🤣 Last laugh for butt-breathers

Wotcha people !

Well, here's an interesting twist. The folks behind a discovery that some mammals can breathe through their butts – which earned them a satirical IgNobel Prize in 2024 – are now trialing a technique that delivers oxygen to human patients through the intestine, via the anus. What a time to be alive !

Elsewhere, just after a major AWS outage caused multiple apps to go dark, we bring news that Amazon has started building modular nuclear reactors to help protect its data services from outages.

Keep scrolling for more. Enjoy !

Paul Ridden

Headliner

Butt-breathing science goes from IgNobel Prize infamy to human reality

by Bronwyn Thompson

Scientists who won a 2024 IgNobel Prize for "discovering that many mammals are capable of breathing through their anus" have now completed a successful trial based on this, using a technique that gets oxygen into the blood via an unconventional route.

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Highlights

Tiny HousesOutdoors

Off-grid tiny house delivers big home comforts in a portable package

by Adam Williams

This recently completed tiny house, by Tru Form Tiny, combines off-grid functionality with a well-designed and surprisingly luxurious interior that lets its owners live and work wherever they want.

EnergyTechnology

Amazon goes nuclear with new modular reactor plant

by David Szondy

In the shadow of a service outage that affected millions of users, outside of Richland, Washington, internet commerce giant Amazon is building the first of a series of modular nuclear power stations to protect its data services from outages.

EnvironmentScience

Green herbicide may reside in the leaves of walnut trees

by Ben Coxworth

Harsh, eco-unfriendly synthetic herbicides are definitely one of those things that you shouldn't be using if you don't have to. Japanese researchers are thus now developing a green alternative, derived from the leaves of a humble walnut tree.

Consumer TechTechnology

Nifty wireless microphone rocks its own cable-free in-ear monitors

by Paul Ridden

No matter how much gear you stuff into your backpack for recording on the go, chances are high that you'll forget something. The AirStudio S1 is designed to ease the burden, serving as an EDC multi-tool for musicians, podcasters or sonic creatives.

Wellness and Healthy LivingBody and Mind

IBS breakthrough: Serotonin-making gut bugs restore bowel function

by Bronwyn Thompson

A novel treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is on the horizon, with the discovery that two specific gut microbes produce serotonin that protects against inflammation and damage.

We double-checked — this MacBook Air is really $180

Own the sleek power of Apple without the big price. For just $179.97 (MSRP $999) through Nov. 2, this refurbished MacBook Air 13.3″ delivers premium performance, all-day battery life, and Apple’s iconic design—without blowing up your budget.

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MusicConsumer TechTechnology

Steal the guitar tone from any song with this AI-powered effects pedal

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

Calling all guitarists who spend way too much time trying to lock in the perfect sound: Groundhog Audio claims its tech can match the tone from any song and drop it into a compact pedal at your feet – no knob twiddling necessary.

ArchitectureTechnology

Tenant-built bamboo housing resists a 7.7-magnitude earthquake

by Bridget Borgobello

When a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar earlier this year, the ground split and many buildings collapsed. Yet 26 bamboo homes, designed and built by architectural studio Blue Temple, remained completely intact.

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