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Move over, Iron Chef, this metallic cook has just learned how to taste

In an episode of Futurama, robot Bender wants to be a chef, but has to overcome the not inconsiderable hurdle of being incapable of taste. It was beautiful. Move over, Bender. A new robot has not only been programmed to taste, it has been trained to taste food at different stages of the cooking process to check for seasoning. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, working with domestic appliances manufacturer Beko, hope the new robot will be useful in the development of automated food preparation. It’s a cliché of cooking that you must “taste as you go”. But tasting isn’t as simple as it may seem. There are different stages of the chewing process in which the release of saliva and digestive enzymes change our perception of flavour while chewing. The robot chef had already mastered the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/a-good-egg-robot-chef-trained-to-make-omelettes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">omelette</a> based on human tasters’ feedback. Now, results <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2022.886074" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the Frontiers in Robotics & AI journal show the robot tasting nine different variations of scrambled eggs and tomatoes at three different stages of the chewing process to produce a “taste map”. Using machine-learning algorithms and the “taste as you go” approach, the robot was able to quickly and accurately judge the saltiness of the simple scrambled egg dish. The new method was a significant improvement over other tasting tech based on only a single sample. Saltiness was measured by a conductance probe attached to the robot’s arm. They prepared the dish, varying the number of tomatoes and amount of salt. “Chewed” food was passed through a blender, then tested for saltiness again. <figure class="wp-block-video"><video src="../wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Unchewed-sampling-short.mp4" controls="controls" width="300" height="150"></video><figcaption>This robot ‘chef’ is learning to be a better cook by ‘tasting’ the saltiness of a simple dish of eggs and tomatoes at different stages of the cooking process, imitating a similar process in humans. Credit: Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory, University of Cambridge.</figcaption></figure> “Most home cooks will be familiar with the concept of tasting as you go – checking a dish throughout the cooking process to check whether the balance of flavours is right,” said lead author Grzegorz Sochacki from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “If robots are to be used for certain aspects of food preparation, it’s important that they are able to ‘taste’ what they’re cooking.” The new approach aims to mimic the continuous feedback provided to the human brain in the process of chewing, says Dr Arsen Abdulali, also from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “Current methods of electronic testing only take a single snapshot from a homogenised sample, so we wanted to replicate a more realistic process of chewing and tasting in a robotic system, which should result in a tastier end product.” “When a robot is learning how to cook, like any other cook, it needs indications of how well it did,” said Abdulali. “We want the robots to understand the concept of taste, which will make them better cooks. In our experiment, the robot can ‘see’ the difference in the food as it’s chewed, which improves its ability to taste.” “We believe that the development of robotic chefs will play a major role in busy households and assisted living homes in the future,” said senior Beko scientist Dr Muhammad W. Chugtai. “This result is a leap forward in robotic cooking, and by using machine and deep-learning algorithms, mastication will help robot chefs adjust taste for different dishes and users.” Next on the menu will be training robots to improve and expand the tasting abilities to oily or sweet food, for example. Sounds pretty sweet.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=190155&title=Move+over%2C+Iron+Chef%2C+this+metallic+cook+has+just+learned+how+to+taste" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robot-machine-learning-taste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/evrim-yazgin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evrim Yazgin</a>. Evrim Yazgin has a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematical physics and a Master of Science in physics, both from the University of Melbourne. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Technology

