Articles Archives -

Drone-based Agriculture

Daily Upsider on April 2, 2025

Kyle Albertson, born with congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD), has defied the odds to build a thriving drone services company in just four years. Raised in the heart of Indiana farmland, Albertson developed a deep connection to agriculture early on. Involved in organizations like 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), he was determined to create a career that offered both purpose and independence.

After earning his agribusiness degree from Purdue University in 2021, Albertson turned a personal interest into a professional pursuit by launching Albertson Drone Service LLC. What began as a hobby—flying drones for fun—quickly evolved when he recognized a real demand among farmers for aerial photography and drone-assisted pesticide deployment. His innovation and agricultural insight allowed him to carve out a unique niche in the industry.

Today, Albertson’s company has more than doubled its revenue, client base, and acreage serviced since its inception. He remains actively involved, traveling to clients in a specially modified van and leading operations firsthand. His message to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple yet powerful: “If you think you can do it and it’s a good business action, give it a shot.”

Van Gogh’s Starry Night: Scientifically Accurate

Daily Upsider on September 26, 2024

“Starry Night” is widely regarded as one of the most famous paintings in the world, second only to the Mona Lisa. But what many admirers might not realize is that van Gogh’s swirling sky is not just visually striking—it’s also “alive with real-world physics.”

The brushstrokes in Starry Night create such a convincing illusion of atmospheric motion that scientists specializing in fluid dynamics in China and France became curious about how closely it mirrors the actual physics of the sky. Because you can’t measure actual motion in the painting itself, the scientists used van Gogh’s brushstrokes as a proxy for real atmospheric movement. By analyzing the scale and spacing of these swirling strokes, they found that van Gogh’s portrayal of the sky “accurately captures” energy cascading in turbulent flows—a phenomenon they call “hidden turbulence.”

According to Dr. Huang Yongxiang, one of the study’s authors, the size of the brush strokes was key. “By using high-resolution digital images, we were able to precisely measure the size of the strokes and compare them to turbulence theories.” The researchers likened the swirling brushstrokes to leaves caught in a whirlwind, which allowed them to analyze the shape, energy, and scaling of atmospheric characteristics in the painting. They also used the varying brightness of the paint as a stand-in for the kinetic energy of movement in the sky.

“It reveals a deep and intuitive understanding of natural phenomena,” Dr. Huang explained. “Van Gogh’s precise representation of turbulence might be from studying the movement of clouds and the atmosphere or an innate sense of how to capture the dynamism of the sky.” The study, published in Physics of Fluids, examined the 14 main swirling shapes in Starry Night and found they aligned with Kolmogorov’s law, a theory that describes how kinetic energy is transferred in turbulent flows from large to small scales.

On a finer level, the team found the brightness diffused in the brushstrokes also followed Batchelor’s scaling, which explains energy transfer in smaller, passive atmospheric turbulence. Finding both types of energy scaling in one system is rare, and it was a major motivation for their research.

San Diego Zoo Welcomes Rare Sumatran Tiger Cub

Daily Upsider on September 16, 2024

The San Diego Zoo recently welcomed the birth of a Sumatran tiger cub, a critically endangered subspecies with only around 600 remaining in the wild. The cub was born on August 23rd to first-time mother Jillian. This marks a significant step in the zoo’s ongoing conservation efforts for Sumatran tigers.

Wildlife care specialists report that Jillian is adapting well to motherhood, displaying all the expected maternal behaviors, and the cub has been active and vocal while bonding with her. Lisa Peterson, the senior vice president of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, emphasized the importance of this birth, noting that it adds vital genetic diversity to the Sumatran tiger population.

Sumatran tigers are the smallest and most endangered of the tiger subspecies, and they face numerous threats, including habitat loss and poaching. Conservationists encourage the public to help protect these animals by avoiding products made with unsustainable palm oil and refusing to buy items made from endangered species.

Jillian and her cub will remain in their den for several weeks to bond before moving to a specially designed habitat. This period is crucial for the cub’s development. Globally, there are 375 Sumatran tigers in zoos, as part of efforts to ensure the survival of this subspecies.

Sound Waves Treating Pain and Depression

Daily Upsider on September 16, 2024

A new device, called the Diadem, has shown promising results in relieving pain and depression during clinical trials. It uses sound waves to target specific areas of the brain with millimeter accuracy. While non-drug treatments like this can raise skepticism, especially given the widespread use of SSRIs for depression, the research team is enthusiastic.

Lead author Tom Riis, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, reports significant improvements in patients after just one 40-minute session.

“Not every participant saw drastic changes, but for those who did, the results were remarkable,” said Riis. “In some cases, you could see the difference immediately—their mood and behavior had completely shifted.”

The device is in phase 2 trials, and the team is eager to move forward. Of 20 participants, 60% reported a 33% reduction in pain right after treatment. For those with depression, 10 of 14 reported remission a week later after just one session.

The Diadem sends ultrasonic frequencies to areas of the brain involved in pain and emotion regulation, like the anterior cingulate cortex. The device’s precision allows it to reach the target areas through the skull.

One patient described the experience as their brain “waking up,” while another reported feeling unusually clear-headed while walking through a grocery store. The team is now recruiting participants for phase 3 trials and can be contacted at diademclinicaltrials@gmail.com.

Viking-Age Silver Bracelets Unearthed by Danish Student

Daily Upsider on September 6, 2024

A 22-year-old Danish student, Gustav Bruunsgaard, recently uncovered Viking-era treasure near Aarhus while using a metal detector. In a site known for Viking artifacts, he found a silver bracelet and later discovered six more, weighing over a pound in total. He reported the find to the Moesgaard Museum in Højbjerg, where experts dated the bracelets to the early 9th century.

These bracelets reflect Viking connections across Europe, from Russia and Ukraine to the British Isles. The find emphasizes Aarhus as a key Viking hub. The bracelets likely served as hacksilver—a form of currency during the Viking Age, with pieces broken off for trade. These objects were often jewelry, ingots, or religious items repurposed for transactions.