Brunei’s Royal Wedding

Daily Upsider on January 17, 2024

Brunei came to a halt for a grand royal wedding, featuring Prince Abdul Mateen, the tenth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and Anisha Rosnah. The ceremony took place at Istana Nurul Iman, the world’s largest residential palace.

The wedding included a procession through Bandar Seri Begawan, drawing crowds in scorching heat. Prince Mateen, a 32-year-old military officer, is the face of Brunei’s royal family, known for his Instagram presence. Anisha, reportedly an entrepreneur, joined the extravagant royal lifestyle. The sultan’s family, known for lavish parties, has a history of grand celebrations, including a $25 million event in 1996.

The wedding festivities began on January 7 with a traditional pre-wedding ceremony, followed by the Islamic solemnization ceremony on January 11. Other ceremonies, like the Berbedak Pengantin Diraja, or “powdering ceremony” – where the groom and bride-to-be are blessed by their close family members who apply a powder paste to their hands before the wedding, also added cultural significance. The formal wedding on January 15 featured royals from Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE, along with leaders from neighboring countries. Brunei, a tiny nation rich in oil and gas reserves, gained independence in 1984. The ruling House of Bolkiah is led by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, who holds various government roles.

Weed Killer Robots

Daily Upsider on January 17, 2024

Verdant Robotics, a leading ag-tech company, has developed cutting-edge artificially-intelligent weed killer robots that are transforming crop management.

Verdant Robotics has created a multi-action, autonomous platform that is the only ag-robot in the U.S. market capable of simultaneously weeding, fertilizing, and treating plants for pests and diseases. Passing over a field the robots can specifically target individual weeds and crops at a rate of 20 per second, before blasting them with either de-weeder or fertilizer within a millimeter of accuracy.

The robots use sub-millimeter precision to identify and target individual plants, allowing for the use of 95% less chemicals than traditional spraying methods. This level of accuracy is made possible by a combination of advanced robotics, machine vision, and deep learning algorithms.

“Increasingly folks are turning towards things like cover-cropping again, and inter-cropping and other regenerative agriculture techniques that allow us to keep the soil healthy,” said Gabe Siblev, Founder and CEO of Verdant Robotics, in a mini-doc about their technology. “The challenges there have been that it’s difficult to do this at the same sort of scale that we can do monocropping, which is how we feed the world.”

Related Story: Carbon Robotics’ Autonomous Weeder does one thing even better.

The robots can treat an impressive 500,000 plants per hour, significantly increasing the speed and efficiency of farm operations. Furthermore, these advanced robots, such as the SprayBox, don’t just treat a plant and move on. Instead, they meticulously construct a centimeter-by-centimeter map of the entire field, including the geolocation and identification of each plant. This extensive data collection is vital in implementing regenerative agriculture on a large scale, which would otherwise require a substantial workforce.

Because of the mapping and precise targeting, this could potentially enable the large scale growing multiple crops on the same field. Doing this at a monocropping scale would be huge for utilizing regenerative farming techniques. “Ironically, it’s kind of returning to how we farmed you know, 100 years ago. Unlocking knowledge that a lot of older growers have, and bringing it back through technology,” said Siblev.

As the demand for food increases and the need for sustainable farming practices becomes more pressing, the adoption of these advanced technologies will be essential in meeting the challenges of the future.

It is well worth watching the thing in action, it almost looks like a video game.

Eating Sushi While at War

Daily Upsider on January 16, 2024

Despite the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s economy has shown remarkable resilience, particularly in its culinary sector. The country, which experienced a severe economic downturn following the invasion, has begun to stabilize and adapt.

A key element of this economic adaptation is the flourishing sushi restaurant scene. Sushi, which became popular in Ukraine after the Soviet Union’s dissolution, symbolizes the country’s departure from its past and is now a staple for special occasions and holidays. Olha Nasonova, a restaurant consultant in Kyiv and co-founder of the National Restaurant Association of Ukraine, highlights the importance of restaurants in maintaining a sense of normalcy, likening dining out to therapy.

“Being at a restaurant, sitting at a restaurant is almost like psychotherapy,” says Nasonova. “It’s how we feel the normalcy of life when life is not normal around you.”

