News from the Future: We'll all be growing brains in laboratories

Brain in Lab 

A team of scientists at Ohio State University claim to have grown the first “almost fully-formed human brain” in a lab. The brain is not conscious, and it is similar in development to that of a five-week old brain of a fetus.

The miniature brain could help scientists learn more about the progression of diseases like Parkinsons or Alzheimers, and be used to test drugs on these conditions. It could also be used to distract zombies while you escape. After all, they're only looking for brains, not consciousness.

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An Elevator to the Stars

If you grew up reading Roald Dahl—and what well-adjusted adult didn’t?— get ready to revisit childhood glee with the announcement of a “patented space elevator.” The Canadian company Thoth Technology has created the patent, and Inventor Brendan Quine came up with the idea.

According to NPR:

            “The tower would rise some 12 miles into the sky, with a runway or launch pad on top.”

While Quine admits that the space elevator would be very expensive to build, he hopes that companies like SpaceX or Alphabet will invest in licensing his patent and creating early prototypes. In the future, astronauts “could have a single stage-to-orbit space plane,” and access to space would be similar to taking off on a modern jet. Just think, one day, you too could vacation to the stars.

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Veggies In Space

NASA has proven it can grow vegetables off-planet.

The latest from NASA:

“Fresh food grown in the microgravity environment of space officially is on the menu for the first time for NASA astronauts on the International Space Station. Expedition 44 crew members, including NASA's one-year astronaut Scott Kelly, are ready to sample the fruits of their labor after harvesting a crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce.”

What does this mean for astronauts? With the ability to grow vegetables in space, this makes it possible for astronauts to go on longer missions, further away in space, while still having a sustainable food supply. It may also be possible to grow a range of vegetables such as blueberries and tomatoes, which could protect astronauts from radiation in space, and provide them with a healthier diet.