Industry

Imagine tiny robotic bees buzzing around fields of wildflowers, helping real bees carry out their crucial pollinating duties decades in the future.

It’s a vision that Harvard’s Microrobotics Laboratory has been working on for years. The barrier? Until recently, the only landing

Read the entire article: This Tiny Robot Is Part Bee, Part Crane Fly—and It Finally Has Solid Legs

If your work situation has shifted, and you now have to put in regular in-person appearances in an office, then you might’ve noticed that you’re spending a bit more than you did when you were working from home. If that’s the case — and those grab-and-go lunches and afternoon caffeine fixes have started to add up — you’re definitely not alone.

Owl Labs, a company that builds video-conferencing systems for hybrid workspaces, has released its annual “State of Hybrid Work” report,

Read the entire article: How Much More You Spend to Work From an Office

Individual ketchup packets are in high demand — and suppliers can’t seem to keep up with it.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price for individual ketchup packets has increased by 13%, the Wall Street Journal reports. Restaurants have been trying to stock up on the packets since the CDC recommended to “avoid using or sharing items that are reusable such as menus, condiments and any other food containers.” That, combined with many eateries reverting to take-out only orders where packets would be included, has resulted in a shortage at chains like Long John’s Silver and Texas Roadhouse, according to WSJ.

Read the entire article: A Ketchup Shortage Is Affecting Restaurants Across the Country | PEOPLE.com

Most of California will be going back into March-style lockdowns following the issuance of a new public health order from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that closes large swaths of the economy in regions hardest hit by COVID-19 and places tougher restrictions on businesses allowed to remain open.

Critics say Newsom’s order is full of arbitrary restrictions that will damage small business owners while doing little to stem the spread of the pandemic.

Read the entire article: Gavin Newsom’s New Stay-at-Home Order a ‘Deathblow’ to California’s Small Businesses – Reason.com

In a year that will be remembered for a deadly pandemic that shut down parts of the economy and cost millions of people their jobs, here’s one silver lining.

Read the entire article: Americans Are Starting a Staggering Number of Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Reason.com

Maps are not just informative, they are empowering. They can help provide a new perspective to age-old problems. But maps are not necessarily fixed – they often need renewing. As Albert Einstein said, “You can’t use old maps to explore a new world.”While there are reasons to be uneasy about the future, maps can also inspire optimism.

They not only reveal incredible progress, but also signal how a combination of political leadership, smart incentives and regulatory pressure can improve our human condition.

Read the entire article: The maps that show life is getting better | World news | The Guardian