Despite logistical hurdles, such as Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and initial reluctance from trucking companies to deliver supplies, sushi restaurants have managed to thrive. Serhiy Fedorchenko, a food supply manager in Zaporizhzhia, notes that although importing ingredients like fresh fish, wasabi, seaweed, and cream cheese (a unique addition in Ukrainian sushi) has been difficult, they have managed anyway.

Restaurants have also adapted to infrastructural challenges, such as power outages, by investing in electrical generators and implementing policies to expedite the import of perishable goods like fish. This adaptability extends to restaurant management, where establishments like Island Sushi, managed by Lapshunkov, are attracting employees with higher salaries and incentives. Lapshunkov observes that the increased military presence in southern Ukraine, coupled with civilians’ desire for normalcy, has boosted business.

A New King in Europe

Daily Upsider on January 16, 2024

In a historic moment for Denmark, new King Frederik X has assumed the throne following the surprising abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II. The handover took place at Christiansborg Palace in the capital, Copenhagen, where thousands gathered to witness the commencement of a new era.

Queen Margrethe, who reigned for over five decades, signed a declaration of abdication during a cabinet meeting, officially passing the crown to her son. The emotional scene unfolded amidst large crowds braving frigid weather in the streets.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen continued the tradition, publicly proclaiming the King’s accession from the palace balcony. King Frederik delivered a concise speech, expressing his hope to be a unifying king. His Australian-born wife, Queen Mary, and their four children, including Crown Prince Christian, the new successor, joined him.

While the Danish monarchy, one of Europe’s oldest, lacks a traditional crowning ceremony, the streets were filled with well-wishers. Unlike the grand global spectacles of other royal events, Denmark’s changeover remained a low-key yet significant occasion.

The transition garnered international congratulations, with Britain’s King Charles III extending warm wishes. Denmark, entering a new modern era, faces the challenge of maintaining a popular and relevant monarchy under King Frederik’s reign.

The Danish royal family is well known for its down-to-earth demeanor. As Denmark embraces this new chapter, King Frederik and Queen Mary strive to maintain a monarchy that resonates with the public in a rapidly changing world.

Ancient City Found in the Amazon

Daily Upsider on January 15, 2024

An ancient city, hidden for thousands of years by dense vegetation in the Amazon, has been uncovered through LiDAR Technology. The Upano area in eastern Ecuador reveals a complex urban society with houses, plazas, and an impressive network of roads and canals connecting them. This discovery challenges the main stream belief that Amazonian people lived nomadically or in small settlements.

Built around 2,500 years ago, the city thrived for up to 1,000 years, hosting a population estimated in the tens of thousands or more. It is the oldest site known in the Amazon, and the size could indicate that the ancient civilization could rival or have even been larger than the Mayan civilizations in Mexico and Central America.

The archaeological findings, aided by LiDAR technology flown on a plane, exposed 6,000 rectangular platforms arranged in groups around plazas. These platforms, believed to be homes and ceremonial spaces, showcased sophisticated urban planning.

A striking feature was the extensive road network, covering a vast distance that have long straight sections, and sometimes turn using right angles. It is much more common to see roads that follow the lay of the land as it is easier to make. The researchers believe this might suggest a ceremonial or symbolic significance to some of these roads. Causeways with ditches, likely canals managing water resources, were also identified. Signs of threats to the city, such as blocked entrances and ditches, hinted at potential conflicts with neighboring groups.

The first evidence of their being an ancient city was found in the 1970’s, but this is the first time the site has been thoroughly surveyed since then.

Prof Stephen Rostain, director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, was the man who lead the survey. He said he was warned away from the research by other scientist who claimed there were no ancient civilizations in the Amazon. The professor was not deterred, and is quite happy about it, saying “But I’m very stubborn, so I did it anyway. Now I must admit I am quite happy to have made such a big discovery,”.

The researchers plan to explore an adjoining 300 sq km area to see what more they can discover.

This reminds me of the writings of early Spanish explorers, who claimed there were large cities and civilizations in the Amazon. These cities were not found later, and lot’s of scientists and historians chalked it up to fabrications. This is a good reminder that sometimes scientist get a little over confident with with what they “know”.

Hopefully, we continue to learn more about these lost cities and people.