO K AT H ER IN E KO R N EI

18,000,000Estimated number of acres worldwide lost annually to deforestation

26 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

PHOTOGRA PH BY

Charlie Langella

CreateYour Own OutdoorWorldMags.netRoom...In Just Seconds!

LOWry

Opens at the Touchof a Button!

Motorized & Manual Awnings Available! Facto

Introducing The RevolutionarySunSetter Retractable Awning!

Direct!Prices

If youre tired of having your outdoor enjoyment rained on...baked out...orjust plain ruined by unpredictable weather...At last there is a solution! One that lets you take control of the weather onyour deck or patio, while saving on energy bills! Its the incredible SunSetterRetractable Awning! A simple...easy-to-use...& affordable way to outsmart theweather and start enjoying your deck or patio more...rain or shine!The SunSetter is like adding a whole extra outdoor room to your home...giving you instant protection from glaring sun...or light showers! Plus itsincredibly easy to use...opening & closing effortlessly in less than 60 seconds!So, stop struggling with the weather...& start enjoying your deck or patio more!

FREKEit!

Protects you from 99% of UV rays

You choose full sun or totalprotection in just seconds!

Info& DVD

Ext.30436

Name_________________________________________________________________________Address_______________________________________________________________________City______________________________________ State_______ Zip _____________________Email ________________________________________________________________________(Important: Be sure to give us your email address to receive our best deals!)

$200 Savings Certificate Included!

184 Charles Street, Dept. 30436, Malden, MA 02148Visit us today at www.sunsetter.comWorldMags.net

2015 SunSetter Products

28 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

With the debut of passenger elevatorssome 150 years ago, cities were foreverchanged. Freed from the tyranny of stairwells, architects built as high as they liked.That is, until they ran into another barrier:the weight of steel cables. A new elevatordesign from German company ThyssenKrupp may solve that problem by tradingcables for tracks that employ magneticlevitation, or maglev. Unconstrained by alinear pulley system, the carsto be testedin Germany next yearwill travel higherand in new directions, moving horizontallyand even diagonally. The system, calledMulti, may help make possible buildings ofunprecedented size and energy eciency,like this conceptual Edison Tower.Patrick Bass, CEO of ThyssenKrupp NorthAmerica, says supertall, power-producingskyscrapers could help accommodatebooming urbanization. L O R E N G R U S H

An ElevatorThat WillReshapeSkylines

Concepts & Prototypes

N E X T M AY 2 0 15

LOFTY DESIGNThe Edison Tower,dreamed up byGerman developerFrank Jendrusch,will reach nearly4,300 feetaboutfour-fths of amile. The idea isto create an allin-one space withresidences, oces,shopping, and recreation. Jendruschaims to build thetower by 2030.

1

TOPPING OUTAfter about 2,000feet, the cables ina standard elevator cant supportboth the car andtheir own weight,so passengersmust switch to anew one. Multiwill run 4,200feet, direct fromground oor toobservation deck.

2

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

I L LU STR ATI ON S BY

Graham Murdoch

WorldMags.net

SPRAWLINGFOOTPRINTThe building willcover nearly onesquare mile.

8

OUTDOORS INAll that additionalspace will allowfor creativeinterior designs,like parks.

5

POSITIVEENERGYWith its uniquestar shape, thecore of the EdisonTower will actsimilarly to a solarupdraft tower,using the owof hot air to turninternal turbines.Along withphotovoltaics, itllproduce power forthe building.

6

1 WorldTradeCenter,New YorkCity,1,776 ft.

BurjKhalifa,Dubai,2,722 ft.

RANGE OFMOTIONMulti is far morenimble than apulley system. Tochange orientation, the sectionof rail carryingthe elevator carwill rotate, shifting the directionof the movingmagnetic eld.

4

MAGNETIC PULLMaglev will enableMulti to oat toits destination.Magnets in thecar will repelopposing magnetsalong the track,causing the car tohover. A separateset of coils alongthe track will pushand pull the carin its intendeddirection.

3

ROOM TO GROWUp to 20 percentof any highrise building isconsumed byelevator space.ThyssenKruppestimates thatMulti could reducethe elevatorfootprint in futurebuildings by up to50 percent.

7

WorldMags.net

By the Numbers

WorldMags.net

POUNDS OF HOPS USED BY U.S.CRAFT BREWERS ANNUALLY

CRAFT BEER ISANNIHILATINGTHE HOPSUPPLY

31 MILLION (PROJECTED) IN 201530

27 MILLION IN 201425

Even the diviest bars tap list willtell you: The craft beer boom is uponus. In 2014, the U.S. was home to3,200 craft breweries; this year, anew one will open every 16 hours.The trend is a boon for adventurousdrinkers, but its stretching the hopsupply dangerously thin.The demand is unprecedented,says Steve Miller, hop specialist atCornell University. Hop consumptionhas nearly quadrupled in the pastdecade, thanks in part to the popularity of super-hoppy India Pale Ales,which now account for more than afifth of the craft beer market.Washingtons Yakima Valley, a hotspotfor domestic hop producers, cantkeep up, so single-acre hop operationsare popping up on other types of farmsacross the country. Growers in New York,Minnesota, and Colorado provide localbrewers with hops that reflect a distinctive regional terroir. In return, manybrewers agree to share up-front costs,guaranteeing a market for the harvest.The locavore movement has gonebeyond the salad bowl to the pintglass, says Tom Britz, founder ofGlacier Hop Ranch, which supplies 18Montana breweries. This new, morediverse model may buoy the rapid riseof craft breweries. And a sustainablesupply of pumpkin peach ale is something we can all drink to. M AT T G I L E S

13230 /

20

Craft brewingis sucking upevery poundof hops in theU.S. Growerscant expandfast enough.Doug MacKinnon, former directorof the Hop Growers of America

10

6 MILLION IN 20075

Number of hopvarieties used byU.S. brewers, upfrom 88 in 2009

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

15

0

WorldMags.net

PHOTOGRA PH BY

Brian Klutch

S O UR C E: B R E WE R S AS S OC IAT IO N

N E X T M AY 2 0 1 5

PROMOTION

WorldMags.net

Why should you signup for our newsletter?Our perspective on science is unique.#32 Like you.

