IBM says to expect 5 big changes in the next 5 years

Food is about to change.

(Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock/Big Think)
  • IBM's 2019 5 in 5 predicts major changes on the horizon.
  • Food chain technology, from farmers' financing to desktop pathogen sensors, is about to explode.
  • IBM and others have big ideas about reducing famine and food-borne illness.
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Lack of basic research hiding behind 'clean meat' hype

Despite tens of millions of dollars pouring into new technologies, a 'clean' burger remains elusive.

  • Tens of millions of dollars are funding projects to create a consumer-ready lab-grown burger.
  • Despite the hype, experts warn that a lot more research needs to be conducted.
  • Mainstream adoption of plant-based foods, however, is making lab-grown meat a welcome possibility.
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Lab-grown meat's steady march to your plate

As costs go down and the benefits become more clear, can we afford not to eat lab-grown meat?

Shutterstock
  • Just a few years ago, the price of a lab-grown hamburger had five figures.
  • Today, that price has gone down to just $11.
  • Even if it's cheap, tastes the same, and preserves the environment, will people actually eat meat grown in a lab?
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A.I. turns 57 million crop fields into stunning abstract art

Detailed (and beautiful) information on 57 million crop fields across the U.S. and Europe are now available online.

Image: OneSoil
  • Using satellite images and artificial intelligence, OneSoil wants to make 'precision farming' available to the world.
  • The start-up from Belarus has already processed the U.S. and Europe, and aims for global coverage by 2020.
  • The map is practical, and more — browse 'Random Beautiful Fields' at the touch of a button.
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On factory farms, the death rate of pig sows is soaring

It's not yet clear why this is happening, but there are plenty of suspects

(Farm Watch)
  • A rise in mortality for factory farm pig sows has growers worried.
  • There are some obvious possible reasons, but studies are underway.
  • Rise in deaths points toward a need for more humane treatment of pigs.
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