Monday, September 28, 2015

The Future of Food: Inhaled Food

Inhale Your Food
Tenley Steinke



 A. 
-http://listverse.com/2013/11/06/10-bizarre-food-developments-we-may-see-in-the-future/
-http://inhabitat.com/harvard-professor-makes-inhalable-coffee-no-cup-required/le-whif3/
-http://aerolife.com

B. 
As I was scrolling through the internet,  I came across an interesting concept: inhaling your food-LITERALLY. Usually when we talk about inhaling our food, we say that as a figure of speech for someone who eats extremely fast because they're hungry. However, a Harvard professors, David Edwards, designed a way to inhale chocolate in 2012. Edwards called this product the 'Le Whif.' Since then, this product has become a trend in Europe and in Northern parts of North America. The Le Whif has been modified by a Canadian chef, Norman Aitken, who calls his development the Le Whaf. They Le Whaf takes form of a vase with an ultrasound device implanted below. Typically using soup, the ultrasound shakes the soup into a vapor, and then the consumer breathes it in through a straw. Another company came up with devices like these: AeroLife. They developed products to improve sleep, travel, sport, energy, immunity, and coffee. Apparently, the AeroLife devices contain a few hundred milligrams of nutrition through one inhale. Tiny solid and liquid particles flow into the mouth and into the body-providing both taste and nutrition. Some may see these devices as unnecessary, but they do provide several benefits: they are quick to use and quick to take effect, you can use them any time and any place, they contain zero calories and zero sugars, you can choose how much or little you intake, you're only consuming the good nutrients rather than both good and bad. 

C.
1. On a global scale, this device would be awesome. In a lot of third world countries, tons people (especially children) die or become chronically ill because of a lack of nutrients. Though these devices may be expensive and may have  a lot of developing to do before hitting the markets all over the world, they would provide nutrients and hunger satisfaction to those in need. Sometimes people don't have access to the nutrients they need and starve to death. Not only would these nutrients lessen the appetite of starving people, but would also help to lead healthier lifestyles-preventing disorders caused by malnutrition.
2. On a national and local scale, because these devices provide healthy eating, it may help the population in North America control obesity. Across the world, Americans are first typically referred to as 'fat' when being described by other cultures. This device may reduce the appetite and give people only the healthy nutrients they need. Though they provide different flavors and different categories of needs,  I could not see annihilable food taking place of regular food. 
I think these devices also provide a step towards the medicine community. For me in particular, there has been talk about inhalable Insulin for diabetics. With this technology advancing, I could see inhalable medicine becoming the next step. 
3. To positively impact the future, I think more flavors and foods should be developed. I also think they should make these devices accessible and affordable for the people in need. More research could also be done to successfully develop inhalable insulin-eliminating injections for diabetics all over the world. Also, the majority of these devices have refillable pods, but from what I have read, these pods do not last very long, so to make a pod that lasts longer than five inhales would be beneficial.
4. To negatively impact the future, I could see these devices being expensive and unsustainable-making it difficult for people in third world countries to access and use. I could also see this concept of annihilable food taking place of actual food which would eliminate TONS of jobs in food industries. This concept could also be a gateway to inhaling bad things like drugs, alcohol, etc. 
5. Human/Social Tech, Super Tech, Limit Tech

Questions:
1. Would you use these devices as a way to fulfill your hunger?
2. Could you ever see this becoming of use to you? Why or why not?



Inspirations: Content & Visual

For me personally, I was inspired by Anasofia's layering ideas, and Daren's painting. As far as content,  I loved the idea of all of the layers Anasofia put into her work and would like to do something like that on maybe a canvas because I like to use canvas so much. Her content was clear enough to the point it made me ask, "what is this?" but after looking at it I would have an understanding. Visually,  I also loved how Daren switched up his colors from the first time. The abstract work really appeals to me because I love painting as well, and it gave me some ideas for my future work. 

Grocery Greenhouses

Shop where its grown, right then and there. 

Here is a video of what Wholefoods is up to: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/service/greenhouse-brooklyn




Heres a snippet from the Wholefoods shown above: 

Our flagship greenhouse built in 2010 is the first commercial scale rooftop greenhouse in the United States. The rooftop greenhouse, designed, built, owned and operated by Gotham Greens measures over 15,000 ft2 and annually produces over 100 tons of fresh leafy greens.

All products are grown using recirculating irrigation systems that capture all water for re-use and are free of any harmful chemical pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. We employ integrated pest management solutions, including biological controls such as using beneficial insects to prey on harmful pests. Electrical demands are offset by 60kW of on site solar PV panels and high efficiency design features including, LED lighting, advanced glazing, passive ventilation, and thermal curtains, sharply reduce electrical and heating demand. Rooftop integration further reduces energy use while serving to insulate the building below.