REASON

Sign up for the Popular Science editorial newsletterand each week youll get the latest and greatest intech reviews, science news, video, photography, andspecial offers.

GET THELATESTCONTENTFROM OURDIGITALEDITIONS

THE FUTURE NOWPopSci.coms news-reader app deliversall the content from PopSci.com in aneasy-to-read format on the go.

Get up-to-the-minutenews on cutting edgescientic research,gadgets and green tech.Save the stories to read,even when youre notconnected, and lter themby your favorite topic.

STAY CONNECTED TO THE POPULAR SCIENCE COMMUNITY

Sign up today:POPSCI.COM/NEWSLETTER

WorldMags.net

N E X T M AY 20 1 5

WorldMags.net

Subjective Measures

IS IT TIME FOR US TO PHONE E.T.?In our search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI),we humans have mostly just waited, and listened, foraliens to contact us. But in February, policymakers,philosophers, futurists, and astronomers convened todebate a new approach: contacting aliens directly.Initiating active SETI is no small decision. Sure, wevetacked messages onto the occasional space probe,but transmitting detectable signals to habitable zoneshundreds of light-years away requires commitment.Operating the Arecibo telescopes radar for a year wouldrun up a bill of some $2 million; future, more powerfulbroadcasters will suck up even more energy. Plus, wemay signal for thousands of years before we reachanyone, and it could take just as long to get a response.Some astronomers fear announcing our existencemay attract the attention of civilizations bent ondestroying Earth or mining its minerals. Its a pointStephen Hawking has argued before: Advanced alienswould perhaps become nomads, looking to conquerand colonize whatever planets they can reach. JohnGertz, former chairman of the board at the SETI

Institute, suggests banning contactaltogether. Youre going to risk theentire fate of the planet just to get aconversation going? he asks.The fact is, TV and radio transmissions have long been leakinginto space, weakly pointing to life onEarth. We dont know whether life iseven out there, let alone whether itwields laser blasters. Adam Korbitz,an attorney specializing in SETI,argues there could be more dangerin remaining a wallflower: Ourlong-term survival may depend onjoining the galactic club. Advancedcivilizations might have engineered away out of climate change or crackedthe code on quantum physics.If we hold off, we may miss anopportunity to understand the mysteries of the universeor at leastlearn that were not alone. Its time wemake the first move. SARAH SCOLES

HOW WECOULDTALK TOALIENSTODAY

1 Blast alaser thatwill outshinethe sun for ananosecondso it cant bemissed.

2

Broadcast thewhole Internet, which isredundantenough tobe selfdecoding.

3 Pinghabitableplanets withpowerfuland targeted(but contentfree) radiobeacons.

4 Composemessages ofelectromagnetic wavesthat areintelligent,if unintelligible.

32 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

PHOTOGRA PH BY

Brian Klutch

DANIEL STEIGERSTEIGERDANIEL

WorldMags.net

DA

LIST PRICE$795.00

75% OFFNOW ONLY

$199+S&P

YOU SAVE

$596

PHANTASTIC VALUE PHENOMENAL QUALITYIPhantom Watch: $199 - Oxford Ring: $129 - Set Price: $289 (Save An Extra $39)+ S&P

T

he Daniel Steiger Phantom Two-Tone. Engineered from premium grade 316L steel with a 18k yellow gold fused two-tone nish, thewords designer styling really could have been invented for this timepiece. A Precision Chronograph Movement featuring 24 Hour,Stop Watch, Seconds and Minutes Sub-Dials and date window are displayed on the multi-levelled face. To accompany this magnicentwatch we felt only the best, solid 925 sterling silver was suitable for our OxfordRing Size Chartring. Plated with two-tone 18k yellow gold and rhodium in both polished andmatt nishes, this ring is guaranteed to impress. At the center of each ring isone of our awless 3 carat brilliant created Diamonds. Now available direct fromthe manufacturer at the astonishingly low price of $199 - a saving of $596 onthe retail price of $795. So how can we make an offer like this? The answer isbeautifully simple. We have no middleman to pay, no retail overheads to payand not the usual mark-up to make, which on luxury items can be enormous.

CALL OUR CREDIT CARD HOTLINE NOW, TOLL FREE 24/7 ON 1-877 550 9876And Quote Promo Code:

PS154PTT

5 YEAR MOVEMENT WARRANTY

OR order online at www.timepiecesusa.com/ps154 And Enter Promo Code PS154PTT

WorldMags.net

T imepieces Inter national Inc, 3580 NW 56th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33309

M AY 2 0 1 5

WorldMags.net

T HE 2 0 1 5

InventionAwards

It took a whole team tobuild a 3-D portrait ofBre Pettis. Artist SophieKahn scanned his head.Then, MakerBot designers Nathan Worth, LaneFeuer, and Anne Minercleaned up the scansand digitally modeled amechanical brain. Finally,they printed the parts ona MakerBot ReplicatorZ18, painted them, andassembled Pettissplastic double. Why?Because they could.