Liking death metal doesn’t mean you’re a bad person

<div class="copy"> Listening to the music of a band called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodbath" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloodbath</a> – described as “a Swedish death metal supergroup” – is not, it must be said, an exercise recommended for people of delicate disposition who rather like the songs of Celine Dion. However, 48 men and women with no particular love of razoring guitars, thundering drums and screamed lyrics from albums with titles such as Resurrection Through Carnage and The Arrow of Satan is Drawn did just that recently, in the name of scientific endeavour. Researchers led by Yanan Sun from Australia’s Macquarie University set out to test the hypothesis that exposure to music full of violent themes decreases sensitivity to other types of violent imagery. To do this, the researchers first recruited a cohort of 32 self-declared fans of death metal, having first ascertained that the volunteers were particularly fond of lyrics about murder and mayhem and massacre. A second, slightly larger, cohort of non-metal-heads was then also gathered. Individuals in both groups were asked to listen to two songs – a Bloodbath number called ‘Eaten’ and the relentlessly jolly ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. While they were doing so, Sun and colleagues presented them with pairs of images – one in front of each eye – comprising something truly nasty and another, neutral image. “Consistent with past research, violent imagery should generally dominate consciousness over neutral imagery,” the researchers hypothesised. “Moreover, for most people, this tendency to perceive violent images should occur earlier and for longer durations while listening to violent music than while listening to non-violent music, reflecting a ‘congruence effect’ in which emotions experienced while listening to music reinforce the emotions expressed in images.” In addition, the researchers expected, not unreasonably, that metal-heads would experience more positive emotions while listening to Bloodbath because, well, they liked that sort of thing. The results, when the experiments were done and the lab fell, at last, blessedly quiet, were quite a surprise. Both cohorts exhibited general negativity towards the violent imagery. For the Pharrell fans, the bias was stronger when they were listening to Bloodbath, and the metal-heads showed an equal bias through both songs. “The results of this investigation confirm that both fans and non-fans of violent music exhibit a reliable bias for processing violent imagery over neutral imagery regardless of what genres of music they were listening to,” the researchers state. “Thus, we observed no evidence that fans of violent music are generally desensitised to violence.” The results may disturb some critics who view heavy metal music as a kind of sonic gateway drug to antisocial behaviour, but probably won’t come as a shock to metal fans themselves. “For listeners who extract a positive experience from violent or aggressively themed music — even when they recognize that the music expresses violence — music will not reinforce a processing bias for violent imagery any more than a positively themed song such as ‘Happy’,” concludes Sun’s team. The research is <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.181580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Image credits: Getty Images <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p24438-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.56 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/people/society/liking-death-metal-doesnt-mean-youre-a-bad-person/#wpcf7-f6-p24438-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> </form> </div> </div> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=24438&title=Liking+death+metal+doesn%E2%80%99t+mean+you%E2%80%99re+a+bad+person" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /></div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/liking-death-metal-doesnt-mean-youre-a-bad-person/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Andrew Masterson. </div>