My takeaway and notes:
This is a super interesting campaign, it will fluctuate competitive pricing within grocery stores if they are able to generate enough, with an efficient amount of man power. From previous research, the growth of obesity within the Unites States is most largely impacted from two key components: household incomes, and store (healthy option) prices. 
With the growth of this movement, costs could be cut. However it would be important not to negatively impact the jobs created from farms within the US. This would be a supplement movement for low-income housing areas to have access to healthy alternatives and food that truly gives back.

Tidal Energy (from when I was gone last week)

Tidal Energy

Here are some Key Components from: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/tidal-energy/

"Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy.

During the 20th century, engineers developed ways to use tidal movement to generate electricity in areas where there is a significant tidal range—the difference in area between high tide and low tide. All methods use specialgenerators to convert tidal energy into electricity."

"Tidal Energy Generators

There are currently three different ways to get tidal energy: tidal streams, barrages, and tidal lagoons.

For most tidal energy generators, turbines are placed in tidal streams. A tidal stream is a fast-flowing body of water created by tides. A turbine is a machine that takes energy from a flow of fluid. That fluid can be air (wind) or liquid (water). Because water is much more dense than air, tidal energy is more powerful than wind energy. Unlike wind, tides are predictable and stable. Where tidal generators are used, they produce a steady, reliable stream of electricity.

Placing turbines in tidal streams is complex, because the machines are large and disrupt the tide they are trying toharness. The environmental impact could be severe, depending on the size of the turbine and the site of the tidal stream. Turbines are most effective in shallow water. This produces more energy and allows ships to navigatearound the turbines. A tidal generator's turbine blades also turn slowly, which helps marine life avoid getting caught in the system."


For the time being, tidal power’s standing as a relative unknown is probably deserved. Other forms of renewable energy deserve the spotlight for what they’ve accomplished to this point. But that won’t necessarily be the case for much longer.
In light of a report published by the BBC earlier this year, tidal power has been severely underestimated. New analysis suggests that tidal power could in fact provide up to 20% of the United Kingdom’s power if gathered and employed efficiently. To boot, the publication mentions that newer technology and a fuller, more systematic understanding of estuaries and streams has put tidal power in a position to become one of the most reliable forms of renewable energy – notably more reliable than wind power.
But if wind is so fickle, and tides are so predictable, then you might be asking yourself why turbines are popping up in seemingly every empty patch of grass along the highway, but it’s rare you’ll see a tidal generator along the beach.
Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/04/10/the-present-and-future-of-tidal-power/#ixzz3n2Qpv4BE

Chipotle Outbreak

Forecast: Food


http://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-chipotle/326499341/









Article:

Chipotle Recently had an outbreak of Salmonella. Salmonella, the name of a group of bacteria, is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States. Usually, symptoms last 4-7 days and most people get better without treatment. But, Salmonella can cause more serious illness in older adults, infants, and persons with chronic diseases. Salmonella is killed by cooking and pasteurization(foodsafety.gov).
This happened in Minnesota and in 17 Chipotle restaurants. 45 people were hospitalized, The health department are not sure where the Salmonella came from. 




Bullet Answers:

The global impact, national impact, and local / personal impact

This is a Global Impact because this disease can come from anyone, which will impact the rest of the people who come near the person interaction.

 Forecast the range of impact over the short term (the next 2 months to 2 years), to the long term (next 20 years to 20 + decades).

short term: Salmonella begins with clean hands. When one person doesn't clean their hands when there about to touch food that's how problems happen. Long term: Is when we teach or figure a system to make sure employees come to work with clean hands or make sure their capable to handle a food workplace. I would say have a machine scan each employees and see if their clean or not. It could help prevent Salmonella from happening, especially a fast food place.

    What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest positive impact on the future:
I would do the clean machine. Each fast food/restaurant would have this device. One is when each employee comes into work and one in the bathroom. This device will tell if each employee is clean or nah. It could also tell when the person will become sick.  Since tech is something we focus on why not create a machine that could stop harmful disease get into our food.

What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest negative impact on the future:
The machine could have lots of difficulties getting it to really scan germs or anything bad. It could tell false information and get the food industry way more problems then Salmonella. 