34 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.netHow to Be a(Brilliant) InventorWITH BRE PETTIS

As the co-founder ofMakerBot Industries, BrePettis launched the rstaordable 3-D printer,bringing the power ofrapid prototyping andmicro-manufacture intohomes and workshopsaround the globe. Whilethe rest of us catch up,Pettis has already movedon. At Bold Machines, theskunkworks he founded,he helps other inventorsbring ideas to life. Pettisexplains why inventionhas never been easier.How did you come upwith MakerBot?We wanted a 3-D printer,but we couldnt get ourhands on one. So we justhad to try and try againuntil we made one thatworked. The core of innovation is trial and error.Fail as many times as ittakes, and be strategicabout what you learn.What makes an inventiongroundbreaking?So many inventions aresolutions for problemsthat dont exist. Actualinnovation is really hard,because you have to project yourself into a futurethat hasnt been inventedyet. And often, when youthink of something thatchanges the paradigm oris disruptive, there areall sorts of reasons youshouldnt do it. You haveto stick your ngers inyour ears and pretendthose reasons dont exist.How do you knowwhether youll succeed?Maybe you dont! Thatswhy it is, in general, a horrible idea to be an inventor. You have to be willingto risk years of your life.Do you recommendworking with others?There are a few dierent

WorldMags.netPHOTOGRA PHS BY

Kareem Black

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

variations of inventor. Areyou an entrepreneur? Anengineer? A researcher?A visionary? I think youneed all those things onyour team to actually getan invention invented andout in the world. Or youcan be a couple of peoplewearing multiple hats.What kind of inventorare you?Im a little bit of a weirdo.My primary mission isto empower people to becreative. I wish I could sayI was a brilliant technicalmind, but my real superpower is being a visionaryand gathering togetherexceptionally talentedpeople who get wonderfulthings done.It sounds dicult to create something truly new,at least for those of uswithout superpowers.It has never been a bettertime to invent things. Itused to be you had to be atycoon with a factory anda big R&D department.Now, basically anybodycan buy a Raspberry Pi ora microcontroller and abunch of sensors and beon their way. Then, whenyou have to add code,you can probably modifysomebody elses: The software is accessible. Andthe Internetthere are somany things that peoplehave shared that you cantake inspiration from andmodify and mess with.We live in a much moreconnected, fantastic,collaborative world today.If you could give aspiringinventors one task, whatwould it be?Begin.And one thing to avoid?Dont stop.ED IT ED & CO N D EN S ED BYS O P H IE B US H WICK

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 35

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

WorldMags.net

AV I A T I O N

A PlaneThat FoldsInto a Car1

The adjustablewing can optimizeits angle of attackfor taking off orcruising. Thisallows forreduced speedand distanceduring takeoff.

2

36 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

Inventors:tefan Klein andJuraj VaculkCompany:AeroMobilInvention:AeroMobilDevelopmentcost to date:UndisclosedMaturity:

3The prototypes100-horsepowerfour-cylinderRotax 912 engineruns on conventional gasoline, sodrivers can fuelup at existing gasstations. (Production models mayhave a differentengine.)

feet o the ground and landed backat the same aireld. Since then,AeroMobil has completed morethan 40 test ights. The companyis now pursuing an airworthinesscertication with the SlovakFederation of Ultra-Light Flyingto permit expanded ight testingthroughout the European Union.Meanwhile, further structural andaerodynamic tests will help nalizethe vehicles design.

WorldMags.net

4A robust suspension willenhance on-roadperformance andenable takeoffand landing onrelatively roughterrain.

Because the U.S. has stringentvehicle-safety regulations, thecurrent prototype is intended forcountries with more exible roadrules. The AeroMobil team hopesit will be classied as a light-sportaircraft, which requires a pilotslicense. Future models may inspiretheir own class. At the beginning,well need certication for both airplane and car, Klein says. But thistruly is a new category. ER IC ADAM S

C O URT ESY A E R O M O BI L (2 )

After Czechoslovakias communist regime fell, in 1989, designertefan Klein began working on aconcept for a ying car. Inspired byhis newfound freedom, he aimedto translate that personal libertyto the skies. In 2010, he shared hiswork with his friend Juraj Vaculk,an entrepreneur. They joined forcesto found AeroMobil and developa viable commercial product. Wewanted to create a car and airplanewithout compromises, Vaculksays, to provide individuals with anew, interesting option for door-todoor personal transportation.Others have attempted andfailed to build ying cars. ButAeroMobil isnt a car that can y;its an airplane that can drive. Itslight weight, collapsible wings, andecient design make it precisiontuned for ight. On the ground, itprovides roadster-like handling.Last October, Klein drove thefourth prototype, AeroMobil 3.0, toa grassy aireld in Nitra, Slovakia,unfolded its wings, and took o onthe vehicles maiden ight. It soaredin a 12-mile circle more than 800

Light materials,including acarbon-compositebody over a steelairframe andsix-pound carbonwheels, keepweight low.

WorldMags.net

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

MEDICINE

Needle-FreeVaccination5

Avionics fromGarmin willinclude a two-axisautopilot tocontrol pitchand roll. In caseof emergency,the vehicle willhave a ballisticparachute safetysystem.Inventor:Katarzyna KasiaSawickaCompany:ImmunoMatrix LLCInvention:ImmunoMatrixDevelopmentcost to date:$100,000200,000Maturity

Special packaginglets the patches gowithout refrigeration for 10 weeks,far longer thanvaccine solution.

Vaccines save lives, but most ofthem are delivered by needle. Thatsa problem for people withoutaccess to refrigerated solution,clean syringes, and safe ways to dispose of medical waste. Biomedicalengineer Kasia Sawicka invented apainless alternative: a patch, calledImmunoMatrix, that can vaccinatepatients without breaking the skin.This technology can aect howvaccines are delivered, especiallyduring pandemics, Sawicka says.The skin doesnt absorb largemolecules easily, which meantSawick had to nd another way toget vaccines across that barrier. Asan undergraduate at Stony BrookUniversity, she worked in a labthat stocked an extremely waterabsorbent material called polyvinylpyrrolidone. She found thatthis polymer (used in hairsprayduring the era of beehive hairdos)could pull water out of the skin.When moisture returned, theouter layer of the skin swelled,allowing larger-than-usual molecules to enter.Over several years, Sawicka perfected a process that involves combining the polymer with vaccinesolution, forming it into nanoberswith large surface areas, and weaving those bers into dense mats. Intests on rats and synthetic humanskin, the patches delivered vaccine molecules 250 timeslarger than those the skintypically absorbs. Noprick necessary.

P HOTO GR AP H BY JI L L S HO M E R

ALEXANDRA OSSOLA

BRESADV I C E

TI P#1

Be an ea rly adopte r. Tr ybuying a bitcoin. Set up aRaspberry Pi as an arcademachine. Doing things getsthe juices flowing and getsyou thinking in new ways .