Music

Titanium is the perfect metal to make replacement body parts

To mark the <a href="https://www.iypt2019.org/">International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements</a> we’re taking a look at how researchers study some of the elements in their work. Today’s it’s titanium, a metal known for its strength and lightness so it’s ideal for making replacement hips, knees and other parts of our bodies, but it’s also used in other industries. <hr /> <a href="http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/22/titanium">Titanium</a> gets its name from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titan-Greek-mythology">Titans of ancient Greek mythology</a> but this thoroughly modern material is well suited to a huge range of high-tech applications. With the chemical symbol Ti and an atomic number of 22, titanium is a silver-coloured metal valued for its low density, high strength, and resistance to corrosion. I first studied titanium via a Master’s degree at the Institute of Metal Research in the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1999. One of my projects was to investigate the formation of titanium alloys for their high-strength characteristics. Since then, the applications for this metal have grown exponentially, from its use (as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/titanium-dioxide">titanium dioxide</a>) in paints, paper, toothpaste, sunscreen and cosmetics, through to its <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/titanium">use as an alloy</a> in biomedical implants and aerospace innovations. Particularly exciting is the perfect marriage between titanium and 3D printing. Custom design from 3D printing Titanium materials are expensive and can be problematic when it comes to traditional processing technologies. For example, its high melting point (1,670℃, much higher than <a href="https://www.bssa.org.uk/topics.php?article=103">steel alloys</a>) is a challenge. The relatively low-cost precision of 3D printing is therefore a game-changer for titanium. 3D printing is where an object is built layer by layer and designers can create amazing shapes. This allows the production of complex shapes such as replacement parts of a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-30/victorian-woman-gets-3d-printed-jawbone-implant/8400410">jaw bone</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-21/rare-cancer-sufferer-receives-3d-printed-heel/5830432">heel</a>, <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2014/05/16-ground-breaking-hip-and-stem-cell-surgery.page">hip</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27313616">dental implants</a>, or <a href="http://www.media-studio.co.uk/news/media-studios-first-3d-printed-titanium-cranioplasty-plate-delivered">cranioplasty plates</a> in surgery. It can also be used to make <a href="https://3dprint.com/219546/3d-print-golf-clubs-and-equipment/">golf clubs</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-norsk-boeing-idUSKBN17C264">aircraft components</a>. The <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/MF/Areas/Metals/Lab22">CSIRO is working with industry</a> to develop new technologies in 3D printing using titanium. (It even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oc8GoOOUo4">made a dragon</a> out of titanium.) Advances in 3D printing are opening up new avenues to further improve the function of <a href="https://www.materialise.com/pl/node/3197">customised bodypart implants</a> <a href="https://www.renishaw.com/en/metal-3d-printing-for-healthcare--24226">made of titanium</a>. Such implants can be designed to be porous, making them lighter but allowing blood, nutrients and nerves to pass through and can even <a href="https://3dprint.com/219795/3d-printed-lattice-structures/">promote bone in-growth</a>. Safe in the body Titanium is considered the most biocompatible metal – not harmful or toxic to living tissue – due to its resistance to corrosion from bodily fluids. This ability to withstand the harsh bodily environment is a result of the protective oxide film that forms naturally in the presence of oxygen. Its ability to physically bond with bone also gives titanium an advantage over other materials that require the use of an adhesive to remain attached. Titanium implants last longer, and much larger forces are required to break the bonds that join them to the body compared with their alternatives. Titanium alloys commonly used in load-bearing implants are significantly less stiff – and closer in performance to human bone – than stainless steel or cobalt-based alloys. Aerospace applications Titanium weighs about half as much as steel but is 30% stronger, which makes it ideally suited to the aerospace industry where every gram matters. In the late 1940s the US government helped to get production of titanium going as it could see its potential for “<a href="https://titaniumprocessingcenter.com/titanium-technical-data/titanium-history-developments-and-applications/">aircraft, missiles, spacecraft, and other military purposes</a>”. Titanium has increasingly become the buy-to-fly material for aircraft designers striving to develop faster, lighter and more efficient aircraft. About 39% of the US Air Force’s <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/f22/">F22 Raptor</a>, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, is made of titanium. Civil aviation moved in the same direction with Boeing’s new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/boeing-787-dreamliner">787 Dreamliner made of 15% titanium</a>, significantly more than previous models. Two key areas where titanium is used in airliners is in their landing gear and jet engines. Landing gear needs to withstand the massive amounts of force exerted on it every time a plane hits a runway. Titanium’s toughness means it can absorb the huge amounts of energy expelled when a plane lands without ever weakening. Titanium’s heat resistance means it can be used inside modern jet engines, where temperatures can reach 800℃. Steel begins to soften at around 400℃ but titanium can withstand the intense heat of a jet engine without losing its strength. Where to find titanium In its natural state, titanium is always found bonded with other elements, usually within igneous rocks and sediments derived from them. The most commonly mined materials containing titanium are <a href="https://geology.com/minerals/ilmenite.shtml">ilmenite</a> (an iron-titanium oxide, FeTiO3) and <a href="https://geology.com/minerals/rutile.shtml">rutile</a> (a titanium oxide, TiO2). Ilmenite is most abundant in China, whereas Australia has the highest global proportion of rutile, <a href="http://www.ga.gov.au/education/classroom-resources/minerals-energy/australian-mineral-facts/titanium#heading-6">about 40% according to Geoscience Australia</a>. It’s found mostly on the east, west and southern coastlines of Australia. Both materials are generally extracted from sands, after which the titanium is separated from the other minerals. Australia is one of the world’s <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/titanium/mcs-2015-timin.pdf">leading producers of titanium</a>, producing more than 1.5 million tonnes in 2014. South Africa and China are the two next leading producers of titanium, producing 1.16 and 1 million tonnes, respectively. Being among the top ten most abundant elements in Earth’s crust, titanium resources aren’t currently under threat – good news for the many scientists and innovators constantly looking for new ways to improve life with titanium. <hr /> If you’re an academic researcher working with a particular element from the periodic table and have an interesting story to tell then why not <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/pitches">get in touch</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115361/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laichang-zhang-715775">Laichang Zhang</a>, Professor Mechanical Engineering, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/titanium-is-the-perfect-metal-to-make-replacement-human-body-parts-115361">original article</a>.

