At Home: One-Way Ticket to Mars
Bored? Had it with this place? Ready to make a new start?on a different planet? Sign up to take a one-way trip to Mars and become a part of a reality show That’s all about new beginnings.
As the CBC reports, at least 35 Canadians have applied to join the Mars One project, which ?plans to send a few willing pioneers on a one-way trip, with no chance of returning to Earth.?
The project, created by Dutch entrepreneur Bas Landorp, will choose four applicants who will become a part of an ?unspecified ?global media event? that will feature the astronauts and their preparation.? The cameras will continue to follow them on their seven-month journey to the red planet.
Suicide mission? According to some, but others are excited about the possibilities. Raye Kass, of Montreal’s Concordia University, is an adviser to the project’s selection committee. She told reporters, ?There wouldn’t be any persuasion?in fact, there would be a lot of people we would dissuade.?
Selection criteria include ?resiliency, adaptability, curiosity, the ability to trust, and creativity or resourcefulness.?
Around the World: Eat Your Bugs
don’t complain about the bug you found in your salad; instead, appreciate the opportunity. A recent UN report suggests that you might be about to chow down on the food of the future.
As the CBC reports, ?[the] UN has new weapons to fight hunger, boost nutrition and reduce pollution, and they might be crawling or flying near you right now: edible insects.?
The report, created by UN agency Food and Agriculture Organization, called insects like crickets and beetles ?an underutilized food for people, livestock and pets.?
In terms of protein, the report suggests, these insects ?come close to lean red meat or broiled fish.? they’re ?high in protein and minerals? and are a more ecologically-friendly food source than, say, cattle or pork.
While insect farms do exist, they serve primarily ?niche markets.? The food agency hopes this changes, calling insect farming ?one of the many ways to address food and feed security.?
Still squeamish about eating bugs? There are other options being studied; the agency is also ?examining the potential of arachnids, such as spiders and scorpions.?