WorldMags.net

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 37

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

WorldMags.net

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

A BraillePrinterBorn FromLEGO

The first version of Braigo, built with parts from a LEGOrobotics kit, used a thumbtack to punch Braille dots intopaper. Banerjee put the design and software for Braigo1.0which costs about $355 to makeonline for free.

Inventor:Shubham BanerjeeCompany:Braigo Labs Inc.Invention:BraigoDevelopmentcost to date:UndisclosedMaturity:

In summer 2014, Banerjee formedBraigo Labs with the help of hisparents. That fall, he released theprototype for Braigo 2.0 at theIntel Developer Forum, and IntelCapital oered him seed fundingfor further R&D. Along with a teamof advisers, Banerjee, now 13, is currently rening the second iterationof his printer, which will consist of

WEARABLES

Personal Pollution MonitorJourneyman electrician KevinR. Hart and nurse Laura Moe arethe type of people who attendEnvironmental Protection Agencyevents for fun. Theyre also the

Inventors:Kevin R. Hart andLaura MoeCompany:TZOA Wearables

A fan directly beneath TZOAs triangularcover sucks in air. As pollutants crossa laser, they scatter light onto a sensorthat counts them. TZOA then glows acolor corresponding to the air safety level.A smartphone app also displays thatdata, along with daily UV light exposureand crowdsourced pollution maps.

38 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

Invention:TZOADevelopmentcost to date:UndisclosedMaturity:

WorldMags.net

fabricated printer parts powered byan Intel Edison chip.Like its predecessor, Braigo 2.0is light and portablebut its farmore advanced. Using both Wi-Fiand Bluetooth, its chip will connectthe printer to a webpage whereusers can type standard text. Braigowill automatically translate thewords into Braille, converting a 160-

type who leave an event, as theydid in 2013, determined to help solvethe planets single largest environmental health risk: air pollution.Most cities rely on just a handful of expensive air monitors todetect hazardous pollution levels.Hart and Moe decided to build awearable device that collects dataeverywhere a person goes.After planning out how thesensor would work, the pair turnedto the resources at MakerLabs, acommunity workspace in theirnative Vancouver, British Columbia, for further development. Weused basically everything in thebuilding, says Hart. A group ofphysicists renting space on the topoor worked with them to buildan accurate air pollution monitor

FR O M TOP : P HOTO G R A PH BY NE I L BA N ER J E E; C O U RT ESY T Z OA (2 )

The worlds cheapest Braille printergot its start with a single piece ofmail. Upon seeing a letter solicitingdonations for the blind, ShubhamBanerjee, then 12 years old, askedhis parents how blind peopleread. They suggested he Google it.Banerjees Internet search turnedup Braille printers, all of which costmore than $1,800. So he set out tomake a cheaper alternative usinghis favorite toyLEGOs.Banerjee nished building hisrst prototype, Braigo, in February2014. But the device was limited toprinting on narrow rolls of paper.I still love LEGO, but I had to moveon to something that would bereleased into the market, he says.

WorldMags.net

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

B R E S ADV I C E

TIP#2

Seek out matureindustries ones thathavent been automated or touched bythe Internet. Disruptthem by making thingsnetworked, better, andmore affordable.

Nimble Sensecould let VR usersgrab and throw adigital object oreven pluck thestrings of avirtual guitar.

page document in 35 seconds.Once printers are ready,they will be sent to variousinstitutes for the blind fortesting and feedback. The nalmodel, planned for release inlate 2015, will sell for less than$500, making it the rstandonlylow-cost Braille printer.

GAMING

Hands-On Virtual Reality

C O URT ESY N I M BLE V R (2 )

ALLIE W ILK IN S O N

smaller than anything on themarket. Industrial designerAfshin Mehin helped makethe device beautiful. The sizeof an Oreo cookie, the sensormeasures particulate matter, akey air pollution component, aswell as ultraviolet light.Hart and Moe plan to sellTZOA, as they named the monitor, for $99, in late 2015. Citizenscientists want the sensors topinpoint polluters, but Hart seesbigger potential for individuals who want to protect theirhealth. Using data from TZOA,parents can keep infants awayfrom pockets of pollution, andathletes can plan workouts forthe least-polluted routes andtimes of day. M A DELIN E BOD I N

Inventors:Robert Wang,Chris Twigg,Kenrick Kin, andShangchen HanCompany:Nimble VRInvention:Nimble SenseDevelopmentcost to date:UndisclosedMaturity:

When peering through a virtualreality headset, players cant seetheir handsor use them to interact with their digital surroundings.To solve VRs interaction problem,software developers Robert Wang,Chris Twigg, Kenrick Kin, andShangchen Han formed a start-up,courted investors, and got to work.The four had spent years working with motion-tracking camerasystems and developing algorithmsthat monitor and analyze skeletalstructure. With their experience, itdidnt take long to craft softwarethat tracks joint angles and knuckleplacement to create realistic virtualhands. But they couldnt nd acamera sensitive enough to pickup such data. We played withthem all, Wang says. There was no

WorldMags.net

depth-sensing camera good enoughfor VR hand tracking. Existingvideogame motion trackers, suchas Microsofts Kinect, are designedto detect large objects, such as abouncing 8-year-old several feetaway, not subtle hand movements.The team set out to design itsown specialized camera, NimbleSense, small enough to t over anOculus headset and with a eld ofview optimized for VR. It monitorsusers hands, and software thendigitally mimics every gesture.Facebook-owned Oculus VR was soconvinced it bought the start-up,Nimble VR, last December. Now,the developers are working to makeNimble Sense even better. There arestill a lot of interesting problems leftto be solved, Wang says. M O MOZ UC HP OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 39

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

WorldMags.net

AU TO M O T I V E

A SelfBalancingVehicle

40 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

S tabi l i tycontrolm o d ul e

Gy ros

B atte r yG i m ba l

1

Inventor:Daniel KimCompany:Lit MotorsInvention:C-1Developmentcost to date:$3.5 millionMaturity:

should go from zero to 60 milesper hour in six seconds or less,reach a top speed of 100 miles perhour, and enjoy a 200-mile range.He hopes the product will hit themarket within two years but admitsthat the challenge is substantial.There is no real academic trackfor learning how to start your owncar company, Kim says, so I had tomake it myself. JAM ES VLAH O S

WorldMags.net

Two gyros locatedbeneath the seatwhirl clockwise at5,000 to 12,000rotations perminute. Like anyrapidly spinningdisc, such as anairborne Frisbee,the rotors naturallystay level.

