Five Times Amazed
Every day, something happens that shows what we’re capable of as humans. In this series, I share five stories that surprised or inspired me. Each one a spark of progress. They may not all be reality tomorrow, but together they show: we’re moving forward.
1. Naps aren’t lazy, they’re brilliant
👉 Why a nap might help people see things in new ways (Ars Technica)
Your brain can keep working even when you’re not, according to science. A new study shows that people who nap may literally start to see things differently. The researchers think our minds keep shuffling puzzle pieces around while we sleep, helping us connect dots we hadn’t seen before.
💡 I proudly wave the nap flag, so no wonder this article caught my eye. Not only does a beauty sleep recharge, it also lets your brain do genius things while you snore. Context: we live in a world that worships productivity, so if science says slowing down might actually speed up your insight, we should pay attention. Relevance? We need all the fresh ideas we can get.
2. The Firebreathing Music Machine
👉 Fantastic music from fantasy and engineering (Tromleorkestret)
Is it an orchestra? Is it a robot? It’s Tromleorkestret! This mechanical music machine is a drum-powered, string-rattling, gear-spinning barrel organ, played live by a Danish ensemble and sounding like a genius’s fantasy turned into sound.
💡 I saw this live at the Holzmarkt in Berlin and it amazed me right away. This is not just a mechanical robot playing music, it’s a dream machine that sings. Context: while AI is busy making music, this shows what human creativity plus some old and new fashion tech can actually invent. Relevant because imagination is still very much alive.
3. Let the AI go to Mars, we’ll stay home
👉 Scientists made ChatGPT fly a spaceship (Futurism)
In a simulation, ChatGPT was given the controls of a virtual spacecraft. And it handled the job: adjusting trajectory, solving problems, making autonomous decisions. No human astronauts needed.
💡 Dots were immediately connecting in my brain. Add in those reasoning robots and reusable rockets, and suddenly it’s not us going to Mars, it’s the bots. Context: a tongue-in-cheek reminder that space might become the ultimate robot playground. Relevant because what works out there might soon guide tech down here.
4. Dyson’s strawberries: part sci-fi, part snack
👉 Dyson’s hydroponic farming system is producing strawberries (New Atlas)
Some sort of a Merry Go Round for fruit: Dyson is growing strawberries in a controlled environment that looks more like a spaceship than a farm. With luminous ideas, LEDs, and lots of data.
💡 This gave me “mad inventor from a comic book” vibes, think Dyson as the real life version of Gyro Gearloose. Context: it’s fun to watch, yes, but it’s also a serious look at how we might feed 9 billion people. Relevant because sometimes wild ideas are exactly what we need.
5. Claude the chatbot runs a shop… into the ground
👉 Anthropic let its Claude AI run a business. It failed, hilariously (Futurism)
Anthropic let its chatbot Claude manage a virtual vending machine at their office. The result? Chaos. Orders got weird, and the digital shopkeeper basically turned into a digital disaster, with a mind of its own.
💡 It’s hilarious, and kind of comforting, for now. Context: while some worry AI will take over every job, Claude can’t even handle a webshop (yet). Relevant because it reminds us that human sense still counts. Especially at checkout.