Technology

“I now have a metal hip”: Andy Murray undergoes major surgery

Andy Murray has undergone hip resurfacing surgery, only two weeks after his Australian Open exit. The three-time Grand Slam champion shared on Instagram that he had the surgery in London on Monday, a fortnight after the loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open. “I now have a metal hip,” Murray wrote. “Feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtNiST6FrYn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtNiST6FrYn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">I underwent a hip resurfacing surgery in London yesterday morning...feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain 😀 I now have a metal hip as you can see in the 2nd photo 👉👉 and I look like I've got a bit of a gut in photo 1😂</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/andymurray/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Andy Murray</a> (@andymurray) on Jan 29, 2019 at 12:18am PST </div> </blockquote> It remains unknown whether Murray will be returning to Wimbledon in July this year. Earlier this month, the 31-year-old said the Australian Open might be the last tournament of his career. “Having an operation like that, there’s absolutely no guarantees I’d be able to play again,” Murray said in a press conference at the Melbourne Arena. “I’d like to play until Wimbledon – that’s where I’d like to stop playing – but I’m not certain I’m able to do that.” The former world number one also had hip surgery in Melbourne last year and has played 15 matches since.

Caring

Metal found in Queensland bananas Australian police confirm

Police in Australia have confirmed they are investigating an incident where a metal object was found inside a banana, after needles were found in Queensland strawberries. Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed police were actively investigating an incident, but did not give details about where the contaminated banana was found. It comes after metal needles were found in strawberries in Queensland. "There are significant leads in relation to that [banana] matter," Stewart said. It's understood the incident with the banana was isolated and involved a person placing a metal object in a banana at a shop. <div class="sics-component__ad-space sics-component__ad-space--storybody "> Stewart said the potential for copycat events was "very real" and the strawberry investigation was ongoing. "We're focusing very, very much on the supply chain, the people involved in that, this is a very, very significant, economically powerful industry, particularly in the south-east of Queensland and obviously of great concern," he said. Stewart said there had been incidents across Australia and Queensland police were working with counterparts interstate. "There's some specific leads that we're following in relation to the banana incident – strawberries are still our major focus," he said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it is unbelievable that any person could do this knowing the eventual harm or destruction it could do to a human life. Queensland chief health officer Jeanette Young said that there had been no further reports of needles or metal objects found in strawberries in Queensland, and only three brands had been withdrawn from the market. The state government has offered a A$100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the strawberry sabotage. New Zealand company Foodstuffs has halted all imports of Australian strawberries after needles were discovered in strawberries sold in Queensland, Victoria and NSW. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has also ordered the national food safety watchdog to assess Queensland's handling of strawberry contamination. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/107153174/metal-found-in-queensland-bananas-australian-police-confirm">Stuff.co.nz</a>. </div>

Legal

The rules with wearing metallic make-up

You've heard the so-called “rules” about wearing metallic make-up as a mature woman. However, while you might want to ditch the stick-on gems, sparkly lip gloss and an overly glitzy smoky eye, a hint of shimmer can be flattering at any age. This video from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjVGHwHYVOkuvNEX2UH11Q" target="_blank">The Style Insider</a> shows you how to strike the right balance. How do you like to do your make up for a wedding or special event? Let us know in the comments below. Written by Leonie Barlow, first appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/05/chemicals-in-beauty-products-to-avoid/">Chemicals in beauty products everyone should avoid</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/05/diy-skin-care-tips-that-are-bad-for-you/">5 DIY skin care tips that are bad for you</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/04/home-remedies-for-sagging-skin/">5 home remedies for sagging skin</a>

Beauty & Style

Pit bull puppy’s security blanket is a metal bucket

After a rough past an abandoned pit bull puppy is looking for a new home. Slim the rescue dog is currently residing at Recue Me Ohio, a dog shelter in Ashland Country, and while he’s making great strides to recovery he refuses to be separated from his metal bowl. Slim was found emaciated and scared last December and was taken in by staff at the dog shelter, who have done a good job in nursing him back to full health. Slim reportedly loves to play but has destroyed a lot of toys in his youthful exuberance – except for his favourite that is. <img width="480" height="640" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10374/slim-pitbull-metal-bowl-two.jpg" alt="Slim Pitbull Metal Bowl Two" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Image credit: Facebook / Rescue Me Ohio Slim and the metal bowl are inseparable and his carries his favourite toy around wherever he goes. Rescue Me Ohio wrote on Facebook, “He loves attention and loves to play. He is anxious in the shelter and has destroyed most of the toys he's been given. But his favourite toy is his Bucket! He has a lot of energy and charm. He had some food guarding issues that the shelter staff and volunteers have worked with and he has come a long way.”

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