2Single-axis gimbalassemblies, whichhold the gyros, cantilt forward andbackward. Whentilted forward, thegyro generates apowerful torque

that pushes theC-1 to the left.When backward,the vehicle leansto the right.

3The computerizedstability-controlmodule changesthe tilt of thegimbals to keep theC-1 balanced. Thevehicle remainslevel when drivingstraight or standingstill and leans atan angle whenmaking turns.

4A 10.4 kilowattper-hour batterypack lasts 150 to200 miles on asingle charge.

C O URT ESY L I T M OTOR S

Daniel Kim thinks most commutersdrive around in way too muchcar. For single-passenger trips,motorcycles are much more fuelecienta critical feature in anera of climate changebut they arealso more dangerous, expose ridersto the elements, and require skill tokeep upright. Kims solution? Cutthe car in half.His all-electric C-1 prototype hastwo wheels, like a motorcycle, buta steel, aluminum, and compositeouter body, like a car. It can evendrive backward. If you sit inside theC-1 and sway from side to side,a gyroscopic control system keepsthe vehicle upright. When was thelast time you balanced on a motorcycle at zero miles an hour? Kimasks rhetorically. Never.A two-time college dropout, Kimhatched his idea in 2004, whilerunning a business customizingcars. Thats when he narrowlymissed being crushed under the500-pound chassis of a Land Rover.He emerged with the convictionthat no single person needs such alarge vehicle. Kim went back tocollege and graduated from theRhode Island School of Design.Then, concept in hand, he raised$3.5 million in venture capitalenough to launch Lit Motors in 2010.The allure of a self-stabilizingtwo-wheeler has tempted automotive designers for at least a century.Earlier attempts, however, had fatalawsthe gyros were too large,the mechanical control systemstoo crude. The C-1 instead employscomputer-directed control-momentgyros, the same tools currentlysteering satellites in space.Kim says the nished vehicle

WorldMags.net

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

1The ceramicouter shell has achemical makeupsimilar to thatof coral, whichencouragespolyps to takeroot. Its texturedsurface givessmaller organismsplaces to hidefrom predators.

Inventor:Alex GoadCompany:Reef Design LabInvention:Modular ArtificialReef Structure

2Concrete, reinforced by composite rebar, givesthe reef a durablecore. Thesematerials can lastat least 60 yearsunderwater.

Developmentcost to date:$11,500Maturity:

3The open shapeallows strongcurrents to movethrough the reefwithout knockingit over. The structure also trapseddies, whichcarry the nutrientsthat feed marineorganisms.ENVIRONMENT

An Artificial Reeffor Any Seafloor

P HOTO GR AP H BY AL EX GOA D

During a 2011 trip to Miami, AlexGoad went scuba diving andexplored the articial coral reefso the Atlantic coast. Such reefs,he realized, are large, heavy, andexpensive to fabricate and install.But they serve an important purpose. Natural coral reefs are someof the most biodiverse places onEarth, and theyve begun to disappear, leaving thousands of species

BRESADV I C E

TI P#3

essentially homeless. Building uparticial reefs where real ones havebeen lost is one stopgap solution.So for his nal project as anindustrial-design student atMonash University in Melbourne,Australia, Goad created theModular Articial Reef Structure(MARS). Locking and clampingmechanisms on the arms of eachMARS unit allow them to snap

Embrace the absurd. Eve r y t h i n g we ta ke fo rgranted now was weird when it f i rst cameout. While building your automated pinballmachine cocktail-serving robot, you may justd i s cover s o met h i n g t r uly i n n ovat ive.

WorldMags.net

together easily, like LEGOs. Themodular structure makes MARSmore exible than other articialreefs. A lot of existing productsrequire a at seaoor. But aroundthe world, the ocean is not at,especially where reef systemsoccur, Goad says. With MARS, youcan build over natural features, ashigh and as wide as you want.After graduation, Goad teamedup with his adviser David Lennon,the director of Sustainable OceansInternational, to found Reef DesignLab and make MARS a real homefor marine life. It took between 10and 15 prototypes to nd the idealmaterials, surface texture, size, andweight for the units, which theytested in aquariums and in Australias Port Phillip Bay. Goad andLennon plan to release MARS thisfall for purchase by environmentalorganizations and coastal communities. When local communitiesphysically build the articial reef,they gain a greater appreciation fornatural reef systems, Goad says.LIN D S EY K R ATO CH WILL

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 41

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

WorldMags.net1

After adding a sample,such as blood, the userselects a punch card for agiven reaction and cranksit past gears with teeth.

H E A LT H

MedicalLab ina MusicBoxOne night in 2011, as Manu Prakashturned the handle on a music box,he realized the simple mechanisma crank rotating gearscould also run a programmablechemistry set. Most lab-on-a-chipdevices require computers, technicians, and expensive laboratoriesto pump precise amounts of liquidthrough a microuidic chip. But ahand-cranked mechanism couldeliminate all that; Prakashs ideawouldnt even need power. Whatwere doing here is steampunkchemistry, he says.Prakash, who heads a StanfordUniversity research lab, recruitedgraduate student George Korir tohelp create a sophisticated scientic

2As one tooth slides intoa punched hole, anothersqueezes a fluid channel topump a chemical through aremovable microfluidic chip.

3

Punched holescan also triggerthe release of asingle droplet,for precisevolume control.

4

Inventors:Manu Prakash andGeorge KorirAffiliation:Stanford UniversityInvention:PunchcardProgrammableMicrofluidicsDevelopmentcost to date:$50,000Maturity:

Up to 15 different chemicalsreact with one another asthey travel along channelsetched on the chip.

device that works like a music box.First, the duo had to gure out howpaper punched with patterns ofholeseach keyed to a dierentchemical reactioncould activatetiny mechanical pumps and valvesto generate nanoliter droplets.Twenty-some prototypes later,theyre preparing their apple-sizeinvention, Punchcard Programmable

Microuidics, for mass production.While conventional microuidicpumps can cost $1,500 each, Prakashsays this device, which contains 15pumps, will run $5.Relatively simple to use, theinstrument will enable anyone witha chip and a hole punch to performa complex chemical reaction, suchas diagnosing disease from a blood

A Printer forCircuit BoardsWhile studying mechatronics at theUniversity of Waterloo in Ontario,Alroy Almeida, Jesus Zozaya, andJames Pickard became frustratedby the ineciency of designingOne print head deposits a customformulated, highly conductive silvernanoparticle paste. Another extrudesinsulating ink to form layers of circuitrywithout risking electrical shorts. Solderpaste from a third print head can attachcomponents, such as resistors or microcontrollers, to the board.

42 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

Inventors:Katarina Ilic,Alroy Almeida,Jesus Zozaya, andJames PickardCompany:VolteraInvention:V-OneDevelopmentcost to date:$200,000Maturity:

WorldMags.net

circuit boards. Wed spend a couplehundred dollars to get prototypesmade at a factory and wait a fewweeks, and they would come in andbe wrong, Almeida says. After theyrevamped the design, the agonizingprocess would begin again, sometimes through multiple prototypes.Meanwhile, they watched as 3-Dprinters rapidly prototyped otherkinds of products. An inkjet printerthat deposited circuits would speedup electronics designbut conduc-

FR O M TOP : P HOTO G R A PH BY G EO R GE KOR I R ; C OU RT ESY VO LT E R A

ELECTRONICS

WorldMags.net

M AY 2 0 1 5

Invention Awards

B R E S ADV ICE

TIP#4

Invent things thatmake peoples liveseasier, safer, or morecreative. Explore bigproblems what couldyou invent to get mefrom New York Cityto London in 15 minutes?Exp lore small p robl emswhat would it ta keto manufactu re nanoscale ball bearings?

5

The user examines theresults via embeddedlenses that magnify imageshundreds of times.

P HOTO GR AP H BY BR I A N KLU TC H ;A LL I N V E N TO R I M AG ES C O U RT ESY I N V E N TO R S

sample. Even lightly trainedmedical providers in rural areasand developing countries couldidentify, and thus control, fatalillnesses. I grew up in Kenya andsaw a lot of preventable suering, Korir says, so Im passionate about getting the right toolsto the people who stand betweenlife and death. ELB ER T C H U

tive material was too thick tosqueeze through existing printheads. So when the friends graduated in 2013, they teamed upwith nanoscientist Katarina Ilicto build their own device. Twoyears of R&D later, the team ispreparing to ship the V-One toKickstarter backers.V-Ones swappable printheads lay down conductivecircuits on berglass boards.By using its solder function toattach components, users caneven produce small batches oftheir devices. Almeida hopesthe printer will usher in a newgeneration of engineers. Thiscan help people understandthat electronics dont need to bedicult. S HA N N O N PA LU S

GADGETS

A Frying Pan ThatTeaches You to Cook

Inventors:Humberto Evans,Mike Robbins,Kyle Moss, andYuan WeiCompany:CircuitLab Inc.Invention:PantelligentDevelopmentcost to date:$20,000+Maturity:

Instead of eating at dining halls incollege, Humberto Evans cooked hisown meals. His best friend, MikeRobbins, on the other hand, couldbarely fry an egg. Robbins wouldforego the lure of takeout only whenEvans gave him step-by-step cookinginstructions. The two realizedthat others probably needed someculinary hand-holding as well. Withhelp from two other MIT engineering alumni, Kyle Moss and YuanWei, they created the worlds rstsmart frying pan: Pantelligent.The pan measures its temperature with heat sensors andtransmits the data via Bluetoothtechnology in its handle. A smartphone app uses this information todecide when its time for a recipes

WorldMags.net

next step and then tells the user.To cook amazing food the waychefs do, you have to build intuitionfor how long to cook something atthe right temperature, Evans says.We take all that knowledge andpackage it into our app.Users can choose a preprogrammed recipe, such as chickenadobo or fried eggs, or selectfreestyle mode to get temperaturereadings but not instructions. If aperson likes the meal made in thismode, he or she can record andshare the recipe. With a tool thatde-stresses the kitchen experience,the Pantelligent team hopesmore people will skip unhealthyprocessed meals in favor of homecooked ones. JUN N IE K WO NP OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 43

WorldMags.net

!ELBIDEBy BROOKE BORELIllustration by MARC BURCKHARDT

44 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

INCREDIBLE,INSECTSTART-UPS ARE MARKETING ANUNLIKELY NEW PROTEIN. ITSNUTRIENT-RICH, ALL NATURAL,AND SIX-LEGGED.

WorldMags.net

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 45

WorldMags.net

DURING THE LAST WEEKSof winter, in an airy kitchenat the School of VisualArts in New York City, twodesign students set aboutmaking cocktail bitters.A long wooden table holdsmason jars and gleamingbottles of bourbon, vodka,and neutral grain spirits.The fragrance of ingredients that will macerate overthe next few weeks, untilthey surrender their flavorto the alcohol, hangs in theair. There are white bowlsof toasted coconut and rawcacao, as well as a jar ofcinnamon sticks. Then,there are the crickets.

46 /

PO P U L A R S CIE NCE

Lucy Knops rolls up the sleeves of herloose black shirt and carefully pours eachingredient into a small, clear measuringcup sitting on a digital kitchen scale. Herclassmate Julia Plevin records the weights ina spreadsheet. When she gets to the crickets,Knops leans closer and peers into the cup.Thats so crazy, she says, there are somany legs! I follow her gaze; dozens of wiryamputated appendages cling to the sides likethe staticky trimmings from a haircut. Knopsdumps the whole thing into an empty jar.I am witnessing a test batch of CritterBitters, which the pair first created for aschool project in 2013. The challenge: makea product in response to a report by the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations (FAO) titled Edible Insects: FutureProspects for Food and Feed Security. Thereport noted that the global population, nowat more than 7 billion, may grow to 9 billionby 2050. Already, nearly 1 billion people regularly go hungry. Insectsa source of proteinthat requires a fraction of the land, water,and feed as livestockcould help alleviate thelooming crisis. The case needs to be made toconsumers that eating insects is not only goodfor their health, it is good for the planet, theauthors wrote. Knops and Plevin figured thatwhile cricket-based bitters might not solvethe food problem, the product could helpovercome a psychological one. People aremore open to trying new things when thereare cocktails involved, Plevin says.Most of the world has been comfortablewith entomophagy, or the practice of eatinginsects, for millennia. But it is only in the pastfew years that it has gained momentum inWestern countries, particularly with respect tocrickets. More than 30 start-ups specializingin crickets have launched in North Americasince 2012. A few raise the insects; the resteither sell cricket mealmilled to a finepowder that resembles nut flouror productsmade from it, including cricket granola bars,cricket chips, cricket crackers, cricket choco-

lates, and cricket cookies. There are fledglinglines of dog treats too, and one company isworking to mash crickets into a paste, theentomophagists answer to peanut butter.Late last year, the restaurant consultantsBaum and Whiteman forecast that insectprotein powder would be among the hottestfood and drink trends of 2015, along withoysters, unusual root vegetables, and whiskey.Critter Bitters abstracts the crickets further,filtering out the evidence rather than grindingit up. In fact, Knops and Plevin suspect thattheir pure cricket bittersone of several flavors they plan to offermay have fewer insectparts than are allowed in food by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA); cinnamon sticks, for example, may legally containup to 5 percent insects by weight.As I watch Knops pour alcohol into the jarof crickets, their bodies bobbing in a rising tideof bourbon, I squint into an older container ofbittersa batch from 2013, the students first.Its now nearly gone. Knops and Plevin neversuspected the bitters might become a commercial product, but after they presented their finalproject to the school, they started getting mediaattention, including from Epicurious.comand Food & Wines website. The urge to dosomething to save a dying planet coincides witha very adventurous time in eating, says Plevin.

N

orth Americas cricket-foodindustry didnt spring from aspontaneous, collective epiphanyabout shifting food tastes. Rather, it can betraced to two catalysts. One was the 2013FAO report that sparked the birth of CritterBitters. The other was a 2010 TED talk byDutch ecological entomologist Marcel Dickethat has been viewed online 1.2 million times.Clicking through PowerPoint slides in aninsect-adorned T-shirt, Dicke lays out the casefor entomophagy. A burgeoning populationwill not only add more mouths to feed, he

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

PR O D DU C T I M AG ES BY BR I A N K LU TC H ; BI T T Y I M AG E BY J I LL SH OME R

points out, but will require more protein; aspeople grow richer, they want to eat moremeat. Then, theres the economic argument.If you take 10 kilograms of feed, you can getone kilogram of beef, Dicke says, but youcan get nine kilograms of locust meat. If youwere an entrepreneur, what would you do?In the U.S., both events rippled througha food culture that is increasingly self-aware,if not always scientificone populated bygluten-free trendsetters, protein-heavy paleodieters, and eco-conscious locavoresandthrough a start-up culture filled with youngidealists. This generation has greater accessto knowledge than just 30 to 40 years ago,says David Gracer, a purveyor of exoticarthropods at SmallStock Food Strategies.And when there are TED talks and FAOreports, they inspire a lot of people.Thanks to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, aspiring start-ups cannow connect directly to an audience especially

M AY 2 0 1 5

Edible Insects

BAUM AND WHITEMANFORECAST THAT INSECTPROTEIN WOULD BE AMONGTHE HOTTEST TRENDS OF2015, ALONG WITH OYSTERSAND WHISKEY.receptive to their message. Critter Bittersplans to launch its first Kickstarter campaignthis spring, in part to gauge the potential of itscustomer base. Terry Romero, Kickstartersfood outreach lead, has seen an uptick ininsect-food projects. Instead of the classicinvestor putting in a giant chunk of money,we are helping companies forge relationshipswith people who are emotionally invested inwhat they do, she says. These will often beloyal fans for years to come.Crowdfunding has also proved to investorsthat theres a market to be tapped. PatrickCrowley launched Chapul, the first cricket protein bar in the U.S, with a $16,065 Kickstartercampaign in 2012. Last year, Crowley wason the reality show Shark Tank, where small

businesses pitch to a panel of investors. By theend of the show, Crowley had convinced MarkCuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks pro basketball team, to invest $50,000 for 15 percentequity. And by the end of the year, Chapul hadearned nearly $400,000 from sales both onlineand in health food stores, food co-ops, and atCentral Market, a gourmet chain. This year itwill launch in select Whole Foods. This wasreally a passion project to spread an idea,Crowley says. I thought we were probably fiveto 10 years too early when we launched it; itshappening a lot faster than I had envisioned.Another success was SixFoods, the creatorof Chirps cricket chips, which raised $70,599on Kickstarter last year. Now, its distributingto co-ops in Boston and Seattle and is in talks

Dozens of cricket-food start-ups have launched in the past fewyearsand nearly all disguise the insects in familiar products.

Exo protein barVarieties: cacao nut,blueberry vanilla,apple cinnamon, peanutbutter and jelly; $2.99

Bitty cookiesVarieties: orangeginger, chocolatecardamom, chocolatechip; $9.99

CrickerscrackersVarieties: rosemarygarlic, classicsea salt; $6

Hopper Crunch granolaVarieties: toastedcoconut, cranberry& almond, cacao &cayenne; $10

WorldMags.net

Critter BittersVarieties: pure cricket,vanilla, cacao,toasted almond;price N/A

Next MillenniumFarms flourVarieties: regular,organic gluten-free,organic; starting at $15

P OP U L AR SC I E NC E

/ 47

WorldMags.netexample, sells organic and gluten-free cricketflour and will soon add a paleo line of cricketsthat are fed a grain-free meal. But regardlessof the sales pitch, packing crickets into thefamiliar shapes of cookies and snack barsdoesnt necessarily ease demand for moreresource-intensive forms of protein (particularly with regard to products that maycontain neglible amounts of cricket).The best scenario for entomophagy advocatesconcerned about global food security isgetting people to eat the insects as they are.When we started ordering crickets to ourdorm, we realized America isnt ready forthat, says Laura DAsaro, who co-foundedSix Foods shortly after graduating from

Harvard. We see our chips and cookies asa first step. Its useful just to have cricketson the ingredients list and have Americanseating them. But we want to slowly introduceother products, with the ultimate goal of goingto a restaurant where you can get a chickenburger, veggie burger, or ento burger.

T

he culinary possibilities of entofood rest on a steady supply of themain ingredient, which is anotherreason crickets have taken off. NorthAmerica already has an industrial cricketinfrastructure; the insects have been grown

THE GLOBAL MENUThe Thai love fried locusts. South Africans munch oncaterpillars. At least 2 billion people worldwide regularlyeat insects, according to the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations. Nutritionally, they

are hard to beat: Insects are high in protein, vitamins,minerals, ber, and good fats. More than 2,000 specieshave reportedly been used as foodand with a millioninsect species and counting, more are sure to be found.

alutAc ize!S

House CricketsAsia, AmericasAcheta domesticusis one of two speciesthat farmers canraise economically.Calories* 460Protein 67 g

Palm WeevilAfrica, Asia, AmericasLarval palm weevilsare by far the mostpopular beetle eatenin the tropics.Calories 480Protein 36 g

NERD BOX:Countries are coloredby the number of ediblespecies, as recordedby Yde Jongema,an entomologist atWageningen Universityin the Netherlands.1562526100More than 100

NUMBER OF EDIBLE INSECT SPECIES, BY TYPEBeetles

Caterpillars

Wasps, bees,and ants

Grasshoppersand crickets

True bugs

Termites

Other

AhuahutleAmericasThe eggs of backswimming bugs havebeen eaten in Mexicofor centuries.Calories 330Protein 57 g

*N UT RI T I ON I N F ORMAT I ON I S PE R 1 0 0 GRA MS OF DRY B U G

48 /

POP U L A R S CIE NCE

WorldMags.net

B UG I L LUST R AT I ON S BY BR OW N BI R D D ES IG N ; S O UR C ES : N UT R IT I ON A L COMPOS I T I ON A N D S A F E T Y AS PECTS OF E DI B L EI N S EC TS , B . A . R U M PO L D A N D O . K . S C H LT ER , MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH , MA RCH 20 1 3

with big-box stores. A cricket protein barcalled Exo attracted $54,911 on Kickstarterin 2013; the start-up has since sold severalhundred thousand bars, raised an additional$1.2 million, and may appear in JetBlue snackpacks later this year. And Next MillenniumFarms, which sells flour made from cricketsit grows outside Toronto, raised $1 millionfrom private investors. Some of the largestfood production companies in the world arein talks with usflavoring companies thatsell to PepsiCo, Unilever, McDonalds, saysco-founder Jarrod Goldin. Food producershave had to pay attention to what is going on.Many in the new cricket industry also hopeto ride a wave of other trends. Goldin, for

WorldMags.netfor decades as fish bait and food for petreptiles. To see how crickets are raised forpeople, last November, I took a trip to BigCricket Farms in Youngstown, Ohio, the firstfood-grade cricket operation in the U.S.The farm resides in a former vegetableco-op, a 5,000-square-foot warehouse tuckedin the back of a parking lot. Kevin Bachhuber,Big Crickets co-founder, had promised Iwould hear the chorus of breedersmaturecrickets capable of reproducingbut when Istepped inside, I met only silence. A crisis ofunknown origin had killed more than a million breeders weeks before my arrival. Luckily, I missed the direct aftermath: the deathlysmell of 900 pounds of rotting cricket corpses.It was like a little genocide, Bachhuber said.He and the companys cricket wrangler,Luana Correia, led me away from the emptybreeder boxes to the nursery, split into twoblack tents. We pulled sanitary disposablebooties over our shoes, unzipped a door,and stepped into an oppressive heatthetents are kept at 90 degrees Fahrenheit and90 percent humidity to nurture the young.It smelled like roasted nuts. Plastic boxeslined the walls, and Correia pulled one downto show me an egg carton inside. It teemedwith uncountable baby crickets, nicknamedpinheads, the features on their fragile bodiesnearly imperceptible. The tents hold threeto four million in total. If they all grow toadulthoodunlikely, as pinheads are proneto accidental squashingthey will amountto 3,000 pounds of cricket meat, or 750pounds of protein powder. By harvesting theadults every seven weeks, Big Cricket projects it will grow 60,000 pounds of cricketsannually, and Next Millennium Farms, evenmore: up to 300,000 pounds a year.The fledgling industry poses an interesting conundrum to government agencies.Like larger livestock, crickets are subject tofederal and state regulations. Until the relevant agencies can sort out the finer points,both they and the start-ups they regulatehave been collectively winging it. When BigCricket Farms had to rebuild its stock afterthe mass death of its breeders, Bachhuberfollowed U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) organic chicken egg rules to decidewhether eggs from a pet-grade cricket farmcan be hatched for human consumption,for example. The FDA and the Ohio StateDepartment of Health simply require a guar-

M AY 2 0 1 5

Edible Insects

antee that food-grade crickets are farm-raisedrather than wild-caught to avoid pesticidesand other unintentional contaminants. Andas of now, the USDA has no plans to inspectcricket farm