“Which region of the future” does this related closest most to or does this fit in between – or perhaps a region of the future you’d like to define for yourself.
tech/ no tech it's like half & half.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Future Forecast 3.) 3D Printed Food

sources:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/3d-food-printers-how-they-could-change-what-you-eat/#/5
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/competition/bright-future
http://www.3dsystems.com/es/chefjet
http://chocedge.com/
https://www.naturalmachines.com/


ANALYSIS:
     3D printing your food is slowly becoming a reality. Currently in existence are the 3D Systems ChefJet, Natural Foods' Choc Edge, and the Foodini. The ChefJet can crystalize fine grains of sugar into virtually any geometric shape, The Choc Edge can dispense chocolate into beautiful elaborate patterns, and the Foodini can use fresh ingredients to dispense raw doughs that can create partially made pizza, quiche, filled pasta, and brownies.
     German nursing homes have began serving a 3D printed food called "Smoothfoods" to feed to the elderly patients who have a difficult time chewing their food. This "Smoothfood" mixture of mashed carrots, peas, and broccoli, is an alternative to a much less appetizing puree that is usually served and often rejected by patients.
    3D printers could also make the unappetizing, become appetizing. For the most part, people are very conservative when it comes to food, and will only be willing to try something if it's similar to something that they have eaten in the past. For example, insects are something that not everyone would be open to eating in it's raw form, but it's an excellent source of protein. If 3D printers could use them as ingredients, people could be getting better nutrition from what they eat.
     3D food printers still have many obstacles to overcome, one of those being speed. The machines print out the food layer by layer, and need some ingredients to cool, creating excessive wait times for the food to be complete. Another issue is how complex the make up of some foods are. Most printers can create things with sugar, chocolate, and dough, but things are a lot tougher when it comes to complicated food products like meat. A survey found that only 34% of the respondents would be open to even trying 3D printed meat.


“When people first heard about microwaves they didn’t understand the technology, now 90 percent of households have microwaves.” - Lynette Kucsama


BULLET ANSWERS:

Impact

Globally, 3D printing foods could do a lot with reducing waste, and aiding people in countries where food is not very accessible to them or is out of their budget. Nationally, I could see 3D printing become a commodity, and turn into 3D printing specialty restaurants, etc. Personally, I'm not 100% for the idea of printing food yet. I don't know what the long term effects of eating food products created by this kind of technology, and that makes me very hesitant.



short term/long term

Short term, I believe that engineers will continue towards printing solutions for complex foods such as meat, and the amount of time that it takes for a meal to be printed.
Long term, I believe that 3D printing has the potential to find it's way into our homes as a permanent fixture, such as the microwave. Hopefully it will also widely be used for helping those in need. 





positive

3D printing could solve a lot of hunger issues, waste issues, and even just add a lot of convenience and art to cooking 


negative

No one knows the long term effects of eating 3D printed food, so they could potentially be very harmful to our bodies in the same sense that GMOs have an effect on us, or even radiation from technology


food tech/bio tech


QUESTIONS:

Would you feel safe eating 3D printed food?

If so, are there any foods that you wouldn't be willing to try?

Do you think that 3D food printers will become a kitchen appliance in the next 30 years?




WATER REVISITED 

     Revisiting the water forecast, I was very inspired by the people who work traditionally rather than digitally. I really enjoy seeing the drawings that come from Eric and Skylar, along with the paintings that Darren does. Another project that I really enjoyed was Lucy's album cover. I think that there's something cool about having to represent an artist and an album of songs through one piece of work.
     For my revisited project, I plan on taking a more painterly approach and making something that represents my topic in a more organic way rather than a factual and precise way.


Almond Production Controversial and in Trouble





Analysis:

http://scienceblogs.com/significantfigures/index.php/2015/05/28/the-california-drought-almonds-and-the-bigger-picture/

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2015/04/almonds_in_california_they_use_up_a_lot_of_water_but_they_deserve_a_place.html

 California’s almond orchards have been thriving over the past decade and now provide an $11 billion annual boost to the state economy. Covering 860,000 acres, they account for 80 percent of world production. But the growth coincides with another development record drought and the  water needs of nut trees are posing a sharp challenge to state water security.



Farmers are planting almonds because, as permanent crops, they do not need to be replanted after every harvest. They have been steadily taking over from cotton and lettuce because they are more lucrative. “That’s the highest and best use of the land,” said Ryan Metzler, 45, who grows almonds near Fresno.

The problem is that not only do almonds and pistachios, another newly popular nut, need more water, but the farmers choosing permanent crops cannot skip cultivating them in a dry year without losing years of investment.



Now the state is putting new controls on the groundwater that has gotten many farmers through the brutal drought which still looms over the state, despite recent rains — and there is no certainty that the future of almond and pistachio orchards in areas like the western San Joaquin Valley is secure.

On the other hand it may be time to reduce almond production to help free up vast amounts of water being used to grow them. California is definitely in a position where it needs to make some cuts like this, but at what cost?

B. Bullet Answers

The global impact, national impact, and local / personal impact

Since California accounts for 80% of the worlds almond production, I think all of these areas would be affected by scarcity of the available product and price hikes across all almond products.

Forecast the range of impact over the short term (the next 2 months to 2 years), to the long term (next 20 years to 20 + decades).


If we don't solve the water issues we talked about last week, particularly in california the next t years and months could see drastic water shortages. This will immediately affect the almond crop. Twenty years from now if we are still in a drought, almonds may become expensive and luxurious.

What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest positive impact on the future


Solve the water crisis! Work to reduce the harming affects of global warming to combat further drought.

What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest negative impact on the future


pretend like there is nothing wrong! Keep growing almonds without thinking about water scarcity.

“Which region of the future” does this related closest most to or does this fit in between – or perhaps a region of the future you’d like to define for yourself.


No tech

Questions

Do you side with almond growers, or do you think its time to reduce almond growth in drought affected areas?

Would you continue to buy almonds if they become rare and the price increases substantially?


Inspiration From Others Projects


 Inspiration:


Content:
I think that Scott’s work made me think about how we can bring water back from space. It made me really think about ways that might make it possible. Comets are made up of water partially; can we contain one as it enters the atmosphere? I think that overall I really saw that water crisis is something that needs to be address I think in the future we will see more experiments of bringing back resources from space.


Visual:
 Janie’s work seems to stand out the most to me; I think it is interesting how she uses fabric. I believe that a lot of my work is about texture so I thought how could I incorporate other materials into my work.  I think it inspired me to incorporate more into my work, and question how working other material into my pieces can convey a meeting.

Genetic Modification Could Make Food Healthier And Reduce Waste


A) Genetic Modification Could Make Food Healthier And Reduce Waste: The non-bruising potato is here, but will consumers buy it?

Link to article:


Part B:


I think that “designer foods” that are genetically altered to meet the demands and expectations of consumers, instead of farmers, is a strange concept and may have unintended consequences. In the United States, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and individuals are wasting millions of pounds of potatoes every year and other produce because it does not look good. Companies and farms are turning to genetic modification to fix the perceived “defects”. These potatoes also have been modified to have less of a chemical, acrylamide which is a potential cancer- causing when it is heated to high. Despite these benefits, I am still concerned about the long-term effects of GMOs on human health. It may be time to follow the lead of scientists in supporting GMOs. Still, I wonder if genetic modification is the only way for us to help reduce food waste. It seems like we could be reusing the discarded food in a new way or could we consider changing our mindsets about what edible food should look like.

C) - The Bullet Answers:
1)     The global impact, national impact, and local / personal impact. 
Creating perfect-looking potatoes and other “designer foods” that are resistant to bruising and contain less acrylamide may not be seen as a necessity to genetically alter foods on a global scale but could reduce food waste in some developed nations. In the United States, these GMOs could help prevent reduce the amount of food that was wasted due to American consumers’ expectations for perfect produce. As a consumer, I may not notice the difference at the grocery store because the stores usually just throw away the less appealing or damaged produce anyways.  I would appreciate being able to purchase potatoes and other foods with added benefits. Cooking potatoes with less acrylamide reduces carcinogens when cooked, which is a bonus health benefit that may outweigh the risk of GMOs.  

      2) Forecast the range of impact over the short term (the next 2 months to 2 years), to the long term (next 20 years to 20 + decades).

In the next 20 years, I believe we will see more “designer foods” genetically modified to perfection, with scientific advances in improving our foods through genetic modification. Next decade, I believe we will have a better understanding of how the GMOs are influencing people’s health and I think that more people will embrace it as a necessity to feed our planet’s growing population.

    3) What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest positive impact on the future.”

GMO foods reduce food waste and provides more appealing produce for the consumer. These modifications have the potential to create healthier foods and feed more people. Feeding our growing population on this planet and improving the health of the public would be the greatest benefit.

4 4) “What could you do, or could be done to create the greatest negative impact on the future.”

    Although we have an enormous food waste problem, there are still unknown about the long-term        p  impact of GMOs on our health. If consumers are not willing to embrace imperfections in foods, like bbruised potatoes, we could be going down a dangerous path in which we are unnecessarily altering the g genetic makeup of foods to meet the whims of the general public. By altering potatoes and other
  foods, we could potentially be harming, not improving public health.  

5 5)    “Which region of the future” does this related closest most to or does this fit in between – or perhaps a region of the future you’d like to define for yourself.

      Biotech. Nature tech, human tech

   Questions for class:

   Are genetically modified foods the only solution to reducing food waste?
   What makes us think GMOs are dangerous?
   What are some potential benefits to embracing GMO potatoes?
S  Should foods be genetically altered to meet consumer